August 15 Sunday – Sam officially became a writing editor of the Express, offering sketches and editorials. This began a period of eighteen months in Buffalo that marked a transition from sometime journalist to celebrated author.

Sam wrote from Buffalo to Elisha Bliss, and Whitelaw Reid about his new book:

“…this is to ask you if you won’t get your reviewer to praise the bad passages & feeble places in it for me. They are the only ones I am worrying about, you know—the meritorious parts can get along themselves, of course” [MTL 3: 301-3].

See addition in Globe literary magazine, Buffalo, N.Y. for Apr. 1873.

Twain modified the typographical look of the Express, which resulted in “two days of consulting with layout foreman, John J. Hall,” and “pumped new life” into the “People and Things” column [Reigstad 43-44].

During his time at the Express, Sam was followed to and from the office and his boarding house by a “large, tawny, scarred office cat” [Reigstad 79].