July 7 Friday – Sam wrote a short note from Elmira to Orion, directing his brother to sources Sam had used for an article, “Brace of Brief Lectures on Science” [MTL 4: 429].

Elisha Bliss wrote to Clemens:

Dear Clemens, /Thanks for your contributions. I have been sick 10 days, flat on my back, most of the time—& feel hard yet.

Will pay O. as you say $12.50 pr week. He says & shows me a letter in which you say he can draw some more on your a/c beside this, he says 5 or 10 dolls. as he wants. As you say in yours, pay him no more than the $12.50—“I halt between 2 opinions” of course I should let him have it, but simply felt I should mention it to you. Unless you say to the contrary, shall consider it all O. K—Have got the engravings mill driving—& shall make a merry book of it. And now, would like all the Mss. you have to be able to select subjects for full page engravings—want all I can of those to go in the book prospectus—And now another thing we have said nothing about. What is to be the title— This is a matter of some importance you know, & necessary for the Prospectus, unless we say we dont know it yet & call it the “Unnamed” & wait for developments—to christen it—

Let me have your ideas early as possible— Shall have prospectus ready early as possible to get the cuts ready, & make a sweep of the board—this fall— This & Beecher’s Life of Christ—will have the field & I’ll bet we win— [MTPO].

July 7-8 Saturday – Sam wrote from Elmira to James Redpath arguing reasons for changing the names and content of his lectures [MTL 4: 430]. Note: Evidently, Redpath was irritated by the change and its affect on advertising.