December 19 Tuesday – In Chicago, Sam stayed with Dr. Abraham Reeves Jackson, the “doctor” of Innocents Abroad. Sam performed the “Roughing It” lecture at the Union Park Congregational Church, Chicago, Ill. Reporters praised both of Sam’s Chicago lectures.

On this day Sam was assigned patent number 121,992 for an “Improvement in Adjustable and Detachable Straps for Garments” [MTL 4: 466n5; McBride 422].

Sam wrote a note to an unidentified person, “Dear Sir— / I am sorry to say that my nights are all full from this time to the end of my season, otherwise it would give me great pleasure to talk in your course” [MTP, drop-in letters].