October 15 Thursday – Sam represented the Hartford Accident Insurance Co. at a fancy dinner of the Hartford insurance industry for Cornelius Walford at the Allyn House in Hartford. He gave a humorous speech on accident insurance. The speech was included in Sketches, New and Old (1875).

A city whose fame as an insurance center has extended to all lands and given us the name of being a quadruple band of brothers working sweetly hand in hand—the Colt’s Arms Company making the destruction of our race easy and convenient, our life insurance citizens paying for the victims when they pass away, Mr. Batterson perpetuating their memory with his stately monuments, and our fire insurance companies taking care of their hereafter [MTL 6: 172]. Note James Goodwin Batterson (1823-1901), owner of the New England Granite Works and founder in 1863 of Travelers Insurance Co.

Edward T. Potter wrote house details to Sam: “I found the memoranda I promised for Mrs. Clemens. Some of the points may seem trivial & others of doubtful desirability but all go to make up the ensemble. I should like to know when the stairbuilder gets the work up he has in hand, so I may see him at the house before he is quite finished” He added a few more detailed items with cost [MTP].