October 27 Wednesday – In Hartford Sam wrote to Charles E. Flower, who was building a Shakespeare Memorial in England. America was still suffering from the Panic of 1873, and Sam wrote of business being “utterly prostrate…money is distressingly scarce.” Sam enclosed his picture for Edward Fordham Flower, Charles’ father [MTL 6: 575].

Sam also wrote to Howells that he was persuading Livy to accompany him to visit Cambridge, and that Lucy Perkins, neighbor and wife of Sam’s lawyer, would look in on the children daily [MTL 6: 576].

The Virginia City Enterprise ran the story on the fire of Oct. 26:

VIRGINIA CITY IN RUINS.

A Fearful and Uncontrollable Conflagration—The Heart of the City Swept Away—Several Thousand Persons Homeless—The Immediate Loss Probably About $7,000,000—Consolidated Virginia Hoisting Works and Mill, the Ophir Works and the New California Stamp Mill Destroyed—But Little Property Saved Anywhere in the City.

 [For complete article, see: <http://www.territorial-enterprise.com/ruins.htm>].

Richard M. Milnes (Lord Houghton) wrote a short invitation: “Dear Mr Clemens, / I leave N.Y. on Wedy inst. If by chance you are in town, will you kindly breakfast with me on Tuesy the 2d at 9.30” [MTPO]. Note: Sam did breakfast with Milnes on Nov. 2.