July 18 Tuesday – Elisha Bliss wrote from Hartford to Sam.

Friend Clemens— / Two weeks sickness this hot weather has nearly used me up, but I am out again; I should have replied to you before had I been able to do it! Your proofs have also been delayed on a/c of my indisposition—

      I send you by mail to night 2 chapters proofs, & original copy, which please return as soon as convenient, be sure & return copy with proofs.— Shall send 2 chapters more tomorrow, & so on & put it through rapidly— You may look for proofs rapidly—

      Your duplicate cuts went to England next day after you was in the office.

      And now as respects the company business you mention— I would say, I shall certainly offer no personal objection or use any personal influence to prevent the adoption of any plan deemed proper by the other directors— I do not know as you knew are aware of the condition of the Co or not, you have never been present at any of the meetings & have never asked for information of me—

      I am not ashamed to show my business up, for the past 10, or the past single year— It will compare well with anyone else’ business, be it who it may. Still I think it might be even better & I thought so last spring & I therefore preferred to give up my seat to some one more capable & also less costly— I urged this plan upon the Co. By this means the expenses can be cut down no doubt.

      I will be pleased to lay any proposition you have to make before the directors[.] I am sorry you found it necessary to talk against my management outside of our board as I have several times heard you have— Even the poor drunken Williams—comes & boastingly taunts me with what you tell him—while another of my help gets letters from N.Y. stating what he says you told there— For myself I care nothing, but it seems poor policy to injure the stock this way, & our stock is too valuable to be made to suffer. As long as I stay in the Co. I will do my best for it & its authors as I have done—but when dissatisfaction arises, my usefulness here is over! Other Avenues are open to me & I rather desire to tread them, as this business has its vexations & annoyances, & I hardly care to endure them much longer. The business can be cut down, & with a cheaper man at the helm, expenses can be made low, & possibly larger profits made. The experiment can be tried & I will most cheerfully assist with all my might—

      The 2 chapters sent of proofs, I think you will find tolerably correct.

      My orders are as I received them from you to follow copy, exactly, & I hope it has been done—

      What time do you wish Tom Sawyer to appear. We will bring him out when you say. Let us know.

      Hope you are not in as warm a place as it is here— Thermometer 97. / Truly— / E Bliss Jr [MTPO].