January 24 Wednesday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Frank Bliss, acknowledging receipt of a statement and check for $83. Sam asked for a paper that would document Bret Harte’s indebtedness, and wanted a statement for The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Feb. 1. Sales of the book would be disappointing. Powers claims, “by summer’s end, some hundred thousand [pirate] copies at seventy-five cents each had crossed the border and reached American bookstores, a devastating strain on the novel’s tardy legitimate sales” [Powers, MT A Life 385].

Sam added: “Lockwood the Baltimore tailor has arrived with his suit not his suite” [MTLE 2: 10]. Note: Henry C. Lockwood.

Sam had heard from Bayard Taylor, who agreed to stay at the Clemens’ home when he lectured in Hartford on Jan. 31. Sam asked if Taylor could stay over till Thursday or Saturday (Feb. 3) and speak to “our Young Girls’ Club,” (Saturday Morning Club) over a dozen “charming lasses of 16 to 20 yrs. old.” Sam listed Boyesen, Harte, Fields, Warner and himself as past speakers to the Club [MTLE 2: 11].

Frank Bliss wrote to Sam enclosing statement of “sales of the old books to Jan. 1. 77. check enclosed for 83.52” [MTP].

James Wells Champney (1843-1903) for Scribner & Co. wrote, hoping Sam could see him on Friday, as he’d been commissioned by the editor of Appleton’s Journal “to confer with you apropos a series of illustrated articles” [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the env. “Champney the artist”; American portrait painter.