November 26 Friday – Sam and Livy had heard from Martha Gray, who had promised to visit Dec. 9 or 10, with or without husband David Gray. Sam and Livy wrote from Hartford to Martha, delighted to anticipate a visit. Sam asked if they were “coming per Erie road, & I’ll go down to Jersey City & meet you” [MTLE 5: 207].

Sam also wrote to James R. Osgood, enclosing a draft letter to President Garfield soliciting an appointment for William Dean Howells as U.S. consul to the Netherlands. Sam wanted the letter revised with additional names, “Longfellow & all the rest to sign” without letting Howells know [MTLE 5: 208].

Dan Slote and a “young German” (identified as “Sneider” in Dec. 16 letter to Slote, was Charles Sneider) who’d been working on a brass engraving process came to visit Sam. They brought “six specimens of moulded brass stamps” and Sam:

“…contracted to pay him $5,000 when he is able to put his patents into my hands & assign me a one-third ownership in them for America & Europe…” [MTLE 5: 209].