December 18 Sunday – Sam wrote from Hartford to the editor of the Springfield Republican regarding the criticism of that paper to his trip to Canada to obtain copyright there. Although his trip to Montreal and Quebec was a social success, the copyright was denied over interpretations of the residency requirement [Fatout, MT Speaks 129]. The Republican charged that Sam’s trip damaged the cause of copyright for other authors. Sam countered that he was simply protecting from the possibility of some piracy:

“Perhaps you do not catch the idea. I will put it in another form; if you were going to stop over night with me I should not expect you to set fire to the place; still, I would step down and get the house insured just the same” [130].