February 28 Tuesday – Karl Gerhardt wrote to Sam and Livy of his progress at school [MTP].

Worden & Co. Sent a statement showing a balance of $13,682.53 [MTP].

February, end – The letters between Charles Erskine Scott Wood (USMA 1874) and Sam earlier show that the clandestine trip Sam made to West Point took place sometime after Feb. 24. Sam went for a personal trip and to secretly engage Wood to print 1601. He wrote the story in 1876 and passed it around to his closest friends. In 1880, Alexander Gunn printed four copies in Cleveland. Sam sent one copy to Wood. Dean Sage also printed a dozen copies in Brooklyn. Pirated copies had popped up here and there in England; Sam’s letter of Feb. 24 to Wood reveals he even sent one to Japan (to Edward House). The West Point edition is the first “authorized” by Sam; Wood was taking quite a chance to print it on Government presses (see Apr. 3 entry).

February, end–March 1 Wednesday – Sam telegraphed from Hartford to James R. Osgood that he wouldn’t let Howells back out of a planned trip to Hartford to collaborate. Osgood sent the telegram to Howells, who referred to the fact on Mar. 2 (see entry) [MTHL 1: 392].