December 30 Saturday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Charles Webster. Sam sent a bill for Portfolio, a magazine he’d subscribed to that wouldn’t stop arriving. He also sent deeds and papers from the Archer County Texas land that Livy owned. He also discussed Webster taking the responsibility from Charles Perkins of sending monthly checks to Orion [MTBus 206-7].

Sam also wrote to Thomas D. Lockwood, one of the original officials with the Bell Telephone interests, who had evidently written inquiring about the Mississippi book. Sam answered that it would be issued in two or three months by Osgood & Co., as LM. Sam then talked about Lockwood’s book, Electricity, Magnetism and Electric Telegraphy that he’d read and liked, “particularly the first part, which details the history of electricity.” Sam observed that “to an outsider they [the book’s technicalities] convey a darkness as impenetrable as our easy alphabet conveys to a comanche” [MTP].

An article titled “Trollope and Mark Twain” ran in the Elmira Daily Gazette, page 6, a humorous unsigned dialogue about Sam and his knowledge of horses, or lack of it.

I remember at a dinner at the Garick club which he [Trollope] had given to Mark Twain and myself…After dinner we sauntered back to Mark’s hotel, (the Edward’s, St. George square,) where he was living in great state on the same floor with Disraeli. ….

[Sam had to admit he knew nothing about horses]—“Nothing, nothing at all and don’t want to. You see, I’m a steam-boat man.” Note: the article bylines the Somerville Unionist [N.Y.?] but it could not be found for the date or signature.

Orion and Mollie wrote to Sam & Livy, thanking for the checks ($100 for them and $50 for Ma) and for Christmas gifts. Mollie wrote a page that Ma “seems entirely well” [MTP].