July 11 Wednesday – Sam wrote from Elmira to Samuel E. Dawson, his Canadian publisher, thanking him again for his visit to Rideau Hall and apologizing for being “miraculously, dull, stupid, silent, & unentertaining…” He praised his hosts and confided that “When anybody wants Canadian-copyright information,” he never wasted ink and paper on him but “cut him off with a curt ‘Go to Mr. Dawson’” [MTP].

Sam also replied to the July 9 of Charles A. Dana:

Dear Mr. Dana— / I am whacking at an unfinished book, & may not go to New York till the end of summer; but when I do go I will be sure to call unless we should happen to make too close a connection with the Hartford train, an accident not very likely to happen. / Yours Sincerely / S.L. Clemens [MTP; Morgan Library Online exhib 10/20/2010].

Sam also wrote to Henry C. Robinson, attorney and one of his Friday Evening Club billiard cronies.

      I hope you’ll make the [Hartford] Engineering Co. take care of that note of mine July 26th [unidentified further].

      I wish I could be there to assist at that 500-point game. But as you were four-fifths out at last accounts, I suppose the conflict is over before this.

      Mrs. Clemens is still a skeleton, but is freighting up at the rate of an ounce a day…[MTP].

Hartford Engineering wrote that “On July 25th there matures at the U.S. Bank one of our notes for $10000# bearing your indorsement. Inclosed we beg to hand you a renewal” [MTP].