September 24 Monday – From Sam’s notebook: “Sept. 24, ’83, ordered Worden & co, 48 Wall st, to buy 100 Or Trans at 40.” Note: From MTNJ 3: 29n50:

“Around January 1883 Clemens bought on margin 200 shares of stock worth about fifteen thousand dollars in the Oregon & Transcontinental Company. In the next few months Clemens watched the stock go to a high of about ninety-eight dollars a share and then begin to drop. When Clemens bought another 100 shares in the railroad company, shortly after the date of this entry, he evidently expected the stock to rally, but it continued its disastrous decline and in May 1884 Clemens finally liquidated his 300 shares for twelve dollars a share.”

W. Wilkins Micawber, “nee Dewter Onerme” (sp?) wrote Sam what appears to be a crank letter from someone deep inside an insane asylum (name is a Dickens character). It was written from Forestville, Conn. and was nonsensical with Nasby-like spelling. Sam wrote on the envelope: “damfool” [MTP]. 

Return I. Holcombe wrote from Palmyra, Mo. thanking him for the photo, but wanting a plate and asking Sam to request one be sent from Am. Pub Co. [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the env., “D—n this ever-lasting man”