May 31 Saturday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Charles Webster, praising the contracts for paper and printing he’d made on Huckleberry Finn. “If we had had such on those other books I would have come out a good deal better.” Sam felt the project of the cheap book (1002d Arabian Night) had been delayed too long, and gave Webster “one solid day” to “catch that American News manager,” probably an agent who would sell/distribute the work. Sam had an article about how to ride a bicycle that he’d send to the New York Sun if the cheap book didn’t come off [MTBus 258].

Charles Webster wrote to Clemens: American News people wouldn’t commit to taking certain number of HF until they’d seen the book; would advise further [MTP].

Bissell & Co. wrote advice they’d sold 50 shares Adams Express @128 [MTP].

May, after – Sam gave a short speech for the Banquet of Wheelmen, Springfield, Mass., (reported by Fatout in error as conjecturally Sept. 16 or 17). The speech may be found in Mark Twain Speaking, p.181, and concerns Sam’s first experience with the bicycle as being “on the 10th of May, of the present year…” It is noted, however, that Sam wrote of a week of bicycle accidents on May 4 to Gerhardt. Robert Hirst said that Fatout never visited the MTP; this may account for several of his errors I discovered [D.F., ed.]