March 16 Monday – The Concord, Mass. Public Library banned Huck Finn from its shelves (see Sam’s Mar. 18 to Webster). The Boston Globe reported the event on the following day.

Sam inscribed a copy of Huckleberry Finn to Edwin P. Parker: “To / Rev E.P. Parker / with the warmest / regards of / The Author. / Hartford, March 16, 1885” [MTP].

Sam also wrote from Hartford to Charles Webster, who had written with the news of great early sales of Huck Finn:

“Your news is splendid. Huck certainly is a success, & from the standpoint of my own requirement. This result sets my fears about at rest as regards the General’s book. It insures a sudden sale of 250,000 copies of the first volume.”

Sam also warned Webster to “keep on good terms with the Century people,” and not to overwork (“overwork killed Mr. Langdon, & it can kill you”). He wanted to be notified each time Webster sold a thousand copies of HF. Sam advised him that he’d be at the Everett House on Friday at 6 PM [MTP].

Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote having just rec’d HF and expected “great pleasure from it,” as he had all of Twain’s books, beginning with The Jumping Frog [MTP].

Robert U. Johnson for Century Magazine wrote: “I was not joking the other day in suggesting to you that you should write out your experiences in the Rebel Army” [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the env., “Only said I would see about it in August”