December 15 Tuesday – Denis E. McCarthy died in Irvington, Alameda County, Calif. He was 55. The New York Times reported his death on Dec. 18, 1885, p.2. The article mentions his association with Sam, “then a young and comparatively unknown writer.” It also recounted the fake robbery on the “divide,” which may have caused a permanent breach with Sam. McCarthy died as editor and proprietor of the Virginia City Chronicle, which he ran from 1873. Too much demon rum killed him.

Sam returned to Hartford after a week in New York City. He wrote thanks to Jeannette L. Gilder, who with her brother, Joseph B. Gilder founded Critic, a New York literary magazine in 1881. She had sent Sam a poem, probably for his 50th birthday [MTP].

Sam also wrote to John C. Kinney, editor of the Hartford Courant, declining an invitation for an unspecified Jan. 6, 1886 event. Sam would be out of town then, he wrote, then added,

“Private. / And for other reasons, which I’ll tell you some time” [MTP].

Sam also wrote to William Tecumseh Sherman, apologizing for the delayed shipment of a book [MTP].

W. Hastings Hughes wrote “to the author of ‘Wanted—a Universal Tinker” recommending Mr. S. Sailer, whose letter he enclosed [MTP].

December 15 Tuesday ca. – William H. Knight wrote. “It was a wholly unexpected treat to get that charming group of wife and daughters—not forgetting the cat.” [MTP].