February 14 Thursday – Sam and Livy ended their two-day visit in Albany and returned to New York, staying at the Murray Hill Hotel. Coincidentally the big two-day gathering of the American Newspaper Publishers’ Association was meeting there for the second day. In New York Sam wrote to Franklin G. Whitmore. Sam requested that “Brer Whitmo”:

Please mail to Murray Hill at once, any letter that may have come from Mr. Metcalfe about machine exhibition in New York. I am there till Sunday p.m. [MTP] Note: James S. Metcalfe, manager of the American Newspaper Publishers’ Assoc [MTNJ 3: 448n135].

Sam also asked him to send his invitation to the Yale dinner at Delmonico’s for Saturday night, Feb. 16, “if it has come.” This last phrase confirms Sam was already in New York, not Hartford, since if at home he would know if the invitation had come.

In the afternoon the American Newspaper Publishers’ Association toured and inspected various type setting machines and devices, including one stop in Brooklyn and three in New York City. It was the second day of their two-day event. The New York Times on Feb. 15, p.8 ran an article, “MACHINE TYPE SETTERS” about the publishers’ meeting, tour and evening banquet at the Hoffman House. Sam may have attended this event, possibly eyeing competition for the Paige typesetter, which was still in Hartford. His letter of Feb. 26 or Mar. 5 discloses that the Paige machine was on “preliminary” exhibition in Hartford: “we are going to keep the machine running one week longer, & meantime I will get those and other of their sort to come here from New York & Boston.”

A.H. Leypoldt for Publishers’ Weekly wrote advising Sam that the Literary News was going to run a portrait of him done by Miss Dora Wheeler in next month’s issue. He wanted a “little sketch” to go with the picture. “Answered” Sam noted on the env. [MTP].

Webster & Co. wrote to Sam about Dr. Douglas bugging them monthly to publish his book; about Col. Sheridan being pleased with the progress of his father’s memoirs; and of a MS left: “The Irish Invincible, Revolutionary Reminiscences” by P. Joseph Tynan of the N.Y. World [MTP].