August 27 Tuesday – In Elmira Sam wrote to Franklin G. Whitmore about a letter received the day before which filled him “with apprehensions.” Sam prepared to leave for Hartford but then received a letter from Whitmore (not extant) “& felt differently.”

If the machine is going to be finished & set to work Sept. 1, there is no use in my leaving here before then. If you would write me a note every day I couldn’t be caught by these surprises; but in truth I never know anything about the machine nor what condition it is in nor what is proposed or expected concerning it. If you can ask Paige once a day if he still expects to finish by the first — saying I ask this — that will make a daily valuable item of news. Whatever his daily reply is from now till the finish, no matter how far off that may be, I can live on it — & I am pretty hungry [MTP].

Webster & Co. per E.H.R. wrote to Sam: “Your favor of August 24th received, also the design for the book cover. Mr. Hall, accompanied by Mr. Whitford, has gone to Montreal.” The error reported at $62,000 for the cost of Sam’s book was corrected to $6,200. Corrections were also noted on proofs received from Sam [MTP].