October 17 Thursday – In Cambridge, Mass., William Dean Howells wrote reporting on the proofs of CY, and telling Sam what he probably already knew:

This last batch, about the King’s and the Boss’s adventures, is all good; and it’s every kind of a delightful book. Passages in it do my whole soul good. — I suppose the Church will get after you; and I think it’s a pity that you don’t let us see how whenever Christ himself could get a chance, all possible good was done [MTHL 2: 614].

Howells also wanted to know when he’d see the whole book as he had to begin his Harper’s column by Oct. 25.

Sam also wrote to his sister-in-law, the recently widowed Susan L. Crane. He enclosed five royalties on the Paige typesetter and told her to put them in a safe place. “Without any question at all they will be salable at $50,000 within four years” [MTP]. Note: Royalties were payments to be made upon each machine’s sale, and therefore were in a superior position to stock.

Also on or after this day Sam answered L.J. Drake’s follow up inquiry. Whitmore had jogged Sam’s memory on the portable perpetual calendar:

I remember it now, but had long ago forgotten it. I never manufactured it because matters of greater moment intruded and obliterated my interest in it; in fact, swept it wholly out of my memory [MTNJ 3: 522n131]. Note: Soon after, Sam wrote in his notebook “Paige, make me a perpetual calendar” [3:522].

Sam’s notebook noted three Paige royalties sent this day to Charles J. Langdon [3: 569].

Charles H. Taylor for Boston Globe wrote to Sam: “I have your polite letter of the 16th [not extant] and have sent word to Mr. Holmes. We will try to come, I think, if it is agreeable to him about next week Wednesday or Thursday, but I will give you due notice” [MTP].