December 9 Monday – Sam’s notebook carries a “Mem. Of Agreement” dated this date in the body and Dec. 14 (date to be executed?) in the heading, for sales of 50 “Royalty Deeds of the Paige Compositor for fifty thousand dollars” to Elmira businessman Matthias Hollenback Arnot. Sam signed his wife’s name in the memo to be a witness [3: 536].

Note: right after this entry: West Point Jan 11 / Eggleston, Author’s Club, midnight, Dec. 31. (See Dec. 19 & 31 entries)

Also in Sam’s notebook: Dec. 9. M.H. Arnot …… 50 [Paige royalties sent] [3: 569]. Note: One royalty was given for each thousand dollars invested.

Sylvester Baxter wrote from Boston that the article he was putting together for the Boston Herald might not appear until Dec. 22, the Christmas issue. “Bellamy writes that he will be delighted to come with me, and we will run down for the 28th if you decide upon that date” [MTP].

Frederick J. Hall wrote a short note to Sam that they’d received a letter from Edward Marston, but “it contained no news whatever, but merely repeated what he had sent in the cable in order to verify the cable.” A letter from Daniel Carter Beard was enclosed (not extant) [MTP].

Orion Clemens wrote a very short note of thanks to Sam for Vol. X of the LAL sent [MTP].

Gen. John Gibbon wrote on Headquarters Dept. of the Columbia, Vancouver Barracks, W.T. (Washington Territory) to Sam: “Many thanks for yours of the 3? Which with its enclosures reached me this morning” [MTP]. See Nov. 23 entry.

December 9-12 Thursday – Sometime during this week Sam and Livy made a trip to New York to visit Livy’s mother and sister, Olivia Lewis Langdon and Susan L. Crane, who had traveled from Elmira [Salsbury 272]. On Dec. 18 Sam would write that the visit could have been improved “by staying longer”, and also wrote of the delay about writing to thank them, as Livy had been so busy.