July 3 Monday – In Munich, Germany Sam wrote to Frederick J. Hall. He liked Hall’s suggestion to sell off LAL rather than the entire Webster firm. For one thing, Sam understood the firm was in debt, but LAL was not — in fact, the LAL project was owed money.
A proposition to sell that by itself to a big house could be made without embarrassment.
It seems clear to me that it would take $200,000 to pay our debts and put it up to the turning point — the point where it was bringing in more money than it was carrying out. Therefore we would better sell, for we cannot raise that capital.
Sam felt it best to wait till fall to make such a sale, when “business freshens up and times are easier and less scary.”
I am miserably sorry to be adding bothers and torments to the over-supply which you already have in these hideous times, but I feel so troubled, myself, considering the dreary fact that we are getting deeper and deeper in debt and the LAL getting to be a heavier and heavier burden all the time, that I must bestir myself and seek a way of relief.
It did not occur to me that in selling out I would injure you — for that I am not going to do. But to sell LAL will not injure you — it will put you in better shape. Sincerely Yours, [MTLTP 348-9].
Sam also wrote to Franklin G. Whitmore, enclosing letters Whitmore had sent, including one from Robert Louis Stevenson written on Apr. 16.
Don’t send me any more letters that relate to the publishing business — even though they come from the Apostles. They are in Mr. Hall’s line & have never been in mine….Robert Louis Stevenson’s letter to me was a confidential one merely in the sense that its contents were not to be revealed by the firm — therefore it ought to have gone to Mr. Hall, too.
Sam reported that Livy (always referred to in letters to others as “Mrs. Clemens”) was improving under the care of a Munich doctor, and that in a week or ten days they would go to a “mountain resort two hours from here,” a place to spend the summer. He also wrote that he’d brought Clara from Berlin the “day before yesterday” and that “Susy will return from Paris in a fortnight” [MTP].
Charles J. Langdon wrote to Sam that he was glad to get the short letter from Trients dated June 20, but sorry to hear Livy was not in better health. Langdon was tired of life’s burdens: “We have in hand now the hardest times & greatest stringency in money that this Country has ever seen, (as the slang goes) 1857 is not in it.” He feared that the Langdon Co. may go out of business; also related Fred Hall’s visit to see him on June 22 to discuss problems of Webster & Co. Langdon thought Hall to be intelligent, and his plan wise, and he told him so [MTP].