May 4 Friday – In New York Sam wrote to Livy about his quick trip to Elmira (May 1-2), and the conference with Mt. Morris Bank’s Payne and attorney, Daniel Whitford (May 3). Sam said they owed the bank $29,500 but felt “a good half of it is bogus paper.”

I don’t know what the outcome is going to be — but I am indifferent. It will be best for all of us if the concern is allowed to go on under a trusteeship — otherwise nobody is seriously hurt but the bank. If the bank forces an auction of the effects, the result will be some little money to each creditor, & in time you & I can pay the rest — excluding the bank. I shall be a very old person before I pay the bank any more than half of their claim unless it can be clearly shown that I owe more.

The bank wanted Sam to give them rights to PW — but these were Livy’s, as were all his copyrights, thanks to H.H. Rogers, and there was no way she would do so without compensation. Sam related how “confoundedly difficult” it was for him to refer to these as “Mrs. Clemens’s books,” “Mrs. Clemens’s copyrights,” etc.

I love you, dear old sweetheart, & shall soon see you now, I guess. This is my last letter, I guess. / Saml [LLMT 300-302].