July 25 Wednesday – In the morning Sam talked with Dr. Clarence C. Rice’s brother, and came to the conclusion he wasn’t the man for the job of selling Sam’s stock in the new Paige Compositor Co. Later in the day Sam added in a letter to Livy that “Mr. Rogers doesn’t think much of Rice’s brother” either. Sam opened the letter with:
Dear sweetheart, to-morrow Jean will be 14! My land, how time flies! Give the child my deep strong love — I am bankrupt & haven’t any other present. But we are rich, although we haven’t any money, & by & by we will make up to the children all the lacking presents.
Sam was desperate to sell a big block of stock in the new company to raise cash, but H.H. Rogers now advised to wait till the machine had been at work in the Chicago Herald office for a month, which would make such a sale easier. Sam thought he’d only “try to sell only a few small dabs, now, enough for us to live on, & defer further effort until after the ‘test’”.
Sam had seen Livy’s brother, Charles Langdon a few minutes the night before at the Waldorf.
He had been having one of his periodical surgical operations performed & would not be feeling at his best for a couple of days yet. (Don’t give this away — don’t let him know that I have written this) — he may have told me confidentially. He said that if father had had such surgeons as we have now, he would still be alive. He forgot that cancer of the stomach is not a surgical matter, but I didn’t remind him. Mentally & morally Charley was in happy condition.
Sam had a few more details to attend to regarding Webster & Co., but he felt they were nothing difficult.
I begin to feel the strain letting up — letting up a great deal, in fact. I begin to feel pretty confident that the Webster creditors are safe in our hands & will not lose a penny.
Sam based his feelings on the machine, once again the typesetter was his hope; he thought he’d be able to sail Saturday, Aug. 4 [MTP].
Sam gave a public reading which he’d supposed to have been a private reading, at the Oriental Hotel, Manhattan Beach, New York City. He read his piece, “Playing Courier.”
The other night’s reading at the Oriental Hotel was private, & last night’s [July 25] was to have been private too; but there was a request that it be public & of course I was content. Had a very satisfactory time indeed. (“Playing Courier.”)
Charley [Langdon] & Gen. Magee were down there to dinner, but I only arrived from town just as they were leaving. Charles had notified me by a note to the Players, but I didn’t get it or I would have gone down to the Beach earlier. Both of them were in fine spirits & looking well [July 26, 2nd to Livy]. Note: General George J. Magee (1840-1897), coal and RR magnate.