January 3 Thursday – At 169 rue de l’Université in Paris Sam wrote to Chatto & Windus. Sam thanked Andrew Chatto for books received the day before. He singled out Walter Besant’s London. A New Edition (1894) as keeping him “pleasantly awake the whole night,” and losing him his “days’ work to-day.” Sam asked Chatto to “make a searching examination” and report “to half a penny what the paper, binding & printing costs of two of these books,” PW and William Clark Russell’s Round the Galley Fire (1893). Sam wanted to use one of those styles in his Uniform Edition, which he was going to “take personal supervision of the contracts” of.

P.S. Something I forgot. Our doctor says that the Wade & Butcher razor — made in England & for sale everywhere in London — is the only perfect razor. Won’t you buy one for me & send it. I haven’t a good razor to my name [MTP]. Note: Wade & Butcher of Sheffield, England made razors from ca. 1845 to at least 1919. They were very popular; and remain highly collectible.

Sam also wrote to H.H. Rogers about his plans for the Uniform Edition of his works. He disclosed he’d written Chatto asking for help and information on costs.

All night I have been thinking out the details of my Uniform Edition, and this afternoon and evening I have completed it and set it down on paper.

I want the canvass to begin just a year from now. If I don’t kill my reputation meanwhile, I think it will set me up financially and enable the family to live in their house again. When I come, I shall want to show it to you and talk it over with you.

Sam felt he’d lost time; he regretted not closing Webster & Co. years ago and giving the Uniform Edition to Frank Bliss and the American Publishing Co. He’d hoped too that Bainbridge Colby would have worked out a trade with Watson Gill that would release Gill’s interest in “Old Times on the Mississippi” so he might include it in the Uniform, but he hadn’t heard from Colby. Sam also confessed losing sleep “these many nights past,” but being cheered by prospects of the Uniform Edition [MTHHR 116-7].