June 25 Tuesday – At Quarry Farm Sam wrote to George Washington Cable, who had written (not extant) praising the JA installment in Harper’s Monthly.

You make me feel ever so proud & pleased. I wrote the story from love, & one particularly likes to have one’s pets praised.

Yes sir! I liked you in spite of your religion; & I always said to myself that a man that could be good & kindly with that kind of a load on him was entitled to homage — & I paid it. And I have always said, & still maintain, that as a railroad-comrade you were perfect. …We always had good times in the cars, & never minded the length of the trips — & my, but they were sockdolagers for length! [MTP].

Sam also began a letter to H.H. Rogers that he finished on June 26, the next day. It is obviously a response to a Rogers letter now lost. He liked the news that Frank Mayo might give him a call. Also, his carbuncle caused no pain but the doctor was coming daily and changing bandages; it would be “all of a week yet” before he could dress. He hoped to get to N.Y. within ten days and help finish up the Harper’s contract then have a day or two at Fairhaven, since he was “in a good deal of a fidget” to see Rogers new house, which was built to replace the one destroyed by fire. He added a PS that a Buffalo mortgage owed to Livy might possibly be paid off in July, and if it should be, would “Rogers point out a good investment for it.” (This may show Sam and Livy had not decided to pay off the some $90,000 debt in full, or at least Sam hadn’t.) He also asked Rogers to advise investments for Charles J. Langdon, Livy’s brother, on “an estate matter,” which may have been the estate of their mother, Olivia Lewis Langdon. Also, Sam confessed having only one reading “about ready” for the platform, and would have to leave the others for the road. He added a second PS the next day [MTHHR 156-7].

Sam also answered a question from an unidentified person asking about the book on fingerprinting he’d used to write PW. Sam answered that his memory was “very bad,” but his “dim impression is that it was called ‘Finger-Prints.’” If the writer wanted the book he might send Sam’s note to his English publisher, Chatto & Windus, 214 Piccadilly , W.

Mr. Chatto sent it to me when I was writing Puddn’head Wilson; & that accident changed the whole plot & plan of my book [MTP].

Note: See Nov. 10, 1892 for Sam’s thanks to Chatto for sending Finger Prints, by Francis Galton (1892); Also Gribben, p.251. Sam added per Livy, on the same day in a separate letter, giving the author’s name, and that it had been misprinted (this morning) in the Advertiser [MTP]. Note: Only the Elmira Advertiser would have been available so quickly to Livy. See June 24 entry.

Livy wrote to Franklin G. Whitmore: “Thank you for your letter in answer to mine this is really only a P.S. to my last letter.” Mrs. Cheney only needed a house for two months and not one so large; the Day’s wanted to keep it till Dec. 1, then Livy wanted John and Ellen O’Neil back in it [MTP].