February 25 Friday – Katharine I. Harrison wrote to Sam, enclosing copies of creditor letters of thanks. Katharine thanked him for sending FE which arrived “a few days since” [MTHHR 323 and n1]. Note: more creditor letters, dated Mar. 4 to Apr.16, 1898 would follow; a prior batch of these had been sent on Jan.7 and another would be sent on Apr. 26.

James Whitcomb Riley wrote from Indianapolis to Sam, complimenting him on FE:

“For a solid week—night sessions—I have been glorying in your last book—and if you’ve ever done anything better, stronger, or of wholesomer uplift I can’t recall it. So here’s my heart and here’s my hand with all the augmented faith and applause of your proudest countryman! It’s just a hail I’m sending you across the spaces—not to call you from your blessed work an instant, but simply to join my voice in the universal cheer that is steadfastly going up for you…” [Gribben 581: Letters of James Whitcomb Riley p. 223-4; MTB 1055]. Note: letter had been misdated Dec. 1897 by Riley, noted by MTP.