September 30 Sunday – In Hartford Sam sent a letter with a funny story to Theodore Crane, obviously intended to cheer him up. The story was told to Sam by the Twichells who had just returned form a vacation in the Adirondacks. Seems the village store keeper did not stock the material Harmony Twichell was after called “turkey red,” and not only did he not stock it, he refused to do so because in the past it had sold out too often!

September 29 Saturday – R.H. Macy & Co, N.Y., billed & receipted $4.07 for “1 Clock 3.03; 1 Dlvery & all chg” Adams Express, tax [MTP].

September 28 Friday – In the afternoon or evening (if as intended) the Clemens family finally returned home to Hartford [Sept. 26 to Whitmore].

September 27 Thursday – In New York City Sam wrote to an unidentified person to decline an invitation of some kind. The original of the letter is in Portland, Maine, so it’s likely the function was in that region as well [MTP].

September 26 Wednesday – In New York City Sam wrote to Franklin G. Whitmore, enclosing a check for $4,004 that he wished put in the U.S. Bank with “the other typesetter ammunition.” Sam’s plans had not changed — he announced they would “reach home Friday afternoon or evening” [MTP].

September 25 Tuesday – Orion Clemens wrote to Sam. The Library of Humor had come and he knew of no agents for it there — could he help? “It was Ella Trabue, daughter of Polly Paxton, Ma’s favorite cousin and playmate” who with her girls carried off some of Ma’s things [MTP].

September 24 Monday – The Clemens family left Elmira in the afternoon for the ten-hour train trip to New York City, which would have put them there late in the evening. They checked into the Murray Hill Hotel, where Sam wrote Whitmore on Wednesday (Sept. 22 and Sept. 26 to Whitmore).

Sam’s notebook entry with calculations of amounts owed for their summer stay for check #:

September 23 Sunday – Sam noted on the Boston book importer Carl Schoenhof’s July 28 postcard concerning his order of German anthologies, “Hasn’t come yet (Sept. 23)”

September 22 Saturday – In Elmira Sam wrote to Franklin G. Whitmore and confirmed that the family would “start for New York Monday afternoon.” He was sending home a hat trunk that would get to Hartford before they did and since there was nothing in it but Livy’s things, it could remain unopened [MTP].

September 21 Friday – Sam’s notebook: [Chk #] 4322, Sep.21 $100 — JL & Co. [3: 477].

Kingsland Smith for St. Paul Roller Mill Co. wrote to Sam that he’d received his Sept. 1 letter asking to sell his 100 shares of stock, but his “means were so tied up” [MTP].