December 26 Tuesday – Sam wrote from Champaign, Illinois to Livy, then gave the “Artemus Ward” lecture there in Barrett Hall. Sam was memorizing his new lecture and wanted to:

“…get out of the range of the cursed Chicago Tribune that printed my new lecture & so made it impossible for me to talk it with any spirit in Illinois” [MTL 4: 522].

Redpath & Fall Co. wrote to Sam: “Jersey City writes ‘The best hotel is Taylors’ but I suppose Mr Clemens would prefer a hotel in New York” [MTP].