April 6 Sunday – In Virginia City, Joe Goodman wrote to Sam:

I returned from San Francisco yesterday, where we have been making a seven-weeks stay. It was pleasant enough at first but got monotonous toward the end. Bill Lent sued me for libel about the Diamond Swindle, but when he found out that I was going to rake up his pious actions from time immemorial he concluded to back down. Old John McComb returned from the East during my sojourn, and he devoted one entire afternoon to recounting his intercourse with you in New York. What infinite appreciation and recollection he has! I don’t believe you said a single good thing but what he repeated literally—and then his eyes would sparkle and he would laugh in that unctious way of his till he would shake the building like a mastodon turbulent with merriment.

Denis McCarthy is boss reporter on the Chronicle, a position in which he is acquitting himself with decent credit [MTP]. Note: Joe was angling for the Japan mission but felt “the President had fixed his eye on Bingham.