March 8 Monday – In Hartford Sam wrote to Theodore F. Seward (1835-1902), current musical director for the Jubilee Singers of Fisk University. Sam requested that the group sing “John Brown’s Body,” a song he’d heard a “volcanic eruption of applause” for while in England in the summer of 1873. In the evening Sam and Livy attended the performance at the Hartford Opera House. Sam wrote that it would be his fifth time hearing the singers [MTL 6: 406].

Sam also wrote to Robert Watt of Copenhagen, Denmark, who had replied to Sam’s letter of Jan. 26. Watt mentioned the lack of a good biography of Sam.

I haven’t any biographical facts—gave them all to Routledge, who put them in “Men of the Time.” There’s nothing else that I would like to see in print until I am dead—& then I shan’t be reading much of the time. I could find more enjoyment in other ways where I hope to go hereafter; & if I should make a mistake & get to the other place, printed matter wouldn’t stand the climate there [MTL 6: 408-9]. Note: Sam enclosed an acknowledgement from “Father” David Hawley for the monies raised by Sam’s lecture.

“Mark Twain on Copyright” ran on page 2 of the Hartford Courant [Courant.com].