September 22 Friday – In Pepperell, Mass., Howells wrote, agreeing to Sam’s idea of promoting Stoddard, adding, “C.W.S. shall be inspector of consulates. He’s in too good repair for a resident consul. Epilepsy or softening of the brain is requisite: a game arm will not do.” (Stoddard had badly broken his arm falling from a horse in Feb. 1875.) Howells wrote he had a “long letter to write you from Cambridge” [MTHL 1: 155].

September 22? Friday – About this date Sam wrote to Gertrude Kellogg, the actress who won acclaim as Laura Hawkins in the original New York production of Sam’s Gilded Age play, or Colonel Sellers. Sam evidently advised her about dealing with Major Pond of the Boston Lyceum Bureau, since she wrote on Sept. 24 and agreed that his “ideas of moderate prices, to start with,” were right [MTPO].