September 27 Monday – The Clemens family left Quarry Farm and Elmira and took the special “hotel car” for the ten hour ride to New York City, where they stayed three days at the Gilsey House. Invoiced by Arnold, Constable & Co., N.Y., blankets and a shawl, for $7.75 [MTP].

Sam wrote entries in his notebook: “Slote 10AM / St. Gaudens 11 to 12 /Tiffany 12? (telephone them.)” The Tiffany appointment was for the badges he’d ordered for the Hartford Saturday Morning Club. Another notebook entry shows Sam was still trying to find a repairman for the music box damaged in shipment from Geneva, Switzerland in 1878 [MTLE 5: 166; MTNJ 2: 370n48-50].

Henry Wheeler Shaw (Josh Billings) wrote from NYC.

“Beloved Mark. = Please insert the enclosed postal card into the hands of some retinary lecture organisation in your city, and secure for yourself a life policy in the affection of your warm friend / Josh Billings” [MTP]. Note: two cards are in the file, a post card printed with “The Probabilities of Life” & synopsis of the lecture, and a smaller card with a comic illustration and announcement that “Josh lectures in this city to night.” On the back side: “The best medicine I kno of for the rumatism, iz to thank the Lord—that it ain’t the gout. – J.B.” and “Try it.” Inside a semicircle at one corner.