July 31 Monday – In Elmira Sam replied to the July 22 from Capt. Edmund Gray (b. 1834) a resident of Gray’s Point, Scott County, Missouri, and Cape Girardeau, and steamboat pilot on the Mississippi for many years.
Hang it, no! I haven’t received Dad’s photograph. Maybe it was sent to Osgood, Boston, instead of to me, at Hartford. Was it?—if so, it’s all right & I shall get it.
Wish you would tell Lem to tell his Missouri-merschaum maker to send me a couple dozen of those cob pipes to Elmira, N.Y….I only stopped smoking the one Lem gave me, three weeks ago—she got so strong nobody would let me stay around.
Please remember me in the kindest & most appreciative way to Capt McCord, & Lem & Dad, & the same to yourself [MTP]. Note: “Dad” is not identified.
Sam also wrote to James R. Osgood. The first half of the letter is about Kaolatype (suggesting Osgood buy a block of stock in it) and other business matters. At first in Elmira Sam hadn’t been able to focus on writing; he usually was most productive at Quarry Farm and so had high expectations of himself
“My hope was, to be able to write 10,000 words a week, here. I was sick two or three days, in the beginning, & Jean’s attack kept me worried for a while, still, I have written my 15,000 words in the week & a half that I have actually been at work. Hope I can keep it up” [MTP].
Atlantic & Pacific Telegraph Co., Hartford, billed Sam $3.18 for July telegrams sent: July 7 to Cohassett, Mass., July 8, 13 to Elmira, July 10 to Hoboken, July 11 to New York; also deliveries July 14 and 29 [MTP].
Hubbard & Farmer bankers & brokers sent a statement with credit balance of $3128.62 [MTP].
J.P. Newton, Hartford meats, etc. billed for $1.89 for clams, halibut, & salmon [MTP].
James R. Osgood wrote twice. The first with the news that P&P seemed to be selling well. The second: he’d rec’d his of 26th and “Fearon and Fawkes shall be ordered.” He planned to sail for Europe on Aug. 8 to be gone 5 weeks. He offered to pay the cost of counsel to defend at $250 to $300, and referred to Belford [MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the env., “Osgood will help pay trademark suit"