May 13 Wednesday – Sam notified Edward M. Bunce, Henry C. Robinson, and other Friday night billiard players that he was moving up their gathering to the next day, Thursday, May 14, in order to attend a lecture by Chauncey M. Depew (1834-1928) at the Opera House in Hartford on Friday [MTP]. Depew was a Yale-educated lawyer and businessman who later served as a U.S. Senator from New York.

Sam also dictated a letter to Edward House. James Redpath took down Sam’s words. Most of the letter is a discussion of General Grant’s book and Sam’s conclusions that the Century had underpaid Grant for his previous articles. House was forced to return home from Japan by recurrence of severe gout, which left him unable to work, or even walk [Huffman 18]. Sam wrote “We are infinitely grieved to hear of your latest calamity” [MTP].

Sam also wrote to Charles Webster, “more & more bothered by the French & German translations.” Sam wanted them printed in New York, not Europe, and he wanted to wait till Nov. 1 to avoid theft and reentry into the U.S. market, as in the Belford travesty. He recommended Hjalmar Boyesen, now teaching at Columbia College as an “absolutely trustworthy” translator. Sam also wanted to be kept informed of all his various enterprises: “Dictate me a letter every week if you die for it” [MTP].

Sam also had Redpath take down a short note to an unidentified person who suggested Sam write about some topic. Sam answered it was a good idea but that it had already been done “in the Georgia Scenes, & quite well done, too” [MTP].