July 18 Saturday – The final details of volume two of Grant’s Memoirs was handed to Charles Webster in Mt. McGregor, New York [July 24 to Livy].

Sam wrote a scolding note from Elmira to Orion telling him to settle the Puss Quarles Greening matter; that her “$200 proposition ought to have been accepted instantly” [MTP]. (See June 26, July 11 entries.)

Sam also wrote again to Karl Gerhardt gently chiding him about the statue of Grant:

And again, if you had asked Mrs. Grant’s judgment about the subscriptions for the statue, we should have saved some time & ink there, also.

Again, Woodruff proposes to have the Grand Army raise the statue money; & I hardly have time to tell him. I think it’s a good idea when you tell me of Mrs. Grant’s idea of having the statue ordered by Congress—another good idea, & the best, too, only Congress might not order you to make the statue…

Sam also warned Gerhardt about wearing out his welcome with the Grant family during this distressing time [MTP]. Sam’s tone was as a father to a young son.

Jesse R. Grant wrote more about the Turkish RR scheme [MTP].

Susan Matilda Bradshaw Swales (1843-1916) (Mrs. Charles Everett Swales) wrote from Detroit, Mich., referring to her letter of “about fifteen years ago” for which she cherished Sam’s reply.

“Since then nothing that you have written has so appealed to my feelings as this paper on the Government of Children, in the Christian Union.” She praised his essay as “so sensible, so alert, vigorous and twainy,” coining a word. “My thirteen year old daughter says she cannot imagine the lazy, drawling, humorous reader of the Blue Jay writing such an article; and her mother says that you have risen head and shoulders above yourself” [MTP]. Note: the correspondence she refers to is not extant. Sam’s essay, “On Training Children,” was Sam’s retort to “What Ought He to Have Done?” in the June 11 issue of Christian Union. See June 11 entry.