May 25 Tuesday – In Hartford Sam telegrammed Charles Webster, asking for a discount on “that sixty-dollar book that Orion wants,” and directing it be shipped without deducting his monthly stipend [MTP]. On the reverse of the telegraph form: “Check as usual. 155 —  / P.H. Ghendun — 10000” which suggests the book was a bit more expensive than thought. The normal check at this time was $155 — $5 for Puss Quarles, $50 for Ma, and $100 for Orion and Mollie. The title of the book is not known, but may have related to Orion’s work on the history-memory game.

Sam probably made a one day trip to New York and stopped to see Edward H. House. Sam’s letter of May 26 so implies, and starts with “As soon as I got him last night” [May 25] and ends with apologies for a “long visit” to House. MTNJ 3: 239n43 places this “second May 1886 visit” in the last week of this month. His notebook’s to-do list, together for this time:

Inquire of Gilder how he liked the Ode.

Go to House — & Charley’s [Webster].

Then to Mrs. Grant’s.

Then to Mr. Dana’s. — 25 — 60th ? Cor. Madison ave. [Charles A. Dana of the NY Sun].

Ask F.G. [Fred Grant] about horses.

Go & see Laffan.

See Battle of the Monitors.

Note: This last item was a panorama at Madison Ave. and 59th Street put up in Jan.1886 through the summer. The painting covered 20,000 square feet of canvas depicting the 1862 battle between the Merrimac and the Monitor. All in all, a pretty busy short visit to the City.