June 3 Thursday – In Boston, Howells wrote Sam, asking him to keep the $500 check and send him one for $150, instead of returning it. $350 was Howells’ net share of the loss after Sam was able to sub-let the Lyceum Theatre. (See May 12 entry.) He enclosed a clipping of a speech given by General John A. Logan at a Decoration Day ceremony at Grant’s Tomb in New York. Howells offered, “Meantime, if you want to see another kind of fool [besides himself], just read this frantic speech” [MTHL 2: 570]. Note 1 claims Sam, in a letter now lost, returned the check.

Alfred P. Burbank wrote from Springfield, Mass.: “Yours of 2nd inst. At hand. I will take the 9: 25 A.M. train from here on Sat. (June 5) and arriving at Hartford will come out at once to your house bringing Mrs. with me.” Burbank enclosed the card of Uriah Welch who asked where Sam would be on July 4th next. On the envelope Sam wrote, “Tell Welch shall [be] West 4th July” [MTP].