July 21 Wednesday – In Elmira Sam gave a reading at the New York State Reformatory for men: His chosen texts were: “German,” “Whistling,” “Trying Situation,” “King Sollermun” [Fatout, MT Speaking 657]. Sam’s notebook lists these readings with an estimated time of “1 hour & 15 min.” [MTNJ 3: 245]. From Budd’s update: For a first-hand account see The Summary, 4 (July 25, 1886) the in-house weekly [Schmidt].

On the legal front, Sam was going after Wanamaker, the “pious son of a dog”:

GEN. GRANT’S BOOK IN COURT.

PHILADELPHIA, July 21. — Counsel for Charles L. Webster, of New-York, and Samuel L. Clemens, of Connecticut, the owners of the copyright of Gen. Grant’s Memoirs, applied to Judge Butler, in the United States Circuit Court, to-day for a preliminary injunction to restrain a dealer of this city [John Wanamaker & Co.] from selling the book, on the ground that it is a subscription book and not sold in the book trade. The court will hear the argument Aug. 3 [NY Times, July 22, 1886 p.3].

In Elmira Sam responded to Frederick J. Hall’s July 21. Hall was now in the firm of Webster & Co. After discussing presentation copies of Grant’s Memoirs Volume II that needed to be sent, Sam agreed that news of Webster’s visit to the Pope should be coordinated with the opening of canvassing. It seems that more dealers than Wanamaker of Philadelphia were selling the Memoirs at cut-rate prices:

Macy has Grant books for sale cheap. We must assault him, next [MTLTP 202].