September 1 Wednesday – In Elmira Sam wrote a five-page letter to Edward H. House:
Clara Spaulding is to be married tomorrow evening, and I have contributed, among our other bridal presents, a dollar’s worth of horse-car tickets and a poem.
The poem was, “S’KIK! G’lang” and also sent to Clara Spaulding on this day with a short letter:
As an all too pale reflection of the fondness & esteem which I bear you, & have borne these many years, I beg to lay among the costlier tokens of others’ affection this loving though humble and squalid poem. [Note: the poem was published in The Twainian, May-June 1963].
Sam also wrote to Franklin G. Whitmore, who wrote on Aug. 31 with some averages of ems per hour based on the Courant exercises. Sam agreed to a bill to A. Marwick Jr. & Co., Apogthecaries, Hartford. He announced the family would leave Elmira for Hartford Sept. 20 [MTP].
Susan E. Dickinson wrote to Sam from Pittston, Penn. asking for a contribution and enclosing a newspaper clipping about Negro preacher Thomas A. Davis, whom Sam had already helped out, which is the import of what he wrote on her envelope [MTP].
In the MTP financials file for 1886 there is a hand-written ledger page and envelope with a Sept. 1, 1886 postmark and Sam’s handwriting, “Tot expenses type-setter through Sept. 1 $14,500.”
Expenses on Type Setter for Six Months from [rest torn off at top but March 1886 would be six months]
Labor, office materials &c $4,692.70
Font of Type 458.88
Pratt & Whitney 1488.95
$6,640.53
Patent Expenses.
H.W. Beadle & Co. & Labor [Atty.s] 3464.90 3464.90
Salary to J.W. Paige. 5 months 2916.67 2916.67
Total. $13,022.10
Expenses under Old Contract 1885 & 1489.84
Balanced Feby 6th 1489.84
Grand Total. $14,511.94