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