February 12 Saturday – In Hartford Sam wrote to Rev. John W. Chapman, who wrote on Feb. 7 of Jesse Madison Leathers’ death.

I never saw Leathers, but was acquainted with him through a forced correspondence.

He was a distant relative of mine, and I was early warned by Watterson of the Louisville Courier-Journal (another sort-of-kind-of relative) that whereas Leathers was a good-hearted and well-meaning fellow, he was a visionary and a nuisance. Therefore I resisted all of L’s many attempts at personal contact with me — even down to his latest attempt a few weeks ago [MTP].

Note: both Leathers and Watterson were related on Sam’s mother’s side — Watterson a second cousin by marriage. For more on Leathers, see MTL 6: 546n1. Among other information, it lays to “family legend” that Leathers’ great grandfather, Samuel Lampton (1750-1835) was the brother of William Lampton (1724-1790), Sam’s great grandfather, which, if true, would make Sam and Jesse third cousins. A. Hoffman writes Sam was “uncomfortably responsible” for Leathers’ remains [338], but nothing in the letters suggests this; no other evidence was found.

Sam wrote to William Dean Howells of Leathers’ death. Sam thought the name “Jesse M. Leathers” was a good one for the story or play.

The American Claimant, poor fellow, is just dead of consumption, in the hospital on Blackwell’s Island [MTP].

Pamela Moffett wrote from N.Y.

I received yours of Feb. 6th. Sam and Annie both seem to take it for granted that my home is still to be with him. I hesitated about returning this spring on account of the expense, but S. seems anxious for me to come and as it is uncertain when he will be ready to come east I have concluded it would be better to go now [MTP].

Checks Sam wrote this day:

Check #   Payee   Amount  [Notes]

3587  Rev C A Brockmeier  5.00

3592  Mr Falk  4.00

3594  The Sun  6.00  N.Y. newspaper

Note: Most of Sam’s canceled checks have been lost. For 1887, however, beginning with these three, there is a nearly complete numbered run for the entire year, all drawn on Bissell & Co. Bank, Hartford. Printed on these checks is “Household Account” [MTP].