April 19 Tuesday – Sam wrote to Rev. John Davis of the Trinity Rectory, Hannibal, Mo., enclosing a form letter he’d written six weeks prior explaining his experience with the Loisette memory “system.” Sam was still sold on the method, and among the remarks he added to the form letter was this:

I find that memorizing by it is not only swift, but a peculiarly enticing & agreeable intellectual exercise — & one can’t say that about any other method. Moreover — & I discovered this myself — for a weary-headed & physically fagged-out man to memorize 250 words by this system is as good as a bath; as good as a bath & a sleep combined. It clears-up the head, it banishes the body fatigue.

Sam gave his “warmest regards” to old Hannibal friends, the Garth’s, and added that John L. RoBards “deserved a lashing, but it should have come from an enemy, not a friend,” in reference to “that ‘d’UnLap’ cruelty into that ‘Century’ article’” [MTP]. For Garth, see Nov. 4, 1868 entry.

Sam wrote a draft payable to Miss Susan Corey for 500 Francs ($100) on the American Exchange in Paris, France, signed by George P. Bissell [MTP].

Check #  Payee  Amount  [Notes]

3662  Mssrs Goodwin Brothers  3.94

3663  Mssrs Geo. P. Bissell & Co  100.00  Bankers

3665  J. Whitmore  26.90