September 5 Monday – Sam may have gone to Hartford for a few days because letters of this date and Sept. 7 are marked as such. His last trip back to Hartford included a meeting with Paige and Hamersley and Whitmore, probably on typesetter progress and strategy. He also probably conferred with Charles H. Clark about finishing the Library of Humor, as entered in his notebook [MTNJ 3: 302&n10], and conferred with Whitmore on several domestic duties, as outlined in Whitmore to Sam Sept. 9.

He wrote to Charles Webster about the William Thompson Walters’ art book William Mackay Laffan had suggested (See Jan. 13 entry):

I find a letter here from Laffan, who says “When can Webster talk figures on that Baltimore book?” Laffan speaks of going to Europe shortly; so you need to make an appointment right away & settle the thing…. We very much WANT the book, provided we shan’t have to furnish any of the capital…the other man must build the book [MTP]. Note: The book was not published until 1897 [MTLTP 213n1].

He also wrote to Frederick J. Hall or Charles Webster. Sam felt they should take no additional books on for a year, “except for a 100-ton one.” Specifically, Sam cautioned about taking on “the cook-book” and setting a date for its publication.

General Sheridan occupies all the fall of next year, by himself. The only other choice date for a canvass to begin is Jan 1, ’89 which will have to be left open & free for a possible 100-ton book…[MTLTP 228]

Note: advertisements in the rear of Merry Tales (1892) include The Table by Alessandro Filippini, of Delmonico’s with over 1,500 recipes, as well as cheaper books by Filippini, One Hundred Ways of Cooking Eggs, and One Hundred Recipes for Cooking and Serving Fish [1996 Oxford edition].

Elisha M. Van Aken confessed he had sent photos of Sam’s pet cats to the Art editor of Century Magazine –“If I have done any thing wrong in this, I am willing to be forgiven!” [MTP]. See Sept. 7.

Check #  Payee  Amount  [Notes]

3808  Tiffany & Co  74.00  Jeweler