July 30 Monday – Sam canceled an order for two phonographs with the North American Phonograph Co., a competitor of Edison; the company was unable to fill the order. It was not until 1891 that Sam would use a phonograph to dictate a book, The American Claimant, though ultimately he was not happy with the results [MTNJ 3: 386n292; MTHL 2: 641].

Sam enclosed the original of his letter to the N. Am. Phonograph Co. in a note to Franklin G. Whitmore, to send it on and “keep an exact copy where you can put your hand on it any moment” [MTP].