October 5 Friday – In Hartford Sam wrote to Theodore W. Crane.

I am here in Twichell’s house, at work, with the noise of the children & an army of carpenters to help. Of course they don’t help, but neither do they hinder. It’s like a boiler-factory, for racket, and in nailing a wooden ceiling onto the room under me the hammering tickles my feet amazingly sometimes, and jars my table a good deal; but I never am conscious of the racket at all…. I began here Monday morning, and have done eighty pages since…. I want to finish the day the machine finishes, & a week ago the closest calculations for that, indicated Oct. 22 — but experience teaches me that their calculations will misfire, as usual… It’s billiards here to-night. I wish you were here…P.S. — I got it all wrong. It wasn’t the children, it was Marie. She wanted a box of blacking for the children’s shoes. Jean reproved her and said, “Why, Marie, you mustn’t ask for things now. The machine isn’t done” [MTB 874-5].

Webster & Co., per Arthur H. Wright wrote to Sam: “We are in receipt of your three favors of the 3rd inst. in one of which is a note addressed to you from one of our agents to whom you advanced $25.00. Enclosed you will please find check for $25.00.” Hall had written; Dawson Brothers had been offered 40% from the list price of the book (Sheridan) [MTP].

Augustin Daly wrote asking if Sam would attend his opening on Monday. Sam wrote on the envelope, “Declined by telegraph”  [MTP].