March 9 Saturday – Sam inscribed a copy of HF to an unidentified person: Truly Yours S.L. Clemens Mark Twain. March 9/89. [MTP]. Sam’s notebook:

Mar 9/89. / No more experiments. Definite work alone left to do.

4 months, sure, that is July 10.

No new devices — or inventions.

J.W. Paige showed me to-day (March 9, 1889,) a steel punch g, & a brass type g made with it. He completed these things this morning. This is the first brass type ever made for composition no doubt.

I want [S]age to take 12,500 now, & 12,500 conditioned upon the result of July 10.

And I want Staunchfield [John Stanchfield married Clara Spaulding] to come to the Murray Hill about Mch 15. Will write him [MTNJ 3: 460-1].

Here it is March 9, & the first condition of Mrs. Richardson’s contract unfulfilled [463].

Note: Sam also wrote possible readings for his Apr. 2 reading at Miss Hamersley’s, but had not yet received Ellen T. Johnson’s Mar. 8 letter changing the date to Apr. 1. ; Abby Sage Richardson’s contract called first for her to procure the acting services of the child actress, Elsie Leslie for the dual role in P&P.

Augustin Daly wrote to Sam inviting him to come to “a rousing Banquet” to honor Edwin Booth to be given Saturday, Mar. 30 at Delmonico’s in New York. Booth won plaudits by purchasing, refurbishing, and donating the house at 16 Grammercy Park to the Players Club for their headquarters [MTNJ 3: 464].