October 28 Tuesday – Sam endured the grueling 24-hour turned into 48-hour train trip to Hannibal, Mo., for his mother’s funeral.

From his notebook:

Oct. 28. Left at 8.03 a.m. Left Springfield at 10.32 a.m. Should have reached Chicago at 10.10 next a.m. Really got there 6.45 p.m. Took C.B. & Q at 10.30 p.m. Due at Quincy without change at 8.30 next morning. Hannibal at 9.55 [3: 592].

Will Bowen wrote from New Orleans, condolences to Sam on reading of the death of Jane Lampton Clemens. “Well old friend I see by the AM paper, that ‘The Girls have come[’] and the dear good old Mother has gone to the Picnic at last….Well Sam! Not many have lost better Mothers than you and I — none perhaps have loved them better, but this does not stay the inevitable.” Will asked Sam if he’d come and visit this winter [MTP].

J.M. Plade wrote from Chicago asking Sam to use the Single Tax as the basis for a book [MTP].

William Winter wrote a short note of condolence to Sam [MTP].

Joe Twichell wrote condolences and a word of wisdom to Sam:

A boy has only one own mother in his whole life, and when she is gone this world can never be quite the same to him any more. God bless you, and bless us all. Yours with much affection [MTP].

William C. Wright (Dan De Quille) wrote from Bournemouth, England to Sam.

I have just received the N.Y. Standard & note your name as being one who has done a great deal of good by showing up abuses & doing it in a very pleasant way so that many rather like being dosed in such a skillful manner, who bar the doors securely against an ordinary truth teller. … / Your latest work is just about perfection…/ I fear you will not find out the reason of my bothering you. It is simply to request you to write a book showing the reason of so much poverty in the wealthiest age the world has seen [MTP].