January 31 Saturday – In Hartford Sam wrote a one-liner to Charles Noel Flagg, also in Hartford. Flagg the artist had also written “Talks with my Uncle George,” sent to Richard Watson Gilder of the Century, who had rejected it.

Dear Mr. Flagg: Gilder’s a jackass. Get it nicely type-written, & we’ll ship it to Harper [MTP].

Eugene Davis wrote to Sam from the U.S. Senate. Davis was sorry Sam was “troubled with sciatica.” If Sam meant for him to telegraph him in Hartford when Senator John P. Jones went to N.Y, then it would give him “great pleasure to do so.” Sam wrote on the envelope, “Takes 5 days to answer. / SLC” [MTP].