December 7 Wednesday – In Florence Sam wrote to Frederick J. Hall that the $500 draft for the month was twelve days overdue — he wanted that amount forwarded regularly until the royalty account was exhausted. He ended with a comment on receiving election articles:

Somebody (Willard Fiske, I suppose) — has sent me a file of the N.Y. Eve. Post — my favorite paper — from Nov. 1 to 17th, & the election details & comments are nuts to me — also the delicious pre-election “prophecies” of the chiefs of the late Republican party [MTLTP 327]. Note: the election was held on Nov. 8; Sam was a Cleveland man.

Bacheller & Johnson, N.Y. Syndicate wrote to Sam soliciting “about five hundred words” to be published under the title “True Christmas Stories,” the check (unspecified amount) was enclosed. The letterhead bore three columns of small print for member newspapers across the US [MTP].