April 12 Wednesday – Sam and Frederick J. Hall left New York at 10 a.m. bound for Chicago to check on developments for the Paige typesetter [Apr. 11 to Howells].

John Brisben Walker (1847-1931), since 1889 owner of Cosmopolitan, wrote to Sam with an offer:

I can think of no feature likely to attract so wide a circle of readers as a series of humorous articles from the pen of “Mark Twain.” Would you do me the favor to prepare twelve articles of from 2,500 to 3,500 words each, to follow in regular succession if convenient…the honorarium for the twelve articles to be five thousand dollars [MTLTP 352n1; MTP]. Note: Sam wrote on the envelope: “12 articles of 2,500 to 3,500 words for $5,000? No.” Sam did not counter this offer until July 18.