December 7 Thursday – In New York in the afternoon the “several interests” of the typesetter “met face to face for the first time.” Towner K. Webster and his lawyer represented the Chicago interests, “the two Knevals represented the” Connecticut Co., Henry H. Rogers, and Sam, who wrote to Livy of the meeting the next day (Dec. 8):

The amended contract was brought, clean & fresh from the type-writer, & discussed, sentence by sentence, & new & clearer readings devised in various places. It took two hours. Then we adjourned to 4 p.m. of to-day (Dec. 8) [MTP].

Note: The Connecticut Co. was a group of New York brokers, which included H.S. Ward, George A. Frink, and the three Knevals brothers (Caleb B., Lambert, and S.W.). These men had purchased interests in the T.K. Webster Mfg. Co. of Chicago, and planned to manage sales of the machine and stock from their offices in New York [MTHHR 12]. The source notes:

“None of them seems to have had special knowledge of typesetting or machine-shop operations, nor even — Clemens sometimes seems to have thought — of ordinary business practices. He found it amusingly portentous that the Knevals brothers were also agents for the Woodlawn Cemetery — which he consistently called the ‘graveyard’ — in New York” [12-13].

Francis D. Millet wrote a note to Sam, enclosed in Sam’s Dec. 8 to Livy.

As usual I put my foot in it. I didn’t know that Mrs. Millet expected you to dinner as she was having both diners and eveningers. Now I find she does and did — further as I have a telegram which summons me to Chicago and can’t be here myself you’ll have to speak for me as you did at the wedding breakfast. I hope you will manage to come as it is a small dinner (only 8 I think) and I know you will have a good time for they are all jolly people and there will be no formality. If it so happens you can’t come do send Mrs. Millet a wire [MTP]. Note: Sam stood up for Millet’s wedding (See Mar. 11, 1879).

Meanwhile, Sam received a note from Mrs. Millet (Elizabeth M. Millet) inviting him to a dinner Sunday evening (Dec. 10) to meet Henry Irving and Ellen Terry [Dec. 8 to Livy].