May 23 Thursday – This is the probable day that the Clemens family continued on to Elmira. The May 26 to Rogers reveals they did not go directly to Quarry Farm.

Bainbridge Colby finalized the contract with Harper & Brothers for a Uniform Edition of Sam’s works. H.H. Rogers handled many of the details, and the contract bore his signature as Sam’s attorney. The contract was delivered on July 26, 1895 [MTHHR 155n1].

Harper & Brothers wrote to Sam offering a royalty of 15% on the retail price up to 5,000 copies and 20% thereafter, for a proposed Uniform Edition. If Sam provided plates of the work the royalties would be 20 and 25% respectively. Harper’s gave a list of the books thought “not yet under” Sam’s control: PW, IA, TS, GA, RI, TA and “a volume of sketches” [MTP].