April 24 Wednesday – Reading in Volume 1 of The Poetic and Dramatic Works of Robert Browning, Sam noted his progress along the margin on p.207: “Begin here Apl. 24/89” [Gribben 105]. (See Apr. 4)
April 23 Tuesday – Frederick J. Hall wrote to Sam: “Your favor received. I would have gotten rid of Mrs. Crowley easily and quickly except that she was brought to the office personally by Col. Grant, who asked me to give her matter consideration. I knew of course we did not want the book.” Hall presumed that Col Grant’s remark of Sam having the deciding vote was what put the lady “on his scent” [MTP].
April 22 Monday – Anna Hoit Bumstead wrote from Atlanta thanking Sam for his $25 check [MTP]. Note: Sam sent an annual check for this amount to the widow Ware and her children.
April 21 Sunday – The New York Sun ran Sam’s letter of Apr. 18:
To the Editor of The Sun — Sir: I find the following suggestive derelict wandering about the ocean of journalism:
April 20 Saturday – In Hartford, Sam answered Samuel Moffett’s letter to Livy. The Moffetts were planning a trip east from San Francisco, and wanted to visit.
April 19 Friday – Nathan Haskell Dole for Thomas Y. Crowell & Co., Boston photographer wrote to Sam: “Mr. Crowell has had the executioner place your head upon the block, the cross-cut did its work and I have the honor of sending you a proof of your own decapitation with the hope that it will merit your approval.” Sam wrote on the env., “Answer when the picture comes” [MTP].
April 18 Thursday – In Hartford, Sam wrote a letter about how to remove tattoos to the editor of the New York Sun. The letter ran in the Apr. 21 issue — see entry.
April 17 Wednesday – In Hartford Sam wrote his mother-in-law, Olivia Lewis Langdon, in poor health but coming for a visit. Sam told her of Livy’s needed rest for pinkeye and being under the care of Dr. William T. Bacon. Sam wrote of the “good season” and the “blackbirds in full bloom…Summer threatens to break on us now, any day & make everything beautiful.” He also advised her to bring her “other dress along,” for a “grand charity ball” at Mrs.
April 16 Tuesday – Dora Wheeler wrote to Sam about the photographs her friend Teddy Hewitt had made of him. “Teddy says he will make over any plates you want to you.” Hewitt turned all his negatives over to C.C. Cox, the photographer who Stedman had hired to work on the Library of American Literature [MTNJ 3: 470n222].
April 15 Monday – In Hartford, Sam wrote his thanks to Abraham G. Mills for the “good time!” he and Twichell had at the Baseball Dinner on Apr. 8. He apologized for “sliding out without a thank-you or a world of good-night to you” but they didn’t want to interrupt him so asked a Mr. Lynch to do the honors for them [MTP].