January 20 Thursday – In Hartford Sam wrote to Rev. C.D. Crane (1849- ) of New Castle Maine, who had written asking three questions: what were the best books he might recommend for boys, for girls? And also what Everett Emerson calls the “desert island question” — that is, which books would Sam save if he could only save a few? (Crane’s incoming not extant.) Crane was evidently polling various authors for their choices for the purpose of publishing the results, since Sam wrote again on Jan.

January 19 Wednesday – In Hartford Sam wrote to Charles Webster about the Henry Ward Beecher biography and the status of William Thompson Walters’ art book, which William Mackay Laffan had suggested. Sam wanted to limit an advance to $5,000 for Beecher, and $1,000 to James B. Pond, who was Beecher’s tour manager [MTP]. (See Jan.

January 18 Tuesday – Sam telegraphed Worden, Webb & Co., N.Y. stockbrokers, with a buy order for 100 shares of WV at $80 [Jan. 19. from Worden].

Charles Webster wrote from the office in N.Y.:

Pond was just in and says Beecher has placed the whole thing absolutely in his hands, both the Life of Christ and the autobiography [MTP]. See also MTLTP 212n1&2.

January 17 Monday – In Hartford Sam wrote to Belle C. Greene of Nashua N.H. about her book.

In my judgment the Sketches are pretty good, but not very good. But mind, now, don’t make the mistake of overvaluing my opinion; for I am the oyster who said (& continues to say) that “Helen’s Babies” was the very worst & most witless book the great & good God Almighty ever permitted to go to press in the world — & behold, it has sold 200,000 copies, & is far from dead yet [MTP].

January 16 Sunday – The Brooklyn Eagle, p.9 ran an article from a Toledo, Ohio newspaper about a rags to riches in reverse story, and a connection with Sam that has yet to be verified:

FROM WEALTH TO A WORKHOUSE

A Man Distinguished in War and in Journalism Sentenced as a Tramp

Cincinnati, O., January 15

January 15 Saturday – In Hartford Sam wrote to Brown & Gross, Hartford Bookseller, ordering Thomas Babington Macaulay’s History of England (1869) and John Richard Green’s one-volume version of A Short History of the English People; both books in half-morocco [MTP; Gribben 274 & 437]. See Jan. 20.

January 14 Friday – In Hartford Sam wrote to his sister, Pamela Moffett. This letter confirms the short trip to New York, probably to escort Olivia Lewis Langdon on the first leg of her trip to Elmira.

January 13 Thursday – In Hartford Sam wrote to Charles Webster, excited about a new book possibility, that of William Thompson Walters, proposed by William Mackay Laffan — a full color art book. Walters was “a Baltimore merchant and railroad and steamship developer,” who had a “vast art collection” [MTNJ 3: 273n157].

January 12 Wednesday – Sam was still in New York, running errands, checking out the new offices of Webster & Co., and visiting with the Websters.

Marie Eberstadt; Auguste Keller and Lili Kalm of Mannheim, Germany, all signed a letter to Sam, praising his books and offering “a few specimens of German construction and grammar which you may not have found in our German books…” [MTP].

January 11 Tuesday – Sam was in New York, having escorted his mother-in-law to the Gilsey House. He did errands and had “such a long talk with Charley” (Webster) that he left things undone.

M.H. Bartlett wrote from Avon, Conn. wanting to borrow $600 with real estate as security [MTP].