August 31 Thursday – Sam wrote from Elmira to Orion.
We have scarcely any hope of the baby’s recovery.
Livy takes neither sleep nor rest.
We have 3 old experienced nurses.
Three months of overfeeding & surreptitious poisoning with laudanum & other sleeping potions is what the child is dying of [MTL 4: 452]. Sam’s only son would live until June 2, 1872.
August 30 Wednesday – Sam wrote from Elmira to Ella Trabue Smith, a second cousin on his mother’s side, telling her of his family’s trip and how well his mother looked, but for his son “life is almost despaired of.” Sam had gone after a doctor and wrote the one page letter while waiting [MTL 4: 451].
August 29 Tuesday – Sam telegraphed from Hartford to Adolph H. Sutro, asking how long the tunnel into the Comstock Lode would be (planned to be 4 miles long). He also asked Sutro to send his London address. Sam wanted the tunnel information for Roughing It [MTL 4: 450]. Note: Since Sam and Sutro were in New York during the same time (Sutro from Aug. 22, Sam Aug.
August 26 to 28 Monday – Sam went to New York, where he met Livy, Ida Langdon and another Langdon cousin. He probably met with Sutro before he sailed for England, to gather mining information for RI. Sam returned to Hartford by Aug. 29 [MTL 4: 449n1].
August 25 Friday – Sam again telegraphed Sutro, having had a response on his dispatch of the day before. “All right will see you in New York before you sail.” Sutro telegraphed an answer—he’d be in New York until Aug. 30 then sail to Liverpool [MTL 4: 449].
August 24 Thursday – Sam telegraphed from Hartford to Sutro at the Gilsey House in New York. Sam wanted to know when Sutro would sail and where he was headed.
August 19 Saturday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Adolph H. Sutro.
“Got your letter to-day. When do you sail? Can’t you run up here for one day? I’m awful busy on my new book…Riley is in England—London.”
August 18 Friday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Livy. Sam had not heard from her, and had written thirteen letters (twelve now lost) in eight days. Some were delayed from New York. Sam asked Livy if she wanted to go to England someday with him, where he might gather history, manners and customs of old England for a book [MTL 4: 446]. This idea may have been the seed that led to A Connecticut Yankee.
August 17 Thursday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Horace Greeley, asking him to confirm or deny the famous Hank Monk story about the hair-raising stagecoach ride Monk supposedly gave Greeley.
August 10 Thursday – Sam wrote from Hartford to Livy. She telegraphed, perhaps the day before, having not yet received any of Sam’s letters. Sam answered that he’d written every day but two, one day in New York and one since arriving in Hartford, and one day wrote two letters, one brief. He wrote of clothes he’d purchased that had arrived from New York, progress on Roughing It, and his mother’s trip to Hartford.