Private.

I’m ever so much obliged to you for the trouble you have taken. A week hence, we sail for Europe to be gone several years—therefore I don’t want any more mud in mine. From the beginning up to the present time I have continued to warn the Nevada Bank to sell that stock in time to save themselves. They allowed it to go to $119 without selling. They allowed it to drop to $3 without seg suggesting that I buy more & hedge. They allowed it since to go to $29 without selling. I have always insisted that they sell in time to save themselves loss. I say again, If they lose, now, on their own heads be it. I won’t put up the $190, neither will I make good any loss they may sustain.

Good bye & God be with you my boy! Not any more speculations for this financial mud-turtle! I have I have been into seven in the past six years—didn’t make a cent out of one of them, d Denis. I haven’t any regrets about it, but because I haven’t lost $12,000 in the whole of them put together—but it’s foolishness & I’m done with it.

P. S. Denis, please tell the Nevada Bank what I say.

on smaller paper:

Yesterday in New York I was told it was common talk in Virginia that I had persuaded Dan to adopt a planm in the writing of his book which I knew would kill it! It was said John Mackay had been heard to say this. I said there were men small enough to say it, but I didn’t think John Mackay was one of them. Once a report like this would have distressed me prodigiously. It doesn’t now. I never gave Dan but one important suggestion—at least only one which he followed. I got him to cut down the history of Nevada with which he opened—I wanted him to cut it down to a couple of pages, but he w a great deal more than he did, but he thought differently. I am very sure Dan will not say I put a straw in his way or gave him any malicious advice.