The Hamburg canal connection has a potential tie to Frank M. Thorn (aka "Hy
Slocum") who had his home in East Hamburg. Would the "Common Council" that
was tasked with addressing the canal nuisance be the same group as the Erie
County Board of Supervisors? I note that I identified Thorn as a member of
this group of Supervisors between 1870 and 1880.

As to Leonora and Augustus, a quick and dirty search on google advanced
book search shows the book JULIA DE GRAMONT by Lady Cassandra Hawke (1788)
features two characters with that name. The book is not in Gribben's MARK
TWAIN'S LIBRARY: A RECONSTRUCTION.  But we are all eagerly awaiting
Gribben's updated reference volumes to see what has been added.

Barb