Another Double Day. Not the complete one-volume book, just events. (Not sorry, could not resist pun. Bad, but fun for me. –Chips)
[*Groan* –Selena]
A Day by Day Chronology of Mr Sherlock Holmes According to Zeisler and Christ, compiled by William S Dorn, BSI, gives us two events for this date.
June 9, 1888: Jeremiah Hayling was killed by Colonel Lysander Stark [ENGI]
“Here is an advertisement which will interest you,” said [Holmes]. “It appeared in all the papers about a year ago. Listen to this – `Lost, on the 9th inst., Mr. Jeremiah Hayling, aged 26, a hydraulic engineer. Left his lodgings at ten o’clock at night, and has not been heard of since. Was dressed in,’ &c. &c. Ha! That represents the last time that the Colonel needed to have his machine overhauled, I fancy.”
“Good heavens!” cried my patient. “Then that explains what the girl said.”
(I know this picture is usually thought to be our Thumbless Engineer, but with a little imagination I imagine this could have been the fate of Mr. Hayling. –Chips)
June 9, 1889: Hall Pycroft began marking off all of the hardware sellers in Paris [STOC]
“‘You will eventually manage the great depot in Paris, which will pour a flood of English crockery into the shops of one hundred and thirty-four agents in France. The purchase will be completed in a week, and meanwhile you will remain in Birmingham and make yourself useful.’
“‘How?’
“For answer he took a big red book out of a drawer. ‘This is a directory of Paris,’ said he, ‘with the trades after the names of the people. I want you to take it home with you, and to mark off all the hardware sellers with their addresses. It would be of the greatest use to me to have them.’
“‘Surely there are classified lists?’ I suggested.
“‘Not reliable ones. Their system is different to ours. Stick at it and let me have the lists by Monday, at twelve. Good-day, Mr. Pycroft; if you continue to show zeal and intelligence, you will find the company a good master.’ […]”
No matter as why Pycroft was told he was doing it, I associate this job with copying the Encyclopedia Britannica in another case. Both tasks would keep a (not-so-bright?) person out of the way. –Chips