James Mason states that Mr. Dill is Irish (New York World, 1876.06.08, p2) and The Brooklyn Chess Chronicle, v5 n11, 16 August 1887, p172, refers to him as <the late Mr. S. R. Dill>.

I suspect that this is Samuel R. Dill, a dry goods merchant, running a business at 812 Fulton and living at 325 Cumberland (Brooklyn, New York, City Directory, 1872, p184). The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 1871.12.23, p2, gives a notice that Edward Robinson and S. R. Dill have dissolved their partnership at 812 Fulton av. The Brooklyn, New York, City Directory, 1873, p188, gives his occupation as a "clerk" and residence as 257 Cumberland.

The City Directories for 1876 and 1877 give a Samuel Dill, clerk, residing at 56 S. 10th (no middle name or initial). Which may or may not be Samuel R. Dill.

https://www.ancestry.com/interactiv...

It seems he had a harness store in Wall Street in 1890's that moved to another street around 1905. He could perhaps have had a temporary (place in a) store in Brooklyn about 1873. I read he was elected "town clerk" in early 1870's. But the "R." I can't find except in 1872 directory.

<the late Mr. S. R. Dill>. His father Samuel Dill (born abt 1804) died in 1877. He lived in Shawangunk Ulster where most of the inhabitants were of Irish descent.

Samuel Dill the stereotypist/electrotypist was probably Samuel Philips Dill abt 1835-1902.

Harnesses don't appear to be "dry goods". I did a survey of advertising in Brooklyn/New York from 1870-1879. You would purchase a harness from someone who specialized in harnesses and saddles and there is a whole section devoted to "Horse, Carriages, etc." that list harness makers, etc.

The dry goods section appears to be listings for ready-made clothing, hats, paper goods, children's toys, dry foods (sugar, flour), etc. Basically a dry goods store was a precursor to what we call a "Dime Store" in the US.

It would be highly unusual to find a harness for sale in dry goods store. It would be like trying to buy four tires/tyres for your car at your local dime store (or a variety store like HEMA for those of you on the other side of the pond).

Based in the City of Brooklyn Directory information (and the dissolution notice of Robinson & Dill at the 812 Fulton address), it looks like there was definitely a man named "S. R. Dill" who ran a dry goods store (at least in 1871 and 1872) and still clerking (perhaps for someone else's dry goods store) in 1873.

In the whole of US I find only a Salomon R. Dill in New Jersey 1895 census (no more info). I wonder, even if he was a harness maker could he not have a dry goods store also. His father ran a quite big farm until his death in 1877, I suspect this one: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dill_...

Now the business partner of "S. R. Dill" was Edward Robinson who was apparently a Hatter (Hat Maker).

What are the chances that the two of them, a shoe maker and hatter, went into business selling and perhaps producing their own "dry goods"?

I found advertising in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle for} 1868 and 1869 where Annie B. Dill was advertising for a forewoman in late 1868 and dress finishers in early 1869. So it looks like Samuel R. Dill and the wife had a little enterprise going.

Arrives prior to the New York Chess Club Tournament of 1866, I like it. Any good genealogy sources for the UK? Can we tie him to Ireland?

<The usual weekly meeting of the Young Men's Christian Association (Presbyterian Church) will be held at the rooms, 8, Westermoreland-street, this evening. An essay will be ready by Mr. S. R. Dill on "Fiction and the Modern Novel.">
Dublin Daily Express, 1864.03.21, p2

There's a Samuel Richard Dill, b 2 DEC 1838, Carnmoney, Antrim, (Northern) Ireland;

The interesting thing is that the "State Line" of steamships sail from Glasgow to New York calling at Larne (Belfast) as part of their regular route per the Londonderry Sentinel, 1878.06.22, p3. Three ships left New York for Europe on the 13th, one went to Hamburg, one to Liverpool and one to Glasgow.

My theory is S. R. Dill took the fastest way back to Ireland via a New York to Glasgow route and caught another vessel heading back to New York to get from Glasgow to Belfast.

It seems possible that <Samuel Richard Dill, b 2 DEC 1838, Carnmoney, Antrim, (Northern) Ireland; died on 10 NOV 1878, in Kilkeel, (Northern) Ireland> could actually be our man. If we can nail down any mention of Samuel Richard Dill heading to New York in 1865, or arriving back in Ireland in 1878, he would definitely become a front-runner.

He was apparently a son of Rev. John Dill, who graduated MA from Glasgow Univ. 1821, married 1828 to his cousin Elizabeth Dill, and was Presbyterian minister at Carnmoney, County Antrim, Ireland until he died in 1841. After which Elizabeth (d. 1862) opened a school in Belfast.