 In 1872 Mulford returned to New York City, where he became known as a comic lecturer, author of poems and essays, and a columnist for "[The New York Daily Graphic]" from 1875–1881.Mulford was also instrumental in the founding of the popular philosophy, New Thought, along with other notable writers.Mulford's book, "Thoughts are Things", served as a guide to this new belief system and is still popular today.