Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1868-03-31
DAILY DEMOCRAT.


"John Paul" writes. thus pleasantly Of
the members Of the eminsn; book fr to
the Springfield Republican
1.-THE Hsrpers are "aueer lot,"-ss the
devil said of the ton commandments.
There are four Of them in the firm. and
each has his specially. James, the May
Or" is the jocose man, and tells the funny
stories John, the Colonel" 10 the seri.
Gus man, his only friviolty being fast
horses, which he keeps and delights driv
ing, Wesley, the Mayor" is the Aes-
ths,icsl man. the literary wheel horse Of
the concern. II ever they want . rice
story or . spirited poem 70 lpiscs out the
Magazine or the Weekly. he just sits down
and dashes il OF in jiiIy. Fletcher, the
Cardinal 10 . force felt everywhere, be-
bind the periodicals and the bookshslves
He 10 the youngest Of oil, ! believe. .
lively young gentleman between hfty and
sixty. Twenty eight years ago his brothers
cold him fourth interest in the concern
fer 81. 900. lie didn't pay any money,
bscause he had none to pay, perhaps, but
worked It out. lie thought that they were
doing him . little and thinks - still.
Indeed, / do think they were very unchris-
tain. The same interest 10 probably not
much over million and half, nor do
think any one Of the partners has annual
income rising 100000. They get along
most harmoniously, and it is said that no
difficulty has ever occurred between them
except in the one matter of the division OF
the profits. Each complains that the others
do not draw enough during the year. The
nc %, haUayer
amply atone for the shortcomings OF the
elder snes in this respect. II said "divis
ion Of profits. There ! was wrong.
There is mono. The machine rolls on year
out and year in, no changing among the
partners, exactly Is though there was but
one man. Each draws out all the money
that he wants to use, and at the end OF the
wear, If one has been more active than the
others in drawing he is voted the best fsl.
| low, and gets premium-an illustrated
family Bible or something else Of the kind;
they have great use tor family Bibles and
| fill them up very fast and another year
| il begun and continued in the same way.
What all the young Harpsrs do about the
| establishment | don't know, and 1t - .
question whether they the nselves could
tell. brooklyn Jos." is always At his
desk. busy as another ilustrious person
age is said to b in gale Of wind he at
tends to getting out all the new books,
making title pages, inspiring advertise
msnts, making contracts with authors,
sending out editors copies, etc. By no
means q fast man nor jockey, he still has
a pencnant for good roadsters, and likes to
hold the ribbons. The time that he made
| in his celebrated drive from New York to
Springfield, N. j., is q matter Of record.
Ii is still mystery to his father how he
could be 30 long on the road, nor can even
the oldest inhabitants exactly understand
il. "Flstch'' 10 the gorgeous swell Of the
concern, and wears more good clothes
than you could shake stick ct. He looks
after the advertisements Of the three psrio.
dicals, charging most fearful prices to
those whom he psrsuadss into belief that
they are good advertising mediums, and
owes me basket of champagne on bet.
Jack" 10 always standing up alta desk,
making entries Of immense sums and Dill
ing out checks. lie attends to the paper,
and has occasionally sold me . rsam or
two At two at three times the cost But
they're oil coed fellows, guess certain
" they marry early, and die late. When
authors complain Of their treatment by this
arm, always put it up that they have got
an advance, and arc owing them money.
In my dealings with them have always
found them fair and honorable, ~ men caa
be between one another