Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1869-12-23

b. DADD RESIGNS.

You will not think it strange that have resign
cd my position on The Eacoridtor. The idea OF
reading abeok before reviewing it is preposterous,
and the man who exacts such thing in this age
of progress, is fit subject for a lunatic asylum
or the Legislature.
l had rcai as far as page 702, Second VOL, of
Mr.. Bakin's 106 volume novel, when was in
such frame of mind that, had picked the pock-
cts of my great-grandfather, an intelligent jury
of my countrymen would not have held me re-
sponsible. My brain was 10 such topsy-turyey
state that actually asked friend to loan me
some something was never before gull
ty of.
My repose was broken at nights by fitful
dreams -hideous Nightmares disturbed my slum-
bers,-and altogether lost as much sleep us the
man who is over bead and ears In love-
Bakin's novel was too much for me. think
it is too much for anyboay-at least 100 volumns
too much.
threw down the book.
And threw up my position.
was SO sick of the story, that il is little short
Of miracle that my position was the only thing
thrown up.
And now fear am ont of the frying pan into
the flames, as Shakespeare might have said, but
didn't.
Immediately after leaving The Excoriator
was struck with an idea.
l was once struck witha brick, and-but this
is foreign to the subject.
The idea was this:-I would start literary
weekly, and engage Kiong to Bakin to write q
serial story for its columns. My paper, also,
would fill want long felt in the field of litera-
ture. never heard of q new paper that didn't
fiji want long felt. They all do. know they
oil do for the editors say SO in their sautatores
You have noticed lliis fact yourself, no doubt.
engaged novel from Bakin. knew Kione
would have to get up early to spin out to-be
continued novel as lengthy as some of those reel
ed off by the N. Y. Ledger romancists and roman
cisters-more especially the roman-sisters. But
know also that Bakin was equal TO the emergcn
II always did envy Bonner his well-merited sue
cess and it was with sort of unpardonab'
delight that-in my minds eye, mind ye-I saw
J his half million subscribers, leave his paper. q
one fell-swoop and enter their names for 1h
Continuation-the title of my journal that was t.
be. OF course they would not be content with
Ledger story that, like the Retired Physician
would run out its sands of life In a year or II
months, when by subscribing for The Continua
, tion, they could become deeply absorbed In
tale to-bc-continued ten or twelve years Hardly
waited anxiously for the first installment Q
II 1t came.
One day while Illuminating on my prospectiv
! success as newspaper publisher, and erectin
all manner of airy fabrics, an express wngo
halted at the door, and four men tumbed hug
box into the office. 1t was an odd looking box
a | not unlike an overgrown tea chest-a sort q
cardiff f-giant-box. The crawling sprawling hit
| roglyphics with which its exterior was covered
| led me to believe that it came from the Ollie
of the New York Tribune. But 1t didn't.
This box contained the first chapter of M
!, Kiong TO Bakin's novel for The Continuation.
8 Fact!
II was well Kiong took the precaution to prt
= pay the expressage on "Chap. l" of his move
' Or this chap, I,-that is, the undersigned-wou
a have become bankrupt, insolvent, "busted up,
= then and there.
4 In q private note the author informed me th'
y he forwarded one chapter only, as sample tn
he thought he could finish the work in fifty year
'e Now what shall do with 1t ?
3, Fifty years is too long period to run move
|, am afraid the gentle reader would become ve
', ungentle If the gentle reader aforesaid had TO 4
Is low the fortunes of the hero and heroine fif
years, / fear it would discourage the gent
reader. 1t discouraged me to look at the fiji
at chapter.
u imagine the quandry would be 10 If Bakin we
20 10 forward twelve or fifteen chapters at one tim
er would be compelled to rent a store house
which TO stow 1t. The chapter already receiv
IL would throw into the waste basket, II b
n enough waste basket to hold it.
;. The Continuation will not appear.
IL Yours, B. DADD
ad p S.-The Ms. of the first chapter of Baki
"a novel have just sold for old paper" at ft
cents per pound, and have realized four hundl
IT. dollars ($40O) thereby. Fact! b.