New-York tribune., 1870-11-14
F.iUE FOR Si23.

FAME FOR SOB
The public little knows how many Business
enterprise depends for support on the vanity
of mankind. TO say nothing of artists who
have made fortunes by painting all their stters
handsome and professors of tho craft of per-
sonal decoration whose business it is to cor
rect the freaks of nature and repair the raw
ages of time, we have class OF literary con-
iidcnce men who drive lucrative trade by
stimulating the ambition of foolish people to
see themselves in print, and tell the world all
about their own virtues or their own grandeur
There are papers in which any man, by
subscribing certain sum OF money, may
have his balls and dinner parties chronicled,
and the beauty of his wife and daughters
described, as often as he sees fit. There
arc illustrated periodicals which will publish,
for fair consideration, portrait and b0gra-
phical eulogy of any obscure nincompoop
whatever and call him an Eminent citizen"
or One of our sclf-made men," We recollect
q certain huge and gorgeous collection OF the
elves of Distinguished Americans" in ever so
many heavily gilt volumes, with portrait OF
each man, and sketch eulogistic enough TO
apply to George Washington or julius Caesar
Not one of the subjects but had paid rOundly
for his admission to this galaxy of fame ana
virtue, and not one ever had been or ever
will be heard of outside the limits of his own
county.
Most of these sllrewd ventures do no par
tcular harm, because nobody reads such biOg-
raphics except the subjects of them, and no.
body buys them except the subjects own wives
and children. Our attention has recently been
oh nnft I'm L ind
which is rather more artfully concealed and
rather more impudently prosecuted, and we
think 1t may be worth while to expose it. A
concern in this city has issued the prospectus
Of an American biographical collection entitled
"Men of Progress" 1t is to be printed in the
most lavishly expensive manner; it is to con-
tain sketches of at least some truly eminent
men, with their portraits; aud tits is the way
1T is managed:
The publishers write to literary gentleman,
and beg him to furnish for their work bio
graphical sketch of his friend the distinguished
author, X Y. u. Out of personal regard for
X. Y. H., the literary gentleman complies with
this request. AS soon as the manuscript is re-
ceived, the publishers write to Y. Y. u. "We
"have in hand sketch of your life by Mr.. -.
"Our book. however, is to be so costly that we
care obliged to request each of our Men of
"'Progress' to subscribe for certain number
"of copies. 1t will he of great pecunary adyan-
'tage to you to figure in the company of such
"men rs Bryant, Longfellow, Burlingame and
$50 on, and the notices we shall give of your
works will greatly promote their sale. The
Typography your friend has sent is twice as
"ong as Bryants; nevertheless we will print it,
with portrait, if you will pay for the plate,
"and sign the inclOsed contract" Then comes
the contraction printed blank:
The Publishers Of "Men OF Progress" are hereby
ordered to insert sketch OF my life in said work to
cupy to five pages therein. and agree purchase
nine copies of that work. similar Forteth Congress-"
And also agree to furnish such sketch and plate
(pate opionaD within fifteen days from date and pay
the sum OF $47 per copy. If such sketch il not
furnished the work may be published without sketch
Of my life, and the whole amount Of said subscription
will be paid at the expiration OF said fifteen days. No
other conditions accepted than those stipulated this
me morandum.
The letters of the publishers mention among
the " Men of Progress" who will appear in the
work, and who, it is intimated, have complied
with the terms of the memorandum, William
Cullen Bryant Henry w. Longfellow, Anson
Bnlingamc, DR.. T.. II. Chaplin, Prof. S. +. B.
Morse, Cyrus w. Field, the Hon. Henry Will
son, John 7. Hoffman, William NJ. Tweed, and
Samuel j. Tilden. 1t seems to us that an ex-
Dlanation from some of these gentlemen is in
order. Nobody supposes that Mr. Bryant, or
Mr. Longicllow, or any other really distin-
gushed man, has paid for place in this gal
lery OF progress by furnishing his own portrait
and biography, and then buying nine copies at
the preposterous price of S47 each. 1t is not
likely that the publishers would dare propose
such thing to gentlemen like these, but it is
possible that they may have inserted few
biographies gratis for the sake of the associa-
tion. We should like to have it understood,
however, whether Tweed and company are at
liberty to thrust themselves into good society
on payment of s423 and steel-pate portrait
II Tweed is to buy place on the roll of glory
by the side of Henry w. Longfellow, why
shall not jim Fisk figure by the side of Bry-
ant, and John Glennon share the admiration of
posterity with Burlingamc and Chaplin, and
Cyrus Ficldf Why shall we not have Il coll
lection of Women of Progress" with Night
ipgalo and Monlaland enjoying an equal fame.