, 1870-06-19
origin OF PicktEfck.
To The Editor II The .,tr York Tribune:

To The Editor II The .itsr York Tribune:
Every incident in the literary career Of the
great auther who has Just passed away from
the world he 80 much adorned il = matter Of
umph in the republic Of letters, h2s never
get been fully recorded,-ior Mr. Dick
ems only partially tells it in his preface to the
LITER editiona Of " Tickwick, ,"-7nd tho writer.
who is acquainted with alI the facts, believes
that be is bet1aying no confidence in nov Civ
Early IN the Jear 1886 Messrs. Chapman i
Hall, who = few years previously we're both
engaged in the once famous publishing house
Of baldwin L Cradock, we're established as
booksellers and publishers N thh Strand. Lon
don; and among their literary ventures then
in preparation was \ magazine to be Illus
trated and sold for one shilling. and to be
called The Library Of Fictoz, It WAS to be
flied with short stories and sketches BY the
popular authors Of the day. and was undas the
editorial charge Of Nz. Charles Whitehead. =
litterdtettrof The period In making seiec-
contribute to the work. Mr. Chapman called
Alr. Nhitehead's attention 10 tho Sketches"
then being published under the signature Of
% Boz" in tho Monthly 4Nd9axtne (which the
:, S,iSsa Ss5sfs i: 5.ss5 VI: |:sSs
md ii the Norainy Chronicle, md
deeired that he should be applied to for con-
tributions. - His name is Dickens, and
know wbezo to ind him. was the editors re-
ply. Mr. Dickens accaded to the request, and
contributed to tho new serial " The Tugs 1T
Ramegate," with which tho initil number
opened, and whieh WIS eventually contafnsd
In tho collected edition Of Sketches by
1fr. Dickens first engagement to #rite for the
| pubhshets with whom he was AftsEE7fd 30
/ closely connected.
Shortly before this tine Afr. Seymour. whose
humorous etchings Of cockney LIE and char
rsngcd r viii Me.ass. chspnan i Hali fof the
! publication Of new serles Of etchings Of =
IKE nature, to be accompanied by illustrative
letter-press. and Issued in monthly numbers
1t one shilling; and in view Of ths pub1ies-
ton IN author uf the dag, whose name
Is known to the writer, was written to and
requested to undertake tho literary depart
meut Of the work, but he neve- replied to tho
application. When The Library Of Fiction
was under way, Seymour cx1led upon the pub.
lishcra, and urged that his propoeed work
should b proceeded With at onee. Or, il nos
he should bo compelled to engage upon Other
lAbo1s be had offered to him, but which he die
not 20 much fancy. MI. Chapman told Sey'
mour that as he had no reply from the anthorre
fer1ed to, he would at once call upon Dickons
and ascertain II he would be willing to writt
the descriptive lester.p5eas. Hs fulaued h ha
Young author entered enthusiastically into th'
echet1e, suggesting modification Of the plan
md prcnised to Lei him have the copy for
prospectus Of The work on the following day
which prunoisa he fulfilled. This is the yisi
alluded to by Nr. DicKuns in his preface, whicl
you hxse quoted =,
Many works had Just then BEEN issued viii
either the name Of the author appeaIing ol
The title-page, under the guise Of editor, OF
when they wero from the pens Of unknown
writer's, under the editorial sponsorship, o
uellknown authors and it wss decided th7
il consequently appeared as "a edited BY Boz.
The thle was written ont by Ii. Chapman
snd vas scarcely altered except in the leadiu
word u. Of .SinTodT 1., h.sing, = NJ pis.
| Into the puhlahez.s office one day, e1claluing
, / With eyident delight. "Tva got It, Moses Picl
: wick. BAth-cozchman." He hid Just aee1
. /! panied On tho door Of. stage coach ttst va