New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-03-10
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
nu ,,,,rr TOMS VENGEANCE.


.nr,rJp op Trtr DOOKs recorded by an unknown |
writer for the of Authors ana Pnesnea =, 70 both
, Corrsct,on aud Tor Instruction in Righteousness
Ealted and published by GAIL HAMILTON l6mo' PIP !
2SS Cambridge: Printed at me klESrs,uc rIoS'' anu
for sale by Hurd Houghton, NewNork'
Varions circumstances have combined to attract
for this book in advance of ITS appearance, an inter
est not warranted by its intrinsic Importance. IL
WAS known that Gail Hamilton had quarTeled with |
her publishers Fields, OsgoOd & Co., and smartlng
under sense Of wrong, purposed to castgate them
with all the power of her hand. The lady Wleids
sharp pen and is never afraid to speak her mind
The publishers have not only long enjoyed the high
est reputation as honorable men, but the public be-
leyes that they have been eminent among the craft
for their cordial relations with the authors whose
books they print The assault was therefore awaited
with curiosity not only because it was likely to he
sharp one but because il directed against
men whom the world held unaSsailaDie' we
do not think the expectations OF InanNi1u
will be satisfied. Gail Hamilton has not Only
written an unwise book she has committed the un
pardonabe ofenSe of writing dun one vi COURSE
there are many flashes of wit there are SHARP
TRUSTS there passages OF excellent huhol pu'
the story is long, tedious and involved; IL aoouhus
in rspetitions: and however important 1t may be
20 the parties in the controversy to the rest OF the
world II must seem trivial 1t is told with
TRANSPARENT disguise of names and dates
the author becomes NJ. N; the late MI
Ticknor is "Brummen:" Mr.. James I. Fields is
Hunt :" J Il. Osgood is Parry the Appletons
are "Pearvies" Harpers, the " Troubadours :
Boston (of counsel is Athens" and The atlantic
kopfhlg "The Adriatc." Whether anything is gained
BY these transformations may be an open question
As well as can understand the quarrel 1t IS TINS
For her first book Gail Hamilton received the usual
ten per cent on the retail price. Afterward new
mazda yNh
to be paid Is cents each copy sold. AS the
price was then 81 20 a copy, this equivalent 10
the old rate: but when prices went up, and the books
were sold s. the author received of course, mnch
less than ten per cent She complained and was an
Bwered by the agreement; but the agreement Size
,,yerred had been made without her duly under
standing it there question also how many OF her
books il covered for besides the written contracts
Mr.. Fields alleges shat there was an explicit verbal
understanding BY what successive steps the lady
passed from warn coniiding friendship to torturing
doubt to gloomy suspicion to savage hostility, and
finally to acrid sarcasm. do not care to relate.
After a controversy of sixteen months, the matter
was referred to arbitration. Gail Hamilton, after
long argument submitted the following summary of
her claims:
al I claim that my first contract FOR city Lights
oTu h ed On, IN Good faitF and that it shall not
he considered changed modified by any conyerSa-
myself And claim that the word edition used therein
shall be held to mean just what Mr. Parry admits II
would m common accepation with the book-trade,
namely one thousand copies.
R Clam It h9f my second aSd SS M41
Ter Days Stumbling -Blocks and A New Atmosphere
obtained from under total mlsdppIehcnsOn or
facts THAI this misapprehenson of mine was the result
Of m q 90 hT' Say santanT % i9S
wherein represents the arrangement as one uniform
which he leaves me 10 infer might not other.
obtain, whereas he knew that the arrangement was
prices then teuding-and the arrangement
%as sGe gy n 80 tSsp 10 fpen cents per COW This
did understand. and should not have asSented TO
had understood it, hold that neither in law, equity,
morals nor manners should be held to agreement
which did not comprehend, which the opposite party
SO presented as 10 prevent my coInprehendng H. ana
which deprived me OF ny S a6 s are I s so
published under IT, The contract, therefore, should be
aside and should be paid according TO the usage of
publishers at the same rate as appears IN the contract
for City Lights namely, ten per cent
.3 claim that my books published since the date
either contract namely Winter Work Holidays
.PcDcilings' 'CottGn Picking and Rights OF Mem
Isummer Rest Gala Days slrmshes anc Sketches,
'WOo-Gaiherlug,' and 'NOmans wrongs my colnPeh-
satOn shall he fixed by the usage existing among pub
tie rate Of cent on all sums found
10 he due the date Of the several semiannual
settlements, counting my compensation uniformly al the
rate Of ten par cent on the retail price OF the books at
the Of the settlement This point is so plain that
IS claim that am equitably entitled to damages to
compensate the loss that mas resulted TO me pecu-
pecuuiay damage alone amounts 10 more than three
thousand dollars. There hurts Of other kinds to
which money bears relation.
NV actual expenses preparing for this reference
have been considerable, and under the award of
costs ] claim that should have an ample allowance
made me to cover my outlays IN this regard"
The referees. after two days Of deliberation, re-
turned the following decision:
THE undersigned mutually agreed upon referees
matter controversy between NJ. y. and Messrs
Hunt Parry Co. on their own account and as success
Of Brummel & Hunt, hereby award TO NJ. \. the
by Hunt Parry Co within three DAYS from the date of
this paper fu compensation for her claims upon the
in this COuTUverSy-and that hereafter NJ. n.
shall receive ten ppr cent copvrgbt on the retail prce of
all her books printed by Hunt Parry Co.. except the
three books embraced IN the contract between the par
dated September "A, l7C The referees decline any
party To pay their own costs
" Signed and delivered, Apri &c. 1863.
-. RUSSELL.
&C. ". HASPDES"
Here, it seems to us the matter ought to have
rested When questions of this sort submitted to
arbitration it is generally implied condition that
neither party shall appeal to another tribunal Miss
Dodge has not gone 10 law, but she has appealed to
public opinion, and dragged TO light private and
personal controversy in which the public has con-
Germ. Whether she or Mr. Fields is most in the
wrong we do not know. 1t is of our
business. so we shall not inquire; but
if we chose to distress ourselves about
il we should remember that nothing in the world is
90 dangerous to trust and so unreasonable woman
with grievance She processes to believe that she
has done a service TO the literary guild by stripping
the mask from a firm of pretenders and teaching
writers how necessaryit to cultivate exact, prompt
and intelligent business habits. In the bottom of
her heart she probably does not believe that she has
been actuated by any purpose of rendering such