Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1876-11-10


reasons for wanting to know. The CON-
pensation for composition is extremely
variable; depending not only upon the
quality of matter, but upon the nature of
the subject, aud the reputation of the au
thor. We are all aware that Milton got
long after, Goldsmith was glad to receive
for "The Vicar of Wakefield" through
the interposition Of Doctor johnson, the
small sum of EGO. In the present day lit
erature is far more renumerative than it
has ever been before, and in this new
country its rewards-poor trade as wri-
ting generally is-are often very handsome
It is only very recently that a man Tor wo-
men) could live by the pen and even now
it is not easy to do so under favoring con
ditions It is popularity believed that au-
thors make good deAlof money, but those
who gain more than alivelihood by tbs pen
are very few.
Charles Brockden Brown, Philadel-
phian (he died in 1910, aged thirty nine,)
the pioneer of American novel writing,
published six novels, which, though much
duuiICu dUA QuIUC pOpC1dl, JlCiUCo iilhA
less than 900. He Was a lawyer by pro-
fession, and depended on it for support. =
James Fennimore Cooper did more than
any other native author 30 give to Ameri-
can literature a name abroad. He pub
lished thirty-two volumes, and his nautl-
tai and Indian stories were translated into
every modern language. including Arabic
and Persian. Some Of them had a popu-
larity rivaling the Waverly novels, in the
full bloom of their success, about the time
that Cooper became Known, and yet his
remuneration from his works was so very
limited-less. it IS said, than $40, 000-that
had he not been in independent circum-
stances, he could not have afforded to
write. His second novel, The Spy"
which had an immediate success, and met
with reception seldom equaled by any
book, he could find no publisher for. He
would gladly haye given the copyright to
anybody who would have issued il; but no
one would take 1t even on those terms. FL
nally he was oblighed to print it at his own
expense, personally supervising the proof
sheets, and frequently setting type.
Joseph Rodnlan Drake for his delightful
stCulprit Fay" q long and elaborate poem
of exquisite fancy, never received over
$500.
Fitz-Green Hal!eck's famos "Marco
Y ork Review, brought him but S..
For Bryant's ''Thanatopsis, which was
a contribution to The North American
Review, the same princely price, IS, is re-
ported to have been paid.
Richard Henry D Ina issued his, ''Buc-
cancer and Other Poems" in q small vol
ume when he was forty years old (he is now
nearly eighty; it was favorabty received,
and had what was considered fair sale.
The proceeds to the author are understood
to have been about $50.
Richard Henry Dana, Jr's 1.-TWO Years
Before the Mast" which proved very pop
ular, and is still in demand, has not put
over s., 500 in his purse.
LongfelloW's prose romance, "Hyper1-
on" and the first volume of his poems
which attracted much attention, ''VOlceS
OF the Night, yielded him for the first
five years after their publication less than
$500.
Edgar Il. Poe came SO near starving by
pursuing terature in his first attempts,
that he was induced by his prejudice in
favor of living to enlist as d common sD,-
dier in the national army When he sent
the wonderful Craven" years after, to
The American Review, the editor accepted
it, and Oh its publication enclosed him $40.
For 1.-The Bells,'' several times altered and
enlarged after it had been contributed to
Sartain'S Magazine, where it was printed
at last, the same munifcent compensation
was allowed.
James Russell Lowell had $40 for his
exquisite genre poem ''Cocrtin," and "The
Present Crisis,'' q ringing appeal for free
dom and humanity, which the world will
not willingly let die, increased his worldly
store some $50.
For that charming story, ''Prue and l."
William, l1r hnc rpopiuad GsAnf1
or $500, ana for his capital social satire,
1.-The Potiphar Paper" 81, 500.
Uncle Toms Cabin" has had larger
scale in the time since it's printing than
any work ever issued from the press; the
sale is believed to have reached nearly
1900 900 copies, including the innumerable
translations; but Mrs. Stowe is asserted,
owing to divers untoward causes, not to
have gained from it over $40 900 or $12,-
000
Edmund Clarence btedman contributed
1.-The Diamond Wedding to The Tribune
without compensation. For his remarka-
bly, fine criticisms entitled The Victorian
Poels,n Stedman has had, thus far. less
than 500, Independent Of the price paid
for them when contributed to Scri bner's
Mon thly.
Richard Grant White performed pro-
digious labor in preparing his edition Of
SHAKESPEARE, working for years on it and
giving TO it q rare and ripe scholarship.
But all his pecuniarY reward is stated to
have been inside OF $4,000.
Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass has
been the labor of his life, and has rendered
him famous in Europe and widely though
adversely criticised here. Nevertheless,
81 900 would exceed his receipts from it.
Bret Harte got but $50 each, it is said,
for his .'Outcasts OF Poker Flat" stLuck
of Roaring Camp "Miggles' and the
other extraordinary stories he wrote for
The overland Monthly while was its ,edi-
tor The publishers Of Scribner's, it is re,
ported, paid him $4,000 for Gabriel Con-
roy" for their magazine alone and they
have given him as high as 500 per page
1000 Words) for some of his shot stories.
Charles Dudl-y Warner when he put his
witty papers from The Hartford Courant
into book form, and named the volume
my Summer in q Garden,'' its sale Melted
him not more than 81 600.
Mark Twain; 'Innocents Abroad has
given him to date some $4,000, and
'Roughing It," about $4,000; Gut he is
one of the lucky authors, and certainly a
very funny one.
Bayard Taylor's novels, Hannah Thurs
tom" John Godfrey's Fortunes and
Kenneth" have not averaged to the au-
thor over 81 500 apiece, and his volumes OF
poems not half so much. His books OF
travels, to which he attaches comparative
ly little Importance, have been quite prof
table, and still have a good sale.
For IN Nothing to Wear" a poem that
was the rage for a good while, William
Allen Butler received trife over $500,
Thomas Bailey Aldrich got $40 for his
liable Bell'' number of years ago; but
since his reputation has grown, a short
poem of his will command from $25 to $50
from the magazines.-N. Z. Illustrated
Wlekly.
THE absence of Senator Cochran Of Au-
gusta from our great political meeting last