Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1878-08-29

The first poem, it is well known, orig
inally appeared in Harper's Weekly. l
picked up a paper containing it at a
friends house soon after it was pub
llshed, and was amusing myself by
illustrating the poem with a pencil on
the margin of the paper, when lady
friend, looking over my shoulder, said:
" You ought to publish an illustrated
edition of that poem" The idea struck
me favorablv, and, after thinking it over
night, decided to do so, and wrote my
friend Gus Hoppin to draw the requis-
tie pictures at once. Your correspond
dent has always understood that a ia
NOUS New York belle allowed Mr.. Hop
pin to draw her face for that Of Flora
McFlimsey, and that brother of the
artist was delineated as the hero of the
poem. As soon as [ got the pictures
our firm published a neat little muslin
covered edition of the book, which sold
for 90 cents. We had sold a few edi-
tons when Miss Peck, a clergymen's
daughter from Norwich, Conn, came
into the store and claimed the author
ship hitherto attributed to William
Allen Butler. Her story was that she
had dropped the manuscript of the first
part of the poem in d New York omni-
bus, and knew nothing of its where
abouts till she saw her poem, much en-
larged and expanded, it was true, but
embracing all her lines, in Harper's
Weekly. The lady's appearance was SO
much in her favor that we told her If
she could produce evidence of sufficient
literary ability we would pay her for
her production and compensate her
Herewith for the poem. Ere long, she
brought us a good novel, and we paid
her $1,000 as compensation for both
works. We afterward PUBLISHED a second
novel for her, and the lady was at work
upon the third when her death occurred,
not long after she had made a happy
marriage, Mr.. Butler never adj
mitted the lady's claims to any
share Of the authorship, and
his character and high ability al
ways made the matter mystery He
subsequently published "Two Millions
and a volume of selected poems, which
we shall probably publish for him here
authorship of Nothing to Wear" had
much to do with its sale, which was very
large. The other case of contested
authorship was also over a poem pub
lished in Harper's, although it first saw
the light in the Toledo Blade. This was
the famous "Betsey and [ are Out
which is claimed by Will Carleton, a
young Western poet, whose name was
attached to it in Herpers, and by Mrs
Emerson. The poem had appeared in
Hdrpcr'S when Mrs. Emerson called up
on us and asserted that the poem was
hers, ger6dim ct Eteratin; that it was
written by her at her home in Maine
grew out of actual incidents in the life
Of her Uncle Eliab and Aunt Betsy, who
bore the real Christian names of the
hero and heroine of the poem, and
that it had been repeatedly read aloud
| by her from her own manuscript tC
neighbOrs and friends, at whose request
she had made and given away copies
! thereof. Her theory was that one OF
these stray copies got into the hands OF
Will Carleton, who sent it to the Toledo
Blade, very probably without claiming
the authorship originally, and that the
publishers ofthe Blade might innocently
have attached his name. as he was a
writer therefor. Harper's copied the
poem, and Will Carleton, finding him
self famous, went to work and produced
volume Of { Farm Ballads" of similar
style and meter, which he sold by
thousands, including the disputed poem
in his volume. We sent to Maine and
having verified Mrs. Emerson's state
ments, published Il volume OF
poems for her entitled. "a thanks
giving Story" including "Betsey
and are Out" whichhas sold
! tOlerably well.