Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-11-14
Mrs. Stoves Par.

One OF our city contemporaries, COM
menting on authorship and its rewards,
mentions $4,000 - the amount re-
ceived by Harriet Beecher Stove ~ the
authors compensation on the sale of
=" Z acle Toms Cabin" We can state
the incorrectness OF this figure, upon
the authority OF the Publisher. Mr..
Jexett, himself. That gentleman once
gave the writer an interesting acsount
Of hov he came 10 publish Uncle
Tom," what royalty he paid. and its
amount, and how Mrs. Stowe came to
leave his house when "Dred" vas pub.
lished. Gncle Toms Cabin" first
made its appearance Is serial in DR..
BAiley's National Era. Mr.. yewett was
anti-slavery, and followed the Free
Soil form Of the agitation. When the
novel first begun Mrs. ysvett was in
the habit Of reading it aloud to her
husband. She became greatly affected,
and urged Mr.. Jewett, when it was
about half issued to publish it in book
forw. He wrote to Mrs. Stowe. who
was residing in Maine, Mr.. Stowe be-
ing Professor OF Theology at Bowdoin
College. Tee author and her husband
came to Boston. Mr.. Jewett's offer was
9 surprise to them. They we're ready
to sccede to any terms he might offer.
His proposition was to publish at his
own cost, and pay q royalty OF. We be-
lieve OF ten per cent. Mrs. Stowe was
somewhat disposed to take q share in
the profits, as her sister Catherine did
in regard to her famous Cookery Book.
MIR. Jewett explained that it would then
be necessary for her to bear part OF the
cost, and he suggested further that Mr..
and Mrs. Stowe should take competent
advice as to the fairest plan for Mrs.
Stowe, and he named some prominent
persons in Boston who could advise
properly. The result was decision in
favor Of the royalty. Three months
after the book was issued the author
and her husband returned to Boston to
receive their first payment, which MIR.
Jewell states was $40, 900. He paid in
all to Mrs. Stowe little over $50 900.
An amusing part OF the event was the
ignorance Of both the Professor and
Mrs. Stowe as to how they were to get
the check for this large amount cashed,
and what they were to do for safety's
bhho Wall tuo MOuoy ~ CbAlcu AOIs AAEs
Jewett took them to his bank and in
troduced them to the President. As
such distinguished visitors were rare,
they were at once asked into the bank
parlor and then Prof. Stowe was in.
structed into the mystery of opening a
bank account and drawing checks
against it. Mr.. Jewett tells how Miss
Catherine Beecher created ill-will by
denouncing him as having dealt un-
fairly by Mrs. Stowe in not giving q
share of the profits instead of the roy
atty. He claims to have successfully
proved that his royalty gave the famous
author far fairer and proportionately
more remunerative returns than that
obtained by Catherine Beecher for her
book. The result of the difference was
the publication oil "Dred," by Phil.
lips, Sampson 4 Co., whose subsequent
failure swept away the authors royalty
and made the second book of little pc
cuniary profit to her. These are prob
ably the undeniable facts as to Mrs.
Stoves remuneration for Uncle Toms
Cabin, so far as the American publica-
ton was concerned. It has returned
considerable money since Mr.. Jewett's
failure, and still its sale is source OF
profit.-N. Y. Mail.