The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-09-30
what Brains Bring,

What Brains Bring.
Our best authors have, as q rule, made
very little money. Some of them, like
Longfellow, Lowell and Holmes, have all
independence without work. Emerson and
Whittier live very simply and plainly, and
this fact explains why their earnings sup
port them Hawthorne was very poor un-
til he had been appointed Consul at Liver
pool; Poe was always IN pecuniary distress,
and would have beenpressed by circumstan-
ces had his habits been provident. Mrs.
Stowe made by ''Uncle TOMS Cabin" "
which, In the same time, has had a larger
sale than any other work since the invention
of printing, not much over $4,000, al
though her publishers got rich by the world
renowned anti slavery novel.
The most capable and industrious litteyo-
teur can seldom earn moro than 81, 900 to
$4,000 year at the extreme, while un-
questlonably clever, energetic fellows are
obliged to content themselves with from
81, 800 to So. 900. A glance at some of our
best known and most popular authors, resi-
dent In or near New York, will show that
the ink they use is far from golden. The vete
ran William Cullen Bryant was moderately
wealthy; but he had not grown so by
his poetry or by any Of tho works to which
he had lent his name, but which he had not
written. He owed his fortune to his partial
ownership of the EUening Post for the last
30 or 40 years Worth probably $500, 600
or $500, 600 at the lowest, and getting $50, :
600 to 500, 900 per annum from all sources,
it may be doubted it his entire literary work
would have yielded him $40, 900. Bryant's
love of dollars Is wholly disproportioned 10
his professional capacity to earn them. He
has been writing in his slow, deliberate,
painstaklng and painsgiving way for 65
ycars-he did the ''Thanatopss" at 1S, and
has never quite cqualled it slnce-and vet
at no time could he have got 1000 or
or even SO, 900 per annum by the dir, ct use
of his pen. While tho publisher has pros
pered the poet might have starved.
Parkc Goodwin, Bryant's SOL. .in-law, Is
brilliant htterateur as well as journalist,
and is pccunarily independent. He owes
his independence, however, to his interest
in the Evening Post-he has had no con-
nection with it, edltorially or otherwise,
for several years-not to his literary talent.
The books he has published have returned
HIM few thousands OF dollars, and his lec-
lures in the past have helped out his income;
but he would have been poor deprived of
what the Post has brought him.
Bayard Taylor was one Of Our most ponular
authors-his books Of travel have had u
very wide sale--and he has been romark-
ably diligent with his pen from early youth.
AS lecturer he had been extremely popu
lar-he cleared SIC, 900 year before last by
the lyccum-having made more as a lectu-
rer than as author. His reputation as
traveller aud describer of travels did not
please him, notwithstanding 1t has been
Ettl,l III 20 hs,rl,
and he was poet; but the great public re-
garded him as a traveller. We doubt if his
''Life Of Goethe, . on which lie was cngag ed
for years, and which is excellent, paid
him Tor any part Of his great labor. At
they have been, Taylor might have been
worth $7O 600 to $50, 900, much Of which
he obtained from dividends on his five shares
of Tribune stock. Taylor drew u Jour-
nalistic salary of $5, =
Richard Grant White may be considered
a successful author. He has been before
the public over quarter of century, and
bis Shakespeare has gained him the title OF
scholar on both sides of the sea. 1t is un-
deniably the ablest work on the dramatst
that has been produced by any American
and he Is man Of large and varied culture
lie studied law, and medicine after gradu-
ating, not with view to practcing, but for
the sake of increasing his Knowledge
Now, beyond fifty, he literally wins his
bread by contributing to the daily press
and the magazines; he frequently writes
editorials for the Times and Evening Post,
Notwithstanding he holds position IN the
Custom House at 81, 900 year.
George William Curtis, one of the dainti-
est and most polished writers in the Kepub-
lie, and yet strong and positive intellect,
has been tor years engaged on the pcriodi-
cal publications of the Harper's. He
writes the political editorials of the Weekly
the Editors Easy Chair of the MonthkV,
and until recently wrote tho discurslve. cle,
CANT essays which appeared in the Bazar,
over the signature OF "Uld Bachelor" His
salary from the Harpers ls $40, 900 year,
which is one of the largest paid in the city.
He had but 81, 600 until 1860, when the
death Of Henry j. Raymond, and the desire
Of the Times to supply his place, induced
| Its publishers to oi1cr Curtis $4,000 Cur.
tis declined to become editor Of the Times,
prefcrrlng to remain with the old firm. lts
members heard Of the offer, though moi
through Curtis, and Immediately advanced
his salary to the figure named-as much, No
doubt, from fear OF losing him as from q
sense of generosity. Curtis is a native OF
Providence, Il. L., we'll bred and well edu.
Gated
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