The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1881-10-20
AUTHORS PROFITS.
The Sums that Some People Have Earn
ed Nth RanE. =


ed with Pens.
New York Letter to Cincinnati Gazette.
have spoken of Washington Irving
as the best paid American author of his
day, and 1t is evident that he was also
the most successful in obtaining foreign
patronage Although John Murray first
declined the Sketch Book" lac was at.
teswarGs glad to publish all of Irving's
works, and the entire sum realized by
the author in England was ef2, PIT,
equal TO nearly $4,000. All OF this
came from Murray except 1000, which
was paid by Bently for the "Alhambra."
umbus." This work is now but
little read, and yet such was
the interest in the subject that when
published Irving received e3, $50 from
Murray and $1,000 from American pub
fishers, in all about $4,000. No Amer
lean author has ever received so much
for any work except Mrs. Stowe, who
has, it is SAID, cleared $4,000 on "Uncle
Toms Cabin" Irving's popularity in
creased rapidly during his latter days.
Up to 1913 he had received $6S 900, and
had been before the public nearly forty
years. During the last eleven years of
his life his publisher (putnam) paid
him $4,000. The demand has contin-
ued since the authors death and the
commissions received by his heirs for
five years were S34 600. Bayard Taylor
on the other hand survived his popular
ity, and hence left his family compare
lively poor. At one time Putnam
lor and Irving, but he atterward en-
iarged his publishing operations. He
found that Irving increased in demand,
and hence got up new editions until it
would not be easy to reckon the number.
Clemens, the humorist DIETER known
as Mark Twain, has done better than
any man of his turn of labor. He has
been fifteen years before the public and
during that time has become rich
enough to live ON his income. His
property in Hartford Is worth more
than $4,000. Mrs. Stowe has made
more by her pen than any other Amer.
can woman, and has probably cleared
100000. This may seem like large
sum, but when it is spread through a
quarter of a century it. is not
such an immense thing as it
at first appears to be Marian
Marlsnd Mrs Terhune) who has
written industrIously for twenty years,
novels. MapYJ j. Holmes has probably
done equally as we'll. Gail Hamilton
Miss Dodge enjoyed good sale for
her book during the first few years, but
her vanity got the better of her judg-
ment aud she quarreled with her pub
fishers. Her next book was devoted to
the quarrel, and it at once impaired her
popularity. She now has corner in
The paper, but will never do much in
books again. Josh Billings SHAW
found unusual popularity. He
is witty, and says many wise as
we'll as funny things. 1t seems pity
that such clever fellow should be OBJ
liged to borrow the jokes of poor Arte-
mus Ward and print them as original,
but such is one of the weaknesses of
funny fellows. Carleton has paid Shaw
$50, OO0 for his almanac during the last
dozen years.
Longfellow has made poetry pay we'll.
Never before has such permanent sue
cess been achieved by means of few
hits. Less than half dozen fine things
has led to the sale of all he writes, but
little of which is read. Hawthorne,
who had more genius than any other
American writer, never received much
from his novels, though they are superi.
or TO any other productIonso of American
fiction. At the present time there is, as
has been said. very little chance for lit.
eTafure. ana they must spDmll
to the trial ct their pa
tienee. ! Jet me remind them that Words-
WORMS poem of "Peter Bell" lay in
MS. nineteen years. that Butler was
twenty years working up his Analogy"
and that Southey had 1.-THE Doctor" on
hand for an equal period. THE Doc
tor is a strange volume. II is but lit
tie read, and yet certain class is elo
| uuent in its praise SoutheY shows IN
| every page his immense range of read
| ing-nowhere, indeed. equaled In the
history Of literature He was deter
mined 10 keep the authorship secret
Hence, as a blind, he occasionally in
| PRODUCES, among other quotations, the
name Of Southey. This was capital
| idea, but IL was evident that no one elsE
could write such book, and the Literary
| world laid it At his door with q unanim
iIty which could not but Halter Its al
| thor.