St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-07-09
A CHAT WITH CHATTO.
London's Greatest Publisher of Works
of Fiction.
The Most Popular American Noyelists

personal conversations with the right
men make interesting and reliable history, P"
/ said, "and what can be more entertaining
than a talk with an eminent publisher about
the authors whose works he exploits, and the
joint results of their labors; for, while an
author has sometimes made publisher, a
publisher has sometimes made an author. -
''If you think that 1 can tell you anything
that will interest your American public, F."
said Mr.. Andrew Chatto, of the firm of Chatto
s. Windus, ''you may certainly command
me. An author yourself, can rely on your
discretion. and there is something new in
the idea OF novelist interviewing publish
er-the lion and the lamb, you know"
(which is the lion, and which is the
lamb?" But we will leave that to the reader.
''In the first place, have heard that there is
a good trade story behind the publication OF
Mr.. Justin McCarthy's History of Our Own
Times Will you tell me what it is?"
Eyes" he replied, '.Mr. Mccarthy con-
ceived the idea of writing book entitled
The Victorian Era,' which was to be an his
firm of publishers, he entered into an ar
rangement with them to sell to sell them the
work for $500 $4,000. After little while,
the publishers learning that Mr.. Mccarthy
was home ruler. if not Parnellite-they
did not even know, it appears, that he was
an Irishman-asked to be allowed to with
draw from the contract. Mr.. Mccarthy, who
was greatly annoyed at the suggestion that he
might mutilate history to suit his own private
or political views, demanded compensation,
and the publishers referred the settlement to
the friend who had introduced the author to
them. Then Mr.. Mccarthy came to me, and
l at once agreed to publish the work for him
on basis of mutual profits. l suggested,
however, that instead of 'The Victorian Era
ne should call the book The History of Our
Own Times In the interval, the other pub
fishers reconsidered the situation, and asked
to be allowed to revive the lapsed contract.
1t was too late. The work was in my hands,
which, as it turned out, was good thing for
the author as well as for me l have paid
Mr.. Mccarthy up to the present time, over
$4,000 ($25, 000 on account of his profits
on THE Story of Our Own Times.'"
Chatto IL Windus are 'EOuida's'' publish
their names are on Swinburne's poems and
they are the English publishers of Artemus
Ward, Mark Twain, Bret Harte, Julian Haw-
thorne and other American writer's. Chatto's
father wrote the standard work on wood en-
craving, which was published by Bohn.
ut was when trying to buy back from
Bohn this copyright, said Chatto, ''that led
to my purchase of Bohn's library copyrights
for $50 900 $500, 000) most of which after
wards resold."
| HOW CHATTO BECAME A PUBLISHER.
elbow did you come into she publishing
business?n
II was the assistant of Hotten, whose
business 1 and Windus purchased from his
widow for e25, 900 I$125, 0O0), and we are
really the successors of Hotten & Co., though
we do not adhere to the policy of our pre-
decessor. For instance, he believed that
the best way to force on an international
copyright with America was to plumber
American authors. We do not. An Ameri-
can author can secure a copyrightin England
by publishing here first. By that means
Mark Twain, Bret Harte and others enjoy all
the privileges of this market, as well as their
own. We have paid Mark Twain for royal
ties on his books 85, 900 (S25, 000.)''.
(which, are your most popular authors,
tested by the sale of their booksl''
g 'Ouida,' first; Reade, second; Mark
Twain, third, and l think Bret Harte comes
fourth"
The scene Of our conversation is emf
nently characteristic of London, and of the
gentleman with whom | am talking. 1t is a
room at the very top Of the business premises
of the firm, near the circus end of Piccadily.
On the landing entrance is a large tele-
scope (Chatto's recreation is science), in the
doorway a fine st. Bernard dog, which rises
to examine every visitor to these privileged
regions. 1t is large, square room, the
walls crowded with original drawings of en-
cravings that have appeared in the Belgravia
and other magazines of which Chatto ~
Windus are proprietors, the centre of the
apartment occupied with a large square ia
bic, upon which a frugal luncheon is laid
| (our meeting is at 2 in the day., and as
| you sit down before well cooked English
chop ard bottle of Bergundy, you look out
upon a picturesque 'roofscape'-a world of
roofs and chimney pots, the sky line broken
up as artistically as the eye can desire. If
| you go to the window and look down, there
below you is Piccadilly, busy with its multi
| farious traffic, the noise of which does not
reach you high up among the many shaped
roofs, tiles and smokestacks of the west end.
Where the walls of the room are not wholly
occupied by pictures there are well filed
bookcases. Nor are the pictures quite con-
| fined to book Illustrations Over the mantel
piece are portraits of Mary Anderson and
other public favortes. A piano and mi
croscope represent music and science-one
stands near the door. the other in the win
dow-so that the arts, science, trade and So
| cial life have all pleasant showing in this
| s 4I.1, IL;
imagine Mr.. Chatto lives here. He has his
country house, of course, his garden, his
lawn and his pastoral Sundays away from
the turmoil of the metropolis. genial,
| ''cheery'' felow-dark, medium height,
middle aged, with face that is tell-tale to
inner disposition, dark eyes-Mr. Andrew
Chatto is a man an author might trust, !
should say. He is certainly singularly sym
pathetic for publisher, believes in his au
thors, likes TO talk of them, and was on quite
intimate friendly terms with Reade, is so
with Swinburne, and quite recently he paid
q visit to "Ouida'' at Florence.
SOMETHING ABOUT 'oUIDA."
'Tell me something one may print about
| ''Ouida'
Swell, - he said, "some people shave an
idea that 'Ouida'-Mme. de la Ramee-is not
an observer ofwhat are called the proprieties
ofllife. But she is strict observer. A personal
friend of the Queen of Italy, she prides her
self on her blue blood. She is the daughter
of an Italian aristocrat-one Of the old no
blesse by an English mother, belonging TO
an old Worcestershire family"
SIS that sol''
eyes. She lives with her mother at Flor
enee where visited her not long since.'
s'When does she writel"
''In the early morning. She gets up at
O'Clock, and, before she begins, makes her
| self up into sort Of literary trance, she Is