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


than talk with an eminent publisher about
the authors whose works he exploits, andthe
joint results of their labors; for, while an
author-has sometimes made publisher,
publisher has sometimes made an author"
If you think that / can tell you anything
that will interest your American public"
said Mr.. Andrew Chatto, of the firm of Chatto
q Wlndus, ''you may certainly command
me. An author yourself, can rely on your
discretion, and there is something new in
the idea of a 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.
SIN the first place, have heard that there is
good trade story behind the publication Of
Mr.. Justin McCarthy's History of Our Own
Times. VIII you tell me what it is?''
yes" he replied, ''Mr. Mccarthy con
ceived the idea of writing book entitled
The Victorian Era,' which was to be an his
torical narrative. Introduced to well known
firm of publishers, he entered into an ar
rangement with them to sell to sell them the
work for $500 $1,000. After a little while,
the publishers learning that Mr.. Mccarthy
was home ruler. if not a Parnellte-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 mutlate 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
he 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 have paid
Mr.. Mccarthy up to the present time, over
$4,000 (S25, 000) on account of his profits
on THE Story of Our Own Times.' -
Chatto 81 Windus are ''Ouida's' publish
ers; they hold Charles Reade's copyrights;
their names are on Swinbu rne's poems and
they are the English publishers of Artemus
Ward, Mark Twain, Bret Harte Julian Haw-
thorne and other American writers. Chatto's
father wrote the standard work on wood en-
craving, which was published by Bohn.
1T was when trying to buy back from
Bohn this copyright" said Chatto ''that led
to my purchase of Bohn's library copyrights
for $40, 900 (S100,000), most of which after
| wards resold'
HOW CHATTo BECAME A PUBLISHER.
'How did you come into she publishing
business?n
business | and Windus purchased from his
widow for e25, 900 ($125,00 and we are
really the successors of Hotten q 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 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 $4,000 (S25, 000)"
(Which are your most popular authors,
tested by the sale of their books?'
C '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 Piccadilly.
| On the landing entrance is a large tele-
scope (Chatto's recreation is science), in the
doorway 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-
and other magazines of which Chatto q
| Windus are proprietors, the centre of the
apartment occupied with a large square ia
bic, upon which frugal luncheon is laid
| (our meeting is at 2 in the day., and as
you sit down before well cooked English
chop ard a bottle of Bergundy, you look out
upon picturesque s'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 Pccadilly, 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 favorites. 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
snuggery of the publishing offices. Do not
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. A genial,
''cheery" fellow-dark, medium height,
middle aged, with face that is a tell-tale TO
inner disposition, dark eyes-Mr. Andrew
Chatto is 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 Rcade, is so
with Swinburne, and quite recently he paid
visit to 'Ouida'' at Florence.
SOMETHING ABOUT toUIDA."
''Tell me something one may print about
"Ouida'
''Well, - he said, "some people have an
idea that 'Ouida'-Mme de la Ramee-is not
an observer of what are called the propreties
oflife. But she is a 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 Gloucestershire family"
SIS that so!''
eyes. She lives with her mother at Flor
ence, where / visited her not long since"
ssWhen does she writel'
SIN the early morning. She gets up at
O'Clock, and, before she begins, makes her
self up into sort Of literary trance, she is
very enthusiastic about her work.
''She refuses to have her stories published
in serial forml"
''Yes; she does not consider it artistic.
Serial form would not, / suspect, suit her,
method nor the construction Of her novels