The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-11-24
GENERAL GRANTS BOOK.
AtLsa.t $500, 900 to be Melted to tho E.tat
Hoadly aud Conkllng Didn't Want It.

AtLeast $500, 900 to bs Melted to the Estate.
Hoadly and oonkllng Dldn't wantIt.
New YoRK, Nov. 2s.-Chas. L. Webster,
Of the firm which is publishing General
Grants memoirs, has just retured from
Europe, where arrangements were made
for translating and publishing that work
in many languages, but his pet plan oi
sale by subscription had to be given up.
One of the arguments made by some oi
General Grants friends in favor of giving
the contract of publishing the memoira
to the Century Company or the Appletona
vas their ability to put the book on the
market, u
Ihls was believed to be one Of the
most important parts OF the publication,
and had for time great weight with the
author. Marx Twain, however, who has
probably made more money out Of book
writing, than any other American author
had discovered a way Of avoiding the book
trade entirely, and he impaired the infor.
nation to Fred Grant, who at once con.
cluded TO follow Mr.. Clemens advice,
Clemens had gone into the business to
make money. He did not propose to di.
vide his earnings with the news compa.
MES. He settled on Charles L. Webster,
who was comparatively unknown print
er, and made him his publisher. The
books were issued on the subscription
plan, and Olemena and his publisher di.
vided the profits. The task OF putting 0
book like General Grants on the market
is by no means an easy one. It involves
the organisation Of an army Of ten thou
sand eanvasserg.
~ often think what q motley crowd this
army OF mine must b." said Mr.. Webster.
"What a spectacle 1t would be II gould
only get them together for review. The
list Of subscribers contains nearly all the
well-known names in the country. Presi-
dent Cleveland has subscribed for q copy
bound in Morocco. General Sheridan not
only subscribed, but he caused the War
Office to be ransacked for month, hunt
ing for the original document OF Lees sur
render, fac-simile Of which we have in
the second volume. Governor Hoadly,
however, refused point blank when ap-
preached and asked to subscribe by one OF
our general agents some time before the
Generals death. General Grant isn't a
literary man, said he. 4 don't know that
have any use for his book. One oiour
less trustworthy canvassers told me that
Mr.. Conkltng nearly apnihilated him
when he penetrated to his private office 10
try to sell him copy; he said that the
ex-senator fairly raYed and swore. ]
can't vouch for the truth Of the story,
however.
IiIve got to travel up to Gapsde in a
few days to secure our copyright IN that
country. Their laws are iearfully and
wonderfully made in Canada. II General
Grant were alive he would have to be car
ried into the country TO satisfy the copy
right law, but as he is dead they kindly
allow me to represent both althor and
publisher"
allow much will General Grants estate
realize from the book 2" asked the reporter.
ut Is now assured OF $500, 900" was the
reply, "and II the sale Of the second vol
ume equals that Of the first, that will grow
10 500, 900, all in the hrst year or two.
After that It will come along in amounts
dependent on the sale beyond the first
batch Of Subscribers, We count on four
or five hundred thousand subscribers.h