The Indianapolis journal., 1885-07-29

The Contract and Mrs Grants Prospective
Revepue-Faise Statements Denied.

The Contract and Mrs. Grants Prospective
Revepue-Faise Statements Denied.
New York Tribune.
"The death of General Grant has caused the
publication in V arious newspapers Of erroneous
statements referring to the contract entered into
by General Grant and myself" said Charles l..
Webster a day or two ago. ''One Of those state
ments, and one which is unjust both TO the
widow Of General Grant and to our firm, was
printed in The World. 1t was to the effect that
this firm mad paid General Grant $40, 900 for his
work, and that the long sickness which he had
undergone had necessitated expending that
money leaving his widow without means of
support. The only money that this firm has paid
to General Grant a check for 81, coo to bind
the contract made with him. We have the check
in our possession, indorsed on the back by him.
''When the General first began his work 1
called upon him, bearing letter of introduction
from Mr.. Clemens Mark Twain On stating
my business to the General he informed me that
he feared it too late. 1 then offered him
$4,000 in cash for his work. and after 100000
copies had been sold, he was to receive so per
cent. Of the profits the sale of the book. This
offer was refused, and another offer made 20
him. the substance Of which is as follows: Gen
eral Grant was to write for us his personal ex-
perence and memoirs of the late war, and
were to print tie book and bear all the expense of
placing it before the public. In return for his
writings General Grant was TO receive 70 per
cent of the profits on the sales in this country
and So per cent ali sales in fore On countries.
This continues is long as the book is sold. and
will be an inheritance in the Grant family for
ever Attached to the contract with General
Grant is another one, in which the General
makes over all of his interest to his
wife at his death and underneath that
contract is signed by in which agree
to follow out the wishes of the General The
revenue TO Mrs. Grant, from the sale of her
husbands book will not be lower than $3.50, coo
per year. and may reach as high as $500. 600
From all sections of this country over 5000
agents are piling order after order upon us, and
as the interest which General Grants sickness
has created is widespread and the frmness and
resolution which he manifested in his book is
known throughout the entire world. the income
from the book alone will be sufficient to place
Mrs. Grant in position beyond any financial
want
"lt has been further stated that General
Grant gave the publication Of his book sim
ply because we offered to give his son, Jesse
Grant, position in our Office. Now such state
ments as tins place us as we'll as General
Grant, in false light Jesse Grant
nifed his intention or desire to obtain
position in this firm in any
manner whatever, General Grant gave us his
book to publish because he came TO the conclu-
sion that this firm could introduce his book in
the most favorable light, and that he believed
that any contract which we entered into with
him would be carried out to the letter Then,
again, it has been said that the last volume of
his memoirs not written by himself. Every
word contained i'll those books is General
Grants. After he became too feeble to continue
his writing | advised getting sten1grapher.
This he objected to, as he feared to trust anyone
with any of the work of producing the book but
himself. | told him that l would be with him
for three hours each day. and bring with me my
own private amanuensis, whom | could trust
through his dictation :or the day the stenogra-
pher should 90 with me to my house and then
the work of the morning would be written out in
lOnghand, and given to him for correction.
The stenographers notes to be burned i'm
mediately after the transcription made from
shorthand to longhand. This finally General
Grant agreed to do, and the work went on. /
heard him utter to my stenographer every word
found IN the second volume, the proof sheets of
which were read only Saturday before last, The
last act of Grants life shows how magnanmous
he was. We wrote him letter, asking his ad-
vice Ill an attempt that we intended to make to
prosecute the persons who are strewing broadcast
over the country books which are purported to
have been written by him. He merely wrote
that the public would accept the true state of
affairs if informed. AS writer and dictator
General Grant has few equals His grammatical
errors few. and if You will look over his
manuscript whole pages Of matter which he die
tated will be found without single alteration or
interlineation."