The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-06-17

The Mischief Caused by the Early Publica.
ton Of Extracts from Grants Book.


New York Correspondence Philadelphia Record.
The enterprise of reporter of the CONNER
cial-Advertiser, in filing the columns of his
paper with extracts from General Grants forth
coming book has attracted the attention OF New
York journalists This article appeared in
Monday afternoons paper; on Tuesday all the
morning papers copied it, and the general reader
had reason to believe but that the reporter had
a copy Of General Grants book before him. But
the general reader is not well versed in the ways
: of reporters. The reporter of the Commercial.
Advertiser did not have copy of General Grants
book before him, but he had enough material
from the book to serve his purpose. This young
man went into the Office of Charles L. Webster
Co, on Union square, who are the pub
fishers of General Grants book Mark
Twain, you know. is the "Co.' of the con-
Germ, and Charles l.. Webster is simply the
fgurehead) and asked Mr.. Webster for some
information about the book. Mr.. Webster was
very busy, and so he invited the young man to
take seat, and said that he would give him q.
prospectus to read, which would give him all
the information desired. The agents dun
mics had just come in that morning, and he
handed ono of these to the young man. don't
know whether you know what an agents dummy
or order-book is exactly. Unless you have been
visited by book agent you probably do not. 1t
is book about half an inch thick made UP of a
few engravings, few scattered pages and a
prospectus of the forthcoming book, with blank
orders at the end to be filled with the
the reporter scanned the prospectus, he
saw, at the same time, that there was
some lively reading on the scattered pages
and although page fourteen might come next
topage 20, he could CLEAN enough from the dis
connected pages to see that here the oppor
tunity. With a tired, overworked expression on
his face and hurried, hunted look in his eye
the reporter went up to Mr.. Webster and told
him that he had so much to do that morning he
did not see how he was going to get through with
hQfA no time IN fo Mn
Webster would kindly let him take the order
book down town with him, and make his notes
from it as he wrote his article, he would be
greatly obliged. Mr.. Webster hesitated at first,
because only agents are allowed to these
order books; but he said to the young man. eff
you will promise me that you will not use any
thing but the announcement of the book in the
prospectus, you may take it." The reporter
promised and Mr. Webster, who is just
beginning his experience with report
ers, went unconcernedly about his
days work In the evening he CHANGED to pick
up q copy of the Commercial Advertiser, and
there he saw o flaming account in several col
umns Of Grants forthcoming book; not only
this, but copious extracts and an article appar-
emily based upon advanced sheets. The reporter
had taken the pages scattered through the book,
and run them in as only an experienced news
paper reporter knows how, and made o firSt-rate
article from very small material, Mr.. Webster
at first was disposed to be very angry, but he
finally concluded that il was not q bad advertise
ment, and said nothing about it. He will, how
ever, be more cautious in his dealings with re-
porters hereafter But, while Mr. Mr. Webster
was angry at the reporters. the managers of the
Century Company were indignant when they
read the article, for there they found
page after page Of material that
for advance use in the Century. The Century
Company has bought four articles out of this
book for the magazine, with, OF course, the de-
cided understanding that they were to be pub
lished first in the Century; but Mr. Webster in
making up his dummy put pages of these articles
in with others, which, of course, destroys the
value of the Century's material, What is going
to be the result of this infringement I do not
know but, as it is not the first time it has hap
pened with Mr.. Webster, / think the Century
Company will not be inclined to take it quietly.
The same thing happened with an article by Mark
Twain. The Century bought an advance chap
ter from Huckleberry Finn, and Mr.. Webster
sold the same chapter to syndicate of news
papers before it's publication in the Century.
The matter was explained as mistake, anu the
Century people, being amiable, let it go at that;
but now as about the same thing has occurred
again think they will take it less amiably.