Savannah morning news., 1885-06-29
GRANT AND HIS PUBLISHERS.
bow the Century" Company Was Pre-
vented from Having a Monopoly on HIS

How the Century" Company Was Pre-
vented from Having Monopoly on HIS
History.
Es,e York Letter 10 the PAzadezD1ia Neios.
At the time when Gen. Grant decided
70 make a bargain with Mark Twain, the
principal in the firm of Webster & Co., to
publish his war book, instead Of carrying
out an understanding with the Century
Company that they should issue the work,
the situation was somewhat complicated
from the fact that Grant had already con-
tracted tO'write a certain number Of arti-
cles for the Century Magazine. The rapid
progress of his disease rendered it I'M
likely that he could even complete the
book, TO say nothing Of the other matter,
and he said be felt bound TO keep the prior
engagement before proceeding with the
latter one, Notwithstanding his eagerness
TO leave the book as an incOme-producer
for his wife.
Under these circumstances cOmpro-
mise was fixed up by Mark Twain and
Roswell Smith. President of the Century
Company, the terms OF wbich were that
the articles TO be provided for the maya
zine should appear first in that periodical
and then form part of the forthc0mipg
volumes. Under that agreement duplL
cate copy of these papers was given TO the
editor Of the Ceaturp, to be published dur
ing the summer and early fall, and to
Webster ,E Co., Tor stereOtyping and print
ing in the history, which was not to be
put on the market until the winter.
A substantial Illustration of this mutual
bargain has come. Webster u Co. got up
an agents dummy, or order book, in itself
a volume halt an inch thick, and contain
ing sample chapters and pictures selected
from the work, for the use of canvassers
in soliciting subscribers. A newspaper
reporter called to get information on the
subject. and Webster, who is relative Of
Mark Twain BY marriage, gave TO him one
OF these small books, from which, OF
course, ne made a comprehensive article,
the substance Ot which was therefrOm
telegTaphed TO the press OF the whole
country. Webster declared that he had
no idea the reporter would 80 utilize the
material put into his hands.
The Century folks surprise was un-
doubted, and their indignation, too, for
the published extracts included most OF
the matter which was to have first 6een
seen bY their magazines readers. They
have demanded reimbursement of the
money already paid Tor the contributions,
and il sbey do not get it there will be a
lawsuit for damages. They alle9e that
something exceedingly similar happened
as 20 portions Of Mark rwain's ''HUckle-
berry Finn and this time they want
satisfaction.
The Inheritance left by Gen. Grant to
bis family is altogether comprised in his
book, and it is pleasant TO know that for
every dollar which the adroit publishers
make out Of it nearly two dollars will go
To the Grants. Should the work prove
less popular than anticipated, Mark
Twain's fortune would suffer a depletion.
for his confidence was so great that be
made an offer which no regular publisher
felt like competing with. Twain says
in issuing the book by sub
scriptiOn, and is making nomistake. All
OF his own productions have been handled
10 that way, and he believes he has made
more money in consequence than brother
authors of even wider fame. His plan is
to arrange his business 50 as to have
nothing else on hand, and then to bend
every energy to the one project. He will
in this case employ canVassers by the
thousand, beginning six months before
the volumes are ready for delivery.
As a matter Of fact, all booksellers will
get supply, by hook or crook, but the
agents will assure their victims that the
only possible way to obtain Grants book
is to subscribe in advance. The eXpecta-
tiOn is that not less than 5000 drummers
will 90 out, and II each sells one book the
result will be bigger sale than the aver
age successful work attains. Gen. Ba-
deau's life of Grant, for instance, reached
but 1900 and Cables last novel exceeded
that by only 1000. These are called good
figures IN the trade.