Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-12-16
w. w. AsrOR ANDNARK TWAIN.
Gossip Concerning the Extremely Fash
iOnabls Author and the HumOrist.
From The Ph1ddeIphia Ne1os.

From the PhilddelD7sia NeeOs.
NEW YORK, Dec. 1.-Two gossipy
topics in literary circles are William
Waldorf Astor and Mark Twain. The
former is having novel doomed, and the
publishers are making much Of the fact
that the work was submitted to them
anonymously. The copy was left, in type
writing. with Charles Scribner's Sons,
and by them accepted that publication
before young Aston appeared in the
negotiations.
To-day the counter assertion is made
that the firm knew perfectly well whose
matter they were dealing with, and for
the following reasons: The subject Of
valentino" as the book Is entitled, is
the Borgia family IN Italy, and along with
the copy was letter saying that the
author, who desired for the present to be
unidentified. had been enabled to presOn-
ally study very thoroughly and carefully,
in books and public documents at Rome,
the history Of Pope Alexander and his
son, Cesar Borga, during the early part
OF the sixteenth century. This was
Ostensibly stated for the purpose Of show
ing that the writer was correct as to facts
on which his fiction was based. But it
also called attention instantly to the point
that the author must have had official
pOslllDn Ol bOlle buIb IN hOiues
A guess as to his identity easily hit
upon Ast0r, and this explained reason
ably the reason why the author wished
the decision to be made before he Osten-
sbly disclosed himself. His residence in
Rome, as American Minister under Presi-
dent Arthur. made him the probable. al.
most certain, new novelist. Had this not
been the conclusion of the firm, the work
would have received no further cOnsid-
!. L. II
in il, necessarily, but for the reason that
no American publishing house Will so
much as think Of issuing a book by an
untried American author, unless on
sure guarantee of profit Az this stage
OF the proceedings it was observed that
the nom de plume on the title page was
an asterisk, or star, printed conspicu-
ously This was constituted as n riddle,
and guessed to mean Aston risk. This
discovery settled the question. The barely
concealed author was informed that his
novel would be gladly published. The
Astor vogue OF wealth and fashion made
the venture desirable.
The discussion OF Mark Twain is raised
by the disclosure Of the fact, heretofore
not generally known, that he was Con-
federate guerilla in Missouri early in the
civil war. II is understood that the point
was being made against him by Union
veterans In their canvassing for n war
history issued in opposition 10 the Grant
work. OF which Twain is the publisher
The account by the humorist Of his cam
puign, Just published in the CenuwV,
seeks 20 turn the thing into ridicule, aud
to make IL out mere holiday escapade
Of boys, with no seriousness of intention
or consequence on the part of the Ii fteeu
members OF the company. But Twain
was then - years old, and the band OF
which he was Lieutenant did some quite
wicked maurauding. The killing of the
non-comoatant stranger, narrated In his
article inbcidentally,is said by his enemles
10 have been susceptible OF different
construction.