The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-03-08
GRANTS LITERARY WORK.


Book-A Quarrel with His Publishers.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
NEW YORK. March General Grant is exert
ing himself to get his war "reminiscences written
out before death stops his pen He has had
more ease from pain during the week than was
anticipated. and has been able to work several
hours every day. In order to hasten the compost
ton, an amanuensis was employed-a woman who
could use typewriter as rapidly as he would bo
likely to dictate; but his constitutional lack of
fuency was aggravated by the unusual process,
IGand it was found, also, that tho use of his
voice, even in whisper, brought on infamma-
ton and swelling in his diseased throat. There
| fore he returned to pen ard ink. He writes
| slowly, his average rate being only about five
hundred words an hour, and that is lowered by
frequent meditation. He has never practiced
at composition for publication, and it comes
awkward The first volume Of the proposed
work has been edited thoroughly by an expert,
whose duty, however, was limited to verbal
and grammatical revision. He was warned not
to alter the meanings. except on consultation.
The second volume is about half done, but Grant
has made copious notes for the remainder so
that they could be written out after his DEATH if
necessary.
There has been falling out between Grant
| and Roswell Smith, the manager Of the Century
Company. It was all but concluded that the
autobiography should be published by that con
cern. The General was paid thousand dollars
for his war article in the February number Of
the Century, and it was decided that further
passages from his forthcoming book should be
first published in the magazine. Arrangements
for the making Of the pictures and printing of
the volumes were made, and terms we're nearly
settled, on the basis of royalty. The negotia-
tions did not result in a contract, however and
for the failure Mark Twain is understood to be
responsible. Mark has not been so reckless
humorist as to share the profits of his fun with
anybody. He has mastered the subscription
book business. He is his own publisher and
wholesaler, being the principal though unmen-
toned partner in the firm of Charles L. Webster
& Co., the Webster being relative who marshals
and directs the soliciting agents with which the
whole country is made to swarm. Grant received
an offer from Mark, through Webster, to
take his son Jesse into the enterprise Of publish
ing and circulating the "reminiscences. The fact
was shown to him that the mechanical cost of
producing each two dollar volume would not ex-
ceed thirty cents, provided large editions were
sold and that clear profit treble the royalty
offered by Smith could be realized. AS this
| scheme promised to yield considerable fortune
for his family. and make business for a son,
| Grant went into it.
| There was no completed bargain to break, as
| between us and the General. said Smith to day,
''but we supposed it to be settled that the Cen
tury imprint would go on the title page of the
book He came to our Office almost daily to con-
suit about the matter, and our advice as to the
material and makeup of the work was generally
sought and followed. Understand, though, that
we have no grievance. He had the right to 60
elsewhere, aud his object was principally to
create place for one of his sons-a thing which
| we were hardly prepared to DO"
| There is great deal moro bitterness than
Smith intimates, and it is certain that no more
papers by Grant will appear in the Century.
| Some say that Mark Twain has incidentally
| closed the pages Of the magazine to any further
transcripts from his forthcoming books, which
will be a loss of advertising He is in town to
help Webster in the new project. The terms of
the partnership between them and the Grants
| are not divulged further than that Mark ad-
| vances the considerable capital required to put
| the books on the market.
"The General would not be recognized by
anybody guided only by his familiar portraits
as he sits writing his book," said a privileged
caller upon him. ''The suggestion of robust
vigor is gone, aud he has the limp whiteness of
a suffering invalid. More than that his face is
greatly altered. His hair and whisk-
ers have been allowed to grow much
longer than he customarily wears them,
owing to his dislike to be disturbed by barber
He has no teeth, the removal of the few that he
had rendering the false ones impracticable
Thus his entire aspect is changed. He writes on
small stand, which is drawn to his side as he
sits in big easy chair. Several bulky scrap
books, containing his collection of printed and
manuscript materials, lie on q tablo within
reach. He refers to them frequently, for he is
anxious to be exact in his statements of fact
His wife or one Of his sons is constantly with