The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-01-31
AUTHOR AND PUBLISHER.

The Late Joshua b. Lippincots's Reminis-
cences of Celebrated Writers.
Eugene Dider in Philadelphia Press.
walk into my private Office and I will be
with you in minute" The speaker was a
pleasant, eoodlooking gentleman, somewhat
past threescore, wearing white mustache and
chin whskers. The Office which l entered, as
requested, was very plainly furnished, three
chair, table and sofa comprising its contents.
Yet it was the Office of the head of the leading
publishing house in the United States, if not in
the world-the late j. B. Lippincott. When he
joined me he said: II have dispatched my morn
lngs work. and can give you hour before
lunch. You are preparing book GU American
publishers. and want some points from me-
WE'LL have had a wide experience during the
fifty years I have been in business ! have
known personally all the leading English authors
and have found some of them very strange
fellows
"Bulwer was very exclusive and aristocratic
always wrote to me in the third person: Lord
Lytton's compliments to Mr. Lippincott etc.
When the 'Parisians was coming out in Black
wood offered him $4,000 for the exclusive
right of publishing it in book FORM but he de-
clined what thought very liberal Offer saying
ne could get twice that amount. When visited
HIM at his villa, near Fulham, he received me
with exquisite courtesy, for Bulwer was always
perfect gentleman. He wrote in a rich
Oriental morning robe, with books of reference
MSS, ETC., always conveniently at hand He
was very fastidous writer. never sending any
thing to press until it was as finished compost
ton as he could make it. During his later
years increasing deafness caused him to with
draw almost entirely from society, to which he
had once been so devoted, and of which he had
been one of the most brilliant ornaments. But
he never ceased to dress with the elegance Of a
complete man of the world. In his books he
generally made the hero man of his own age at
the time they were written. Pelham was
young dandy of twenty-five 80 was Bulwer at
the time. He made Earnest Maltravers q man
of the world, with an experience which thirty
years give. The real hero of What Will He
Do with Itg was Guy Darrell, mature man of
fifty-ive, q retired statesman Just the age and
condition of Bulwer at that time.
Carlyle was the most eccentric man ever
knew-rude, rough, and brutal sometimes.
never shall forget the first time saw him.
called Of his modest home in Cheyne Row, at
Chelsea. and being ushered into what was called
library, found the philosopher stretched at
full length upon an old rug. smoking red
clay pipe with stem yard long. Without
rising. he pointed to chair. and asked whether
/! would have nipe and glass of whisky, !
declined both, whercupon the sage cried out in a
deep Scotch voice: What! an American. and
don't drink or smoke! Why man, you are not
true to the productions of your country
smoke American tobacco and drink American
whisky. You are a publisher? A bad trade. sir.
Books are great evil. The day will come when
a writer of books will be heartily ashamed of
his business. Some of the American publishers
should hoist black flag over their shops. piracy
being their chief business can have come
sort Of respect for a man who robs on the HIGH
seas, for it requires bold, reckless daring to
steal with a rope around ones neck; but a hook
seller who robs poor author of his hard earned
money is the worst sort of thief for he steals with
perfect irnpunty, and, as has been truly said he
quaffs champagne out of the skulls of authors I
have been writing for nearly sixty years, and am
in my old age poor man, while my books have
helped to make publishers rich. AS for fame, 1
value it no more than do the smoke which puff
from this pipe Many men receive it who deserve
it not, and others. who should be recognized as
shining lights in the world are no more regarded
than little twinkling stars. The world does not
know or reward its gre atest benefactors. Eng
land waited a thousand years for Shakespeare.
and when he came he was not recognized as the
greatest poet that has ever appeared on this
earth; some slken courtier or wealthy city mer-
chaut was esteemed more highly than the sweet
swan whose music will delight the world until
time shall be no mere
lone morning. continued Mr. Lippincott, II
was sitting in this Office when bluff hearty,
broad-shouldered red faced man walked in with
quite a buster, and, without announcing his
name, said he wanted me to publish a book be
had written about America. asked him who he
was, how long he had been here and what he
knew about the country. He said he was An
thony Trollope, had been in America six weeks
and travelled North and West, and was prepared
to give his impressions of America her people
duu ulStiJulfouo tOiu utuA WOulA punish AIS
book and allow him a royalty of 10 per cent on
its sales He agreed to this divided the edition
with the Harpers, each house putting its name on
the copies sold by each. When Trollope heard
that Harpers's name was attached to the book
he thought some trick had been played upon him
and denounced Us both as pirates, saying: "A
plague upon both your houses 81
Dickens was precious snob, but iolly
good hearted, genial fellow. His marvellous suc-
cess in the beginning dazzled and dazed him,
and he felt his oats He had more animal
spirits than any man / ever knew, but think
much of his sensibility was sentiment gotten up
for the occasion He saw that sadness and sor-
row took in his writing, and he made regular
business of il, became, in short professional
heart-wringer. The first time he visited Amer
lea he was very foppish in his dress. wore pro-
was, In fact, what we now call . dude His hair