The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-08-05

Another man, elLmformed in the
affairs OF the great publishing houses, says
ne DelleY Is that on the actual sales made
there must DO not less than 500, 600 due Mr.
Davis.
Evidently despairing of reaching q salts
factory understanding or securing a just
and equitable settlement through the me
dunn OF correspondence with his publishers,
IL April, Of the present year, Mr. Davis
wrote letter to his friend. Col Don Piatt.
then editor of BelfOrd'S Magazine, accom-
panied by all the facts and documents in
his possession, asking for advice and assist
auce III the matter After going through the
documents submitted, Including the CORE.
Spondence and the contract, and carefully
studying every detail OF thu case. Col.
Platt, 1t is said, did not fail to assert WI tn
characteristic vigOr of expression, that Mr.
Davis had been made the victim Of exceed
ingiy sharp practice; indeed, he is quoted as
using much stronger and more uneQuivOcal
language wholly uncomplimeutary to Mr..
Davis publishers.
1t is understood here that Mr.. Davis has
since taken action, conformity with D.
Appleton & Co, by which he hopes that his
claims Will be allowed, and after lapse of
nearly decade of heretofore useless CORE
i spondence and controversy, he will at least
be accorded the simple justice for which lie
has so strenuOusly pleaded all along, as
relates to the financial relations between
himself as author and ID. Appleton g. Co.,
OF New York, as publishers.
William W. Appleton, of the firm of D.
Appleton, q Co., when seen in regard TO
the controversy existing between his firm
and jefferson Davis, Of Beauvoir Miss,
suggested that the matter was a purely
personal business transaction, and it was
hardly desirable that it should receive pub
licity9 Mr.. Appleton said, in substance:
There have been certain differences be-
tween Mir. Davis and ourselves, relating to
his book, concerning which there has been
a somewhat extended correspondence, which
has been conducted throughout with mu-
tual good feeling. There was at one time a
misunderstanding, which we supposed had
been settled to Mr.. DAVIS satisfaction, which
has since been reopened and is still under
consideration, According to the terms of
the contract any such differea ces, on winch
a mutual aud satisfactory agreement could
not be reached, should be submitted TO
friendly arbitration. The whole matter
has been SO submitted and is now in the
hands of arbitrator. All we have done in
this latest phase of the case was to furnish
| the contract, copies of correspondence and
other matter requested"
"Will the opinion Of the arbitrator be
| accepted as final by both parties"
Il should presume So"
"When will tho referees reach a decis-
| ionl'
That is a matter concerning which 1 am
net informed
When asked on that point, Mr.. Appleton
said that the expense account of Mai. Wal
thall and an interest ACCOUNT for money
advanced in preparation of Mr.. Davis
book, were included in tine matter under
ADJUSTMENT.
As to the amount of royalty paid to Mr..
Davis, Mr. Appleton definitely stated that
the royalty stipulated in the contract had
been allowed aud accounted for on every
set sold in the more expensive bindings as
well as those in cloth. For example, the
same royalty had been for sets in sheep.
half morocco and full morocco as for sets
in cloth. The additional expenses in the
binding account for the fact that the same
royalty has been paid for all sets alike, j
said Mr.. Appleton. SIT is customary in
our contracts for books bound in cloth TO
pay the same royalty as books in more ex-
pensive binding.
''The fact isl continued Mr. Appleton,
"Mr. Davis has not received so large re-
turns as he expected and he is disappointed.
When his book was issued the south was
too poor to buy literally, and there was
some feeling in the north which initiated
against its sale. The papers, too, made
copious extracts, and this, instead of help
ing the sale, was really an injury"
HAS the work had large sales"
II should eay-wall, yes, it has had a
good sale-a fair sale. "
And does it not as a standard work,
have a steady saleP'
YES, it has a steady sale. Every year
we make returns to Mr.. Davis"
In conclusion Mr.. Appleton said he had
no reason to believe that the questions in
dispute between Mr.. Davis and d. Apple
ton 81 Co. would require recourse to the
courts or that either party desired that it
should do 50. There is a considerable sum
of money in question-it might be called a
large sum, but we believe that the matter
will be satisfactorily settled"
DAVID WECHsLER.