Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1889-11-29

LOSrapn are sent from all over the COun-
try. The best of the whole matter, too,
is that his head is not at all turned by
his sudden elevation from comparative
poverty as newspaper man to afiuence.
More widely known than he, because
his personality has been less concealed,
is the author of the other and greatest
success Of the year, Edward Bellamy,
whose novel Looking Backward" is
now in the one hundred and seventy-fifth
thousand, 1t will have reached and
passed the two hundred thousand limit
before the end of the year. 1t is now
selling at the rate of 1900 copies day,
or 1900 copies a week. The authors
royalties on these are at the usual rate of
10 per cent on the retail price. This is
five cents copy on the paper edition,
which, on the sales of 1900 copies a week,
amounts to the snug income of at least
$3.50. This extraordinary sale, unpre-
cedented since Harriet Beecher Stoves
"Uncle Toms Cabin" to which, by the
way, this book has been compared, has
only been in full swing since the first of
July.
Although having known him for over
a year and meeting him many times, I
could not help being struck when at a
dinner, short time ago, at which he,
w. d. Howells and several other au-
thors and newspaper men were present,
by the difference between him and Por-
ter. They are two of the most success
full authors of the year, and yet how diff
ferent in looks, in style and constructive
method. In fact, they seem almost an
tipodal, yet the great public enjoys
both. 1t seemed to me that the same
personal difference found parallel in
the subjects of their novels and the man.
ner in which they were treated. Porter's
personal outlines have been already
given. His novels are succession of
pictures, devoid of plot, and are realistic
and Zolaesque to the verge of animality.
Bellamy's novels are, on the contrary,
of more or less intricacy in plot, and,
like himself, of O delicate, sensitive
organism. OF about the medium height,
Mr.. Bellamy is rather slender in build.
His dark, grave face is illuminated by
pair of kindly gray eyes, which have at
times shrewd, and occasionally quizzi-
cal, look about their corners. His fore
head is large and finely formed. A
heavy, dropping mustache covers his
mouth. He talks in warm, sympa-
thetic voice, which Immediately COM
mands attention. In manner he is quiet,
and liable to be interpretive. His whole
appearance, when in repose, stamps him
as the man of imagination. Any one
who has read his shorter stories of re-
cent date, "To Whom This May Come"
and ga Positive Romance" or his earlier
works, miss Ludington's Sister" and
CDR. Heidenhofs Process" must admit
that in him is present delicate, playful
and exuberant imagination such as is
possessed by no modern author since
Hawthorne. His Looking Backward"
considered simply as work of the
imagination, commands the respect even
of the enemies of its theories.
He has often told the writer that he
had never read any book on social ques-
tions before he wrote Looking Back
ward" and believed that he never would
have written it if he had read them, for
his mind would have then been confused.
Although comparatively wealthy now,
he is not happy, as he is long and pa
tient sufferer from that old fashioned
New England disease, dyspepsia. On
this account he will this winter take a
trip to Cuba for several months. He has
orders for number of books that he
cannot yet see his way to write, and is
now engaged ON a dramatization of
Looking Backward This winter he
hopes to write work which shall pre-
sent in didactic form the social theories
contained in that book. He is now about
80 years of age, and lives with his charm
ing family in the old homestead at Chico
pee Falls, Mass. An enormous mail
comes to this little postoffice for him
from all over the world. Many of his
literary brethren in and near Boston have
expressed great desire to meet him, and
were he in good health he would be over
loaded with courtesies from them. In
vitations have also come across the sea
from England from several prominent
literary men and artists asking him to
come over there. Already Looking
Backward" "a pirated edition, by the
way) is selling there very rapidly, 5000
copies having been disposed of at the
shilling rate,
Like Porter, he has served in news
paper work, having been for eight years
actively engaged on Springfield and
New York papers. He, in addition, has
been admitted to the bar, but has done
but little practicing. Both men are of
old New England stock.
Such is hasty pen picture of the two
most talked about authors of the day,
and the men who, with but one or two
notable exceptions, are making the most
money out of fiction.
Does novel writing pay?"
With Bellamy making 100000 q year
and Porter $4,000, what is your answer
CYRUS FIELD WILLARD