The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1890-05-22

NE Not Such q Bonanza As Some
= Are Led to Believe
Common-sense Comments by DR.. Edward
.Egeleston-Of All the Learned Profes.
: sions Literature Certainly Il u
Most Poorly Paid.


books, notably such as General Wallace's
"Ben Hur" and Mr.. Bellamy's Looking
Backward" have led tho general public
to believe that the business Of author
ship must be profitable one. This Inn
preston has been intensified by reports
Of the great prices paid certain writer's
for their productions. Examples In point
are the handsome incomes attributed to
Mark Twain, w. D. Howells, Mrs. Bur-
nett and others Of far less note. Conse-
quently the recent statement ascribed
to DR.. Edward Eggloston, himself sue
cessful writor, in disproof Of this opinion
has been received with surprise. DR..
Eggleston, according to q literary jour
nal, holds thnt there is not a single
American author who really makes an
income out of his books. Grubb street
hos become tradition, but tho rewards
Of tho book-makcr continue painfully
small. DR.. Eggleston writes to Globe
Democrat correspondent in reputation
OF tho bald statement thus attributed to
him, but in rciteration Of the poor flnan-
cial returns Of authorship: "Of course
] did not say any thing so prcposter-
GUS as tho words attributed to mo
in the newspaper in point. This is
only ono of many illustrations Of the
crying defect Of American journalism
at this time. More brains, moro pre-
cision, moro rncntal training Gro want
cd in the reporters work. OF enter
prising reporters thero arc enough, mon
who will find out tho secrets Of the
North Polo, steal an interview with the
Popc or tho Car, or penetrate in search
Of nows to lady's bcdcharnbcr. But
decent report of public assembly, or
Of an address for which tho orator did
not himself supply tho manuscript copy,
have not seen in long timo. / wish
to flo general cavcct that am ac-
countablo for no speeches put into my
mouth in this way. What / did say be-
foro Congressional corlrlittco was that
/ did not know any author who had ac-
quired competence by literary work
properly so-callcd. / proceeded to OK
clude school-books. Mr.. Longfcllow
was a professor Gnd made good invest
ments. Mr.. Emorson was poor during
tho greater part of his life, ! beliovc,
though ho endured tho drudgory of
.lycoum lecturins. ;:nd it is snid no only
gained competence In old age by good
investmcn Is. Hawthorne was driven
to drudge for booli-rlcl:cr like Good
rich and to seek public Offices. Mr..
Lowell hes had other sources of income;
Mr.. Howells has he'd, let us hopc, o
liberal editorial salary; Colonel liiggin-
son published successful school-book.
MY very point is that authors are
driven from the production of liter
nturc, properly so-callcd,' to drudgcry
or scnsationalism by tho dosirc to
Darn that sufI1cicncy which literature
does not give. Tho newspaper in point
may or may not in its critical rnorlcnts
class tho profitable Juveniles Of Miss Al
y colt, Mr. Trowbridge and Oliver Optic
with literature properly so-callcd. 1t is
matter of opinion. Mr.. Aldrich's ad-
,mirablo Story Of Bad Boy which
should call literature withouta question
mark, did not reach tho tenth part OF
tho circulation attained by Boston
Juveniles Of nimsier texture.
"Let mo remark, am combating the
notion very prevalent among Congress
mon that an author Of reputation has
opened bonanza. OF all the learned
professions, literature is the most poor.
ly paid. Tho loading authors must be
compared with leading lawyers, doctors
and minister's. II you compare sue
cessful author with q country lawyer o,
tho pastor of village church, you might
make fair showing. But what author
ever hopes to attain tho income enjoyed,
say, by the late DR.. Willard Parker OF
by Mr.. Evarts? Tho body Of working
litterateurs who mako pot-boilers fol
the booksellers all their Mvos and are
never known to the newspapers in suct
Q discussion as this, certainly have nc
hope Of more than tho livelihood Of {
very humble professional man.
'1!or many years have been acous
toned to warn young men of from be
ginning literary career, because q
few Of the literary workors ever attain
competency