The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1890-07-11
WRITING AS A TRADE.
It's Not suoh a nonanza As some
Are Led to Believe.
csnmon.ssnse Comments BY DR.. Edward,
EgglestOn-Of All the Learned Trofss-
slons Literature Certainly IL tho
Most Poorly Paid.


books, notably such as General Wallace's
"Bcn lIur" and Mr.. Bellamy's Looking
Backward" have led tho general public
to believe that the business OF author.
ship must be profitable ono. This i'm
preston has been intensified by reports
OF tho great prices paid certain writer's
for their productions. Examples in point
arc the handsome incomes attributed to
Mark Twain, w. d. Howells, Mrs. bur.
nett and others Of far less note. Conse.
qucntly tho recent statement ascribcd
to DIR. Edward Egglcston, hinS;clf a sue.
ccssful writer, in disproof of this opinion
has been received with surprise. DIR.
Eggleston, according to literary jour.
nal, holds that there is not q single
American author who really makes an
income out of his books. Grubb street
has become u tradition, but the rewards
of tho book-makcr continue painfully
small. DIR. Egglcston writes to Globe.
Democrat correspondent in Reputation
OF the bald statement thus attributed to
him, but in rcitcration of the poor finan-
cial returns of authorship: "Of course
did not say any thing SO prep6stcr-
GUS as the words attributed to mo
in the newspaper in point. This is
only one of many illustrations of the
crying defect Of American journalism
ut this time. More brains, more pre-
cision, more mental training are want
ed in the reporters work. OF enter
prising reporters there are enough, men
who will find out tho secrets of the
North Pole, steal an interview with the
Pope or the Car, or penetrate in search
Of ncws to lady's bcdchamber. But
decent report of public assembly, or
OF an address for which tho orator did
not himself supply the manuscript copy,
have not seen in long time. wish
to file general cavcat that am ac-
countable for no speeches put into my
mouth in this way. What did say be-
fore Congressional committee was that
1 did not know any author who had ac-
quircd competence by literary work
properly so-called. proceeded to ex-
cludc school-boo6s. Mr.. Longfcllow
was professor and made gool invest
mcnts. Mr.. Emerson was poor during
the greater part of his life, believe.
though he endured the drudgcry OF
lyccum lccturins, and it is said he only
gained competence in old age by good
investments. Hawthorne was driven
to drudge for book-maker like Good
rich and to seek public Offices. Mr..
Lowell has had other sources of income;
Mr.. Howclls has had, let us hope, a
liberal editorial salary; Colonel IIiggin-
son published a successful sehool-imok.
My very point is that authors are
driven from the production Of liter
aturc, properly so-called,' to drudgcry
or sensationalism by the desire to
earn that sut,lcicncy which literature
does not give. Tho newspaper in point
may or may not III Its critical moments
class the profitable juveniles of Miss AL
colt, MIR. Trowbridgc and Oliver Optic
with literature properly sn-rallcl. 1t is
matter of opinion. Mr.. A1lrich's adj
mirablc Story of a Bad Boy which I
should call literature without question
mark. did not reach tho tenth part OF
tho circulation attained by Boston
Juveniles of Il flimsic: texture.
Let me remark. am combating the
notion very prevalent among Congress-
men that an author of reputation has
opened bonanza. OF all the learned
professions. literature is tho most poor.
ly paid. The leading authors must be
compared with leading lawyers, doctors
and ministers. IL you compare sue.
ccssful author with q country lawyer or
the pastor of village church, you might
make fair showing. But what author
over hopes to attain the income enjoyed,
say. by the late DIR. Willard Parker or
by Mr.. Evarts? The body of working
littcratcurs who make pot-boilors for
the booksellers all their lives and arc
never known to the newspapers in such
discussion as this, certainly have no
hopc OF moro than the livelihood Of u
very humble professional man.
"For many years have been accus-
toned to warn young mon off from be-
ginning u literary career, because SO
few of the literary workers ever attain
competency