The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-06-01
WHAT WRITER'S EARN
SOME MAKE FORTUNES AND OH
Frs MERELY A PiTTANCE.

| ~ Little Labor-The Average Man.
Not long before his death James Par
ton is reported to have said that person
who decided to support himself exclu-
sively by his pen must be content to live
on about $1,000 year. The best, ac-
cording to Mr.. Parton, that literary
man could hope to attain would be Sc, 900
or 81 900 year for perhaps ten or twelve
years, when the authors experience was
ripe and while he was still in his prime.
This statement seemed rather strange
coming from so successful an author as
Mr.. Parton, yet it was reported in such
way as leaves but little doubt that this
was his opinion. Yet he was himself an
example of the falsity of it, although he
| may have thought that his case was the
exception that proves the rule.
Mr.. Parton was constant writer and
pretty frequent author for more than
forty years. Some of his books had a
phenomenal sale. His Life of Horace
Greeley" brought him not only hand
some income, but small capital. His
History of Ben Butler" and especially
of Buffers life in New Orleans after the
capture of that city, was very popular
during the war days, and Parton's life
of Aaron Burr added materially to his
possessions.
Parton earned so much money that he
was able to accumulate, and when he
left New York and went to Newbury-
port, Mass, to live, Just as old age was
beginning to come upon him, he had a
sufficient property to support him, even
if he did not write another line or
course he could not live in luxury, but
he lived in comfort, surrounded by all
those things which made life agreeable
to him.
MEN WHO RECEIVE BIG INCOMES.
Parton was not great author. He
wrote as business, and it was his busi-
ness to give what his clientage wanted.
And that is the secret of the success of
those who have adopted literature as a
profession. Those who take up the pen
in order to win an exalted and perma-
nent fame must undoubtedly give but
little heed to the pecuniary considera-
ton, but those who expect to make
living out Of authorship must do as is
done in every other profession-serve
their clients and increase them if pos
sible.
There are good many other examples
which indicate that Mr.. Parton was mis-
taken. In his own vicinity there lived sew
eral men who had done exceedingly we'll
atthe business of authorship. Mr.. Charles
Carleton Coffin abandoned journalism
after brilliant career as war CORE
spondent, and has made comfortable |
fortune and good income by writing in
a popular manner historical and aneo- |
dotal works designed mainly for young |
persons.
Mr.. J. T. Trowbridge lives comfort |
ably on the income he gets from his |
boys stories, and so does Oliver Optic. |
Mr.. Adams, who is Oliver Optic in real |
life, although his hair is gray and he
has become an old man, has just entered
into a contract to furnish series of ten
stories for young persons, written in the l
style which earned him popularity forty
years ago. He will probably write those
ten stories within a year, for he is a very
rapid workman, and while the precise
terms of payment are not known, it Is
believed that he will receive not less
than $15, 900 for them.
General Lew Wallace is said to have
received from SIS, 900 to 100000 royalty
upon his single book, "Ben Hur," but
that is one of those spasmodic and phe-
successes which become tradi.
tional. Miss Alcott, besides living hand
somely, left an estate valued at $100,00O
all of which has been made in about
twenty years. Mr.. George Parsons
Lathrop, his brother-in-law, Julian Raw-
-horne, Edgar Saltus and Edgar Faw-
,ett have no other profession than liter
ature. Lathrop and Hawthorne do
some journalistic work, while Fawcett
has a private fortune. Each of these
men counts on making as much as 5000
/ year, and Saltus' income one year was
nearly $4,000.
SOME YOUNG AUTHORS.
There have been a number of success
'ul authors of late who have complained
hat they cannot live by their pens
\ few years ago a novel appeared en-
tiled "Guerndale." 1t was published
,ver a nom de plume, u. s. of Dale"
nd it was regarded as one of the sue
essful books of the year. Its author.
Or. Snmson, was a recent graduate of
harvard college, and the success of the
,ook inspired him with literary am5l-
ion Yet be has practically abandoned
literature, excepting as by play. and
3 making money practicing law.
Robert Grant, another young Boston
itterateur who won some fame, relies :
Ipon the practice of dryer profession !
han literature for his support John ;
who made great hit With :
Helen's Babies, and who writes ex-
clever stories, relies upon Jour
alisIn for his support, while literature |
) side issue with him. Mrs. Burnett
lade no money until her play, Little
ord Fauntleroy," was produced, al
hough she had previously written sew
raj very successful novels, and she has
abandoned story telling for /
ne drama I
These cases, however, simply Illus I
rate the fact that that sort of literature 7
-hich develops fiction cannot be relied J
pom for very handsome support The !,
uthors who make money are those like !,
arton, Benson J. Losing and Coffin.
Tho are able TO set forth, in a style
-hich does not shoot over the head of
he public, either history or the stories
achievement or the careers of famous '
len in manner which makes the tell :
lg of the story most attractive. The &
uthor who can cultivate this quality Is a
ire of repeating the successes of those "