The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-07-31
But Gan. Lsw Wallace Will Get
Well Paid for His New
Novel.
The Royalties Which the Authors
Got for Some Famous
Novels.
Mark Twain . Great Money Maker-Gun
tsr's storiss seli Wsll-Howslis Not
Widely Road.
Especial Correspondence


NEW YORK, July 24.-General Lew Wal
lace, the author of "Ben-Hur," has re-
GENTLY been spending some days in New
York, being called thither by the sugges-
ton of his publishers, who are about ready
20 issue his new novel. 1t Is likely that
nothing less important than this emer-
gency could have called General Wallace
to New York, since he Is entirely unlike
Charles Lamb or Henry Watterson and
other distinguished men, who are the most
rejoiced when they are able to spend their
days amid the pleasures, intellectual and
social, of a great city. General Wallace
detests cities, and as New York is tho larg-
est city he particularly detests that one,
not that he does not admire the magpiti-
cent evidences of enterprise, nor appreciate
the advantages which await those who
live in a great city or dwell there temper
arily, but he feels choked, crowded, I'M
comfortable and restrained the more be-
cause for many years he has enjoyed the
peace, freedom and independence which he
has experienced in his country home in
Indiana.
General Wallace's new novel has been
written with even more painful labor and
exacting care than was "Ben-Hur," and it
is a much longer story than that, SO that
it will be published in two volumes. 1t is
more than adozen years since General Wal
lace conceived the idea of the story, for he
had it in mind vaguely soon after Ben
Hur" was published, but in the actual work
of writing it he has been engaged a little
over six years.
This story is bound to be a success pecu-
niarily, whether it meets the popular favor
which "Ben-Hur" did or not. The pub
fishers already have evidences of that, for
they have received orders which will make
it necessary for them to publish an edition
of sc, 200 copies, the largest first edition of
any story ever issued in America, and
with the exception of two Of George Eliot's
stories and ons or two of Dickens the
largest edition Of any English story ever
There is one exception to this statement,
however, for Mr.. A. C. Gunter, who is the
publisher as we'll as the author of the sto-
ries which appear under hisname, frequent
ly issued editions of more than 80, 900 copies.
General Wallace is, if the sales of his
works are considered and the profits there
from, the most successful of living authors
with the single exception of Harriet Beech
er Stowe. One of the partners in his pub
fishing house said recently that the ac-
counts had been written up of the sales OF
"Ben-Hur" and the royalties paid and due,
and it was found that General Wallace had
earned in royalties from that single book
something over S100. 00O. The book has sold
over 100000 copies, and no American novel
excepting Uncle Toms Cabinn has
equaled that sale.
If Mrs. Stowe had received all that she
ought TO have been paid in the way of
royalties for Uncle Toms Cabin" the
work would have Melted her over 81 900, 600.
But when the novel was published she not
only had no idea that it had any dramatic
possibilities, but as she was at that time
no great friend of the drama she probably
would have paid no attention to such sug-
gestion had it been made to her. Therefore
the dramati rights in the story were not
secured to her by copyright. Had they
been, her royalties would have probably
amounted to several hundred thousand dol
lars. No play has ever made the money
that Uncle Toms Cabin" has, and in some
parts of the country to this day it remains
the fayorite drama. Many persons 90 to
see that who would not witness any other
dramatic production.
Mark Twain probably stands next tc
Mrs. Stowe and General Wallace in the
amount Of royalties he has received from
his works. His Innocenvs Abroad' netted |
him considerably more than $100, eco. That.
however, was sold by SUI description, His
story of The Gilded Age" brought in some
$l4 ,OO0, and then the sale Of it STONED as
suddenly as though the plates of it had
been destroyed, but he received in ROYALTIES
from the story as ~dramatized and PLAYED
by the late John 4. Raymond some $G0, eco. !
Miss AlcotI probably comes next to these
three i'll the moun OF arnings She re-.
ceivcd from her work. Little Won.
en- was published, she was SO poor as to be
entirely dependent upon income from hcr
pen, which did not exceed $1,000 a wear
The royalties which she received from sIit.
tie Women" and its sIccessor Little Men"
together with the guarantee and ROYALTIES
for some of her later works, brought her
wealth beyond the most splendid dreams
she ever had. When she was poor, she
thought $4,000 would be sufficient for her.
yet her earnings from these books brought
her nearly 100000
The largest sum in royalties ever paid in
this country, equaling the enormous earn.
mgs of Walter Scott and exceeding the
vast uln that Dumas received for "Monte
Cristo' and "The Three Guardsmen," WAS
that received by Mrs. Grant as her share Of
the pToceeAS OF lhe sale OF General Grants
memoirs 1t amounted to nearly $500. $50
and she still receives something of an in
come from 1t. But there were such rcCu.
liar reasons for this success that it is not
FAR to mention it in comparison with other
works, for in the first place Mrs. Grant re-
ceived W per cent of the sum the publish |
erS took III, and besides that the scntimen-
tai aud pathetic circumstances which ut
tended the writing of the book account in
e measure for its great sale.
r.. +. foc's royalties average about $l5,.
GOO Il year. Edward Eggleston's, together
with the sale of his stories for serial unr-
poses, net him about s., eco for each story,
towels royalties for his novels are not
very large, since the sale of these stories in !
book form is not great, but he receives a
handsome sum for the serial rights.
f.. J. EDWARDS.
Kent His EVirr y, :, rr,r,