The Wichita daily eagle., 1893-11-17

inspired by any pecuniary rewards. The
intimation in the article is that the writers
of the present day have become so much OF
professional men that they have learned
business methods and are carrying on their
vocations with very much better results
than was The case in the earlier days of
American literature
Yet the most famous of the earlier Amer
lean authors were quite shrewd business
men. Fenimore Cooper, who was wealthy
when he first took up the pen of the novel
ist, was very sharp business man, dealing
with almost Shylock precision with his
publishers. and going SO far as to sue a
number of newspapers for libel because
they had criticised his novels and therefore
impaired their market value, as he thought
Washington Irving, who came from a race
of business men, was, notwithstanding his
gentle habit, very keen in the driving of a
bargain with his publishers. and he re-
ceived such handsome sum for his Life
of Washington" as enabled him to live in
comfort in his old age
James K. Paulding had the repute Of be-
ing sharp business man and of showing
quite as much executive capacity in arrang-
Ing for the publication of his stories as he
L
Polk's cabinet. James Russell Lowells
business habits We're not of the haphazard
kind. George William Curtis, who earned
nearly sl00,G0 upon the lecture platform,
devoted every penny Of i; to the payment of
debts for which he was not legally respon-
sible, but which had been incurred in an at
tempt to establish magazine with which
he was associated .>--.s 5,i-.
Wendell Phillips was most cautious
and prudent man in his business relations,
although be gave mitch of his money to
charitable purposes. When they asked him
the price of a lecture, he said: IF | lecture
IN behalf of the slave. nothing. If | lecture
upon any othar subject, 500 and expenses"
DR.. Char:n, who in his day was one of the
most popular CT American platform lee
turers, had one inyariable reply to any re
quest for his terms. Ii was +. A. NJ E.
meaning by that $50 and my expenses"
and after he received his fees ne invested
them with great prudence
But these were the greater writers Of an
earlier day, some Of whom Learned to be
businesslike after sone unpleasant expert
ences. The class OF professional writers
who are nowadays earning comfortable in
comes have already learned what Mr.. How
ellis suggested III his essay, and that is that
the newspaper and syndicate have espe-
cially taught writers first class business
methods and shown them how to protect
their own interests. Of the popular writ
ers OF today it is not easy to find one who is
not esteemed by publishers an accurate and
prompt business man, and many of them
have shown great skill in making business
investments.
Mark Twain's business habits are almost
proverbial, and with the exception of one
or two unfortunate investments, in which
even abler business men than he were
caught, he has shown unusual capacity
not only for getting all that his works were
worth, but also III the investment of the
wealth thus received Mrs Burnett was
trained by experience TO excellent business
habits so far as her relations with her pub
fishers were concerned, but it is said by
her friends that some of the investments
made with the money which she received
for the book and play of Little Lord
Fauntleroy" We're not very successful.
General Lew Wallace who has written a
book which has probably had larger sale
than any other story written by an Amer
ican, excepting Uncle Toms Cabin" is
OF business men, and his manner in bus-
ness circles is that of a person whose entire
experience has been in business life Mr.
Howelis himself is earning repute for
business shrewdness and insistence upon !
his rights which is almost equal TO that |
which Mark Twain has obtained
Rudyard Kipling is quite as forcible. en-
ergetic and nervous in his business rels- |
tons as he is in his stories, and the pub |
Usher who gets his tales is very sure that |
he is paid the highest price that the market /
has offered for them. Donald g. Mitchell, |
who nowadays does not write much, was /
taught busipess 4essop years ago by a |
publisher TO WHOM he offered the manu- /
script OF his 'Dresm- Life. The publisher |
told him that he would pay bin; lump /
sum Tor the manuscript, but advised him
10 accept instead a royalty-advice which
Mr.. Mitchell accepted, and which made
many thousands of dollars difference in his
favor. He was supposed not to be good
business man because he invested consid
erabie sum OF money in real estate In the
suburbs OF New Haven, bat time has proved
hat he WAS right. although perhaps little
90 early in the Investment. for after de
az OF some ye;.rs tie city of New Haven
las grown up 10 ais place, and the value OF
he real estate mas very greatly Increased.
Edmund Clarence StedInan is more of
business mar than iitterateur, and in the
hours bet 10 and 3 rlsy be seen in that
:xcited thvong OF brokers and spectators
Who crowd the New YORK Stock Exchange
dopkinsor Smith is not only charming
tory teller and sn aftis: Of some talent.
'ut a. a contractor he is regarded very high
y by business men, many of whom do not
,now that he is also litterateur.
The truth IS thst the ma ajority OF writers
Z Ghe present time wbo are successful are
arefui business men, ana the old stigma
hat a man " no wrote was good for nothing
Use has no longer any truth in il.
l.. J. EDWARDS.