The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-07-04

their arguments in favor of q single stand
arc. and out of the mouth OF cbIid
Will confcund them. SO L selected The
wealthiest and best known men In Chicago
as scholars and took the 12-year-old boy,
whom called Coin, for q teacher. Coin
would deliver q lecture on money, and
these men would ask him questions with
view to overthrowing his arguments.
"Did you invent the questions and the
remarks of the scholars?"
"No. 1 read the Gaily papers carefully
and searched their nles for years past.
copied and clipped the interviews and COM
munications of these men on financial sub
jects and embodied them in my book as
their side of the case.
"Some rather humorous incidents grew
out of this. knew that the masses of the
people had never studied the money ques-
ton and were therefore ignorant on that
subject, but it never occurred to me that
any one would think these lectures actu-
ally took place, and that the scholars
whose names appear in the book were &C
tually present. Thousands however, be-
| lieved that such was the case, and men
! like Lyman J. Gage, Marshall Field and
| John r. Walsh were deluged with letters
asking them if they had attended the lee
turts anu were CORRECTLY IepOfttU-
"Mr Gage received the greatest number
| of letters, and his mail from Coin readers
became 50 large that he was obliged to
have a circular printed which he sent as
reply. He solennly denied having attend
| ed any such lectures and said therefore he
could not have asked the questions or made
the statements attributed to him.
"After the book was written / had 9, 200
! tod o,,l TOD ltr 1ax,
sold slowly I said to myself, IF the peo-
pie knew what is in this book, they would
buy it by the Wholesale I succeeded in
getting few papers that entertained the
same ideas as myself on the money ques-
ton to offer the book to their readers on
the coupon plan. This quickened the sales,
but the advertising was not extensive
enough to suit me.
II then devised what thought was a
great advertising plan. Carter Harrison's
sons were the owners of the Chicago Times,
which was advocating the free coinage OF
silver. made them this proposition:
Il was to hire special train TO visit ev-
cry state capital and principal city in the
United States. Upon the arrival of the
train my representative, accompanied by
a representative Of the paper, was to Off
with copy of Coins Financial School
While the train remained in city employ
ees were to sell copies of the book and take
subscriptions to the paper. The represent
ative Of the paper was TO telegraph full
account of each days trip to The Times
and give the itinerary a week in advance.
was pleased when the Harrison boys,
as they were called, accepted my PROPOSE
ton, which also included an offer on my
part TO bear the expenses Of the special
train.
81 went to Colorado, secured certificates
from bankers to the effect that one piece
of my property there was worth SEQ, 600
and then tried to mortgage il for SO, 600,
which / thought would be sufficient TO get
my scheme under way. Did those silver
bullion owners and millionaires we read
so much about jump at my proposition?
No, sir. They coldly said that my proper
ty did not have the rental value sufficient
to pay the interest on the loan, and there
foro they could not let me have the money.
II went TO Dennis Sheedy, president OF
the Globe Smelling company and vice pres
ident OF the Colorado National bank at
Denver, who is also large owner of silver
mines. He would not let me have the |
money. / went from bank TO bank con- !
trolled by the owners of silver mines, and |
they all gave me the marble heart. l tell !
you this because I have .,een accused of |
having the silver mine owners behind NE |
In these publications. -
what was the secret of the books sue |
cess-that is, what gave it it's first impe |
tus?''
"Just this: The farmers began to buy it |
through the country papers coupon /
scheme; the drummers bought 1t from the /
train boy to kill time. / owe a great deal |
TO the farmers and drummers, for as soon |
as they had read the book they bought an
extra copy ard sent it to some banker,
senator, congressman or federal official. |
Hundreds of copies were in this way sent
to President Cleveland, Secretary Carlisle
and Senator Sherman. The daily papers
began TO notice the book editcrially and to |
deny its arguments. Then they began to
cartoon it, and the book was made.
cit took its first big jump in February.
Since then my printer has been taxed TO
supply the demand. When lie began to
print my book, he had ten employees work
ing on the book; now he has NOR than
100. During April, and SD far this ...onth,
the presses have been run night and day to
keep up with the orders"
I'm what states has the book had the
greatest circulation?"
I'm the west and south, but 1t is now
the east. New York, New .Jer-
sev, Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Vir-
ginia are receiving large daily shipments.
One man in Huntington, w. Va, my ma
tive state, sent in an order for 5, 600 copies,
the largest individual order have received.
The largest days sales were Ii, 200 copies,
while the average is now s. 500. OF course
this includes orders for the two books
have since written. This, however, does
not give "a complete idea of the number Of
people who have read the book
Mr.. Harvey picked up from his desk
very dilapidated copy of COINS Finan-
eial School and held it up as he said:
Here. for instance. is a copy one man
TO me with the statement that IS
people had read it. He wanted me to see
what ii looked like
Do You expect your book to have the
Effect of settling the money question:"
"Only in this way: The issue in 1896. 1
believe, will be the money question. Be
ore next fall my book. think. will have
'eached a sale Of 1000, 600 copies. 1t has
already called forth some Of the strongest
Arguments 10 be made on the other side Of
he question; the people will read both
'ides; they will study the money question
Is they have never studied il before, and
~ the time of the presidential election | :
lext year they will be prepared 10 deal
With il intelligently at least with more
Intelligence than they ever have before"
New York World.