Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-26
BLAINE AS AN AUTHOR.
He Was on the Point of Writing @
Life of Garfield.


From the Lewiston CNIe.j Journal.
C. c. Haskell of Norwich, Conn., president
of publishing company, has been telling
the story of the Blaine book He says: ut
happened in this wise. Immediately after
the assassination of Garfield it occurred to
me that life of Garfield by James G. Blaine
would be a valuable book. 1 wired Mr..
Blaine at Augusta, and waited in vain for a
reply. I then started for Maine leaving
word that were reply to my dispatch re-
ceived. it should be reforwarded to me.
stopped at Auburn, but no dispatch reached
ME there. Then I went to Augusta. l had
never met Mr. Blaine, and l called with
some forebodings, and sent up my card.
Mr.. Blaine received me cordially in his
library and at once put ME at ease. Have
you received dispatch from me?' 1 asked.
Very likely said Mr. Blaine. pointing 10 a
big pile of unopened mall but you see it
takes time t, get to the bottom of the pile.
May l ask what your proposal is?'
Then unfolded my plan. l said: There's
no man in this country who could write so
effective biography of Mr.. Garfield as you,
Mr.. Blaine-and that for obvious reasons.
You have been intimately associa ted with
Garfield; he was shot down at your sGe;
you can have access to original documents.
no doubt The book would be a great sue
cess. / believe our company could sell a
million Volumes Then outlined the royal
ty that / would he glad to pay, which in nv
| quarter million dollars for writing the
book Blaine instantly replied: L want
every dollar of the profit from this book to
go to Molle Garfield. l should not accept
cent
After further conference a dispatch was
sent to Mrs. Garfield suggesting the plan.
l went back to Norwich. but no word of
reply was received from Mrs. Garfield.
got ready my prospectus, but of course
could put out nothing until matters were
settled with her. After waiting I'LL / was
| unable longer TO delay, went to Mentor,
Ohio. where she at that time resided and
had an interview. The interview amazed
me- Mrs Garfield had intrusted the bio
graphical issue to two or three friends, and
she hestated ! saw those friends ard Put
the case TO them. The objection raised was
not that Mr.. Blaine would not write a good
biography. but that 1t was thought the con-
templated work should not be written by a
personal friend. You know the results BIZ
ographies of Garfield We got, but We lost
Blaine's Garfield.
You may be sure 1 went back to Nor
witch with heavy heart" continued Mr.
Haskell But it occurred to me that there
was a work which Blaine might write even
of more enduring worth. Twenty Years in
Congress We're the words that rung in my
ears. i again visited Blaine and hroached
the subject to him. He was not in the best
of health. and he was yet immersed in poll
tics, and he hesitated. / visited him re-
peatedly, and he agreed TO write the book
but he was not ready to sign the contract
ilton advised him to sign the contract and
hasten to the execution OF work FOR which
he obviously possessed eminent fitness both
in experience and in literary art. Finally
he signed the contract-and set himself to
work in his library. but before he had done
ii he had been approached by a New York
publisher. who said: Whatever you are
offered for writing Twenty Years in Con-
gress' Wen double the price That tempt
ing and strange offer, however did not in
the least change Mr. Blaine's determinatio
to give the publication of the book to the
house that had suggested it.
when Mr. Blaine set at work. he exc
cuted rapidly and little in the vein l had
contemplated. He changed the title of the
work from Twenty Years in Congress-
which had suggested, to Twenty Years of
Congress'-a change which took Mr.. Blaine's
personality out of the book so far as its
heroes are concerned but intensified his per-
sonalty far as the freedom of the Len
was concerned.
Were there many changes in the proof"
Yes. it cost lis almost as much to correct
the proof as to set up the type in the first
instance. The proof was changed a great
deal The wonderful part of It is that the
changes were largely verbal and FOR better
expression. Blaine had the book in his had
when he sat down to write it. He occasion
ally referred to other books. but the book
was in his own brain. Hence the rapidly
of its production was marvellous.
I'VE published 100000 volumes Of Blaine's
Twenty Years of Congress- 1t vas great
seller. After the book had been ont three
months l got dispatch from Blaine saying
he needed some money 1 sat down and sent
him check for Sio,o00-the first item of
our account, My relations with Mr.. Blaine
were delightful. 1 had hard work to get
him started, but once started he became
absorbed in the work in hand. l don't know
as l ever should have got the work started
but for the important help Of his private
secretary, John sherman, my old scho climate
in Bucksport, and Gail Hamilton. 1t was
Blaines natural reluctance to begin TIE
work ard cast the die that had to he over
come. Blaine's book is now selling we'll
1t created no animostieS because it was full
of magnanimty and breadth Of view