Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-01-09
A BIOGRAPHY MILL.
a QUEER INDUSTRY THAT is IN A
FLOURlSHlNG CONDITION.
Demand For the Manufactured Article
Based on Human Vanity-HOw the Trade
Is Conducted-Some Specimen Letters
Written by the Trade Agents.

ls ConCucted-Some Specimen Letters
Written by the Trade Agents.
VI the numerous trades the followers of
which depend for their livelihood upon
the folly, vanity and snobbishness of their
fellow men one of the simplest and not
least remunerativeis that of the biography
manufactures To succeed in this branch
OF business it is necessary to possess a GER
tain knowledge of mankind, considerable
tact and, above all, great deal Of assur-
ance.
There are various ways of conducting
| THIS business. Ono of the commonest is by
means of the circular letter This, which
Is sent by tho biography manufacturer to
| any likely victim, announces that Messrs.
So-and-so will shortly publish u biograph-
| zeal cyclopedia, and that, as the work
would be very incomplete if it omitted to
mention the ADDRESSED, the publishers
would be much obliged to him if he would
furnish them with his biography at an
early date. 70 this is usually added that
no charge whatever is made for printing
the biography, but we are very anx-
ious, y the letter goes on to say, Ito secure
| your portrait, the cost of which will be
-" The price varies considerably, &C
cording to its size, the status of the biog-
raphy factory, etc. The letter generally
| concludes by saying that ''your orders and
those OF as many of your friends as posi-
bic for tho complete work are solicited"
Sometimes the biography is written by
friend; but, if he is "a good friend, the re
suit is generally much the same as if it
had been written by the subject himself
The following extract from the life of
A b, poet, as submitted to biog
raphy factory, will serve to Illustrate this
His many sided nature is illustrated
by the following incident; One morning
he went to New York to give his foreman
| and workmen some instructions in carry
ing out contract for building a crcosote
factory in Hoboken. In the afternoon the
Poets club gave him reception. and his
latest epic was the topic of discussion. Lat
er he went to Sheepshead Bay to see his
famous steeplechaser Bucephalus engage
| in race there. In the evening he lectured
| on Folklore before select literary au-
dience and aftcrward, before the - Ath-
letic club, be whipped the champion anna
| teur pugiist of the world"
| Sometimes the autobiographer endeavors
| to convey the impression that tine life was
written by another. Here is verbatim
| born in Portland, Me-, Jan. .. 1894. His
| fathers name is John p. Ericsson; by trade
| he was blacksmith. l left there when
| was 81 years old. l went to school until
| was IL years Old, and taught school and
did clerical work until l was 2 years old,
and then / came west to Kansas to work
at my fathers trade. > For the past
five years OF my life have taken Patents
md hon, / f,,n1- p,,+ ,,,,+
| five years ago it was machine that done
| away with typesetting. : | got mar
ried in 1870 to Mary f. Jones we have
| two children"
To this the agent considerably added,
| Il suppose you can write the above from
| these data.
Most photographers attach the utmost
| Importance to every detail that relates
either to themselves, their family connec-
| tions or their friends One of these, for in
| stance, describes at length the illness of
| his daughter and concludes with "On
| Jan. : this beautiful girl left her fathers
| handsome residence ON Palisade avenue
| for heaven" her fathers handsome resi-
dence on Palisade avenue" being carefully
| inserted in the original statement, show
| ing it to have been an afterthought that
| the reader might be impressed with the
| desirability of both ends of the route de
scribod.
| Modcsty is not one of the autobiogra-
piers characteristics. After many pages
| relative to his achievements, both in gen
| cral and in particular, but mostly in partic
ular, Florid. physician asked his biog-
| raphers to tell the world what [ have
| donc!' / dentist thus chronicled his
work, "Sinco removing to Dakota, DIR.
| Molar's career has been series of brilliant
| successes" Twenty pages devoted to tho
| achievements, ancestry, personal appear
| anco, etc, of IA wholesale grocer wound up
with the credible statement, Mr.. Soap
| andstarch is a modest man" That the
agent is the prime cause of biography fac
| tory success is proved by the following let
tiers. II each instance the agents letter
was accompanied by a bulky autobiography
| from tho subject"
Ncssrs. ----- & Co:
GENrs-I send you the bioes of Mr.. and
Mrs. under Il separate cover l have been
| working on Mr.. walker for 81 600 order ever
since l have been in this city, but have not yet
secured it. He is very wealthy and full of
conceit Judging from the bogs. he had copied
from different publications and from what
| have observed, bat his lo, has been pulled un-
| til il got soar (sicJ, and it is hard to gca
his name down again. He said he wanted to
| soc how we will write his and ms Wfe's biogs.
before lac VIII do anything. / think it viii
pay you to write these two bogs. al once and
| give them all the liattery possible You can
not give them too much. Write them cXtcn-
siyely, and after have the orders you can cut
| them down to suit yourselves, Both Mr.. and
| Mrs said that all the biogs. that have
| been written about them don't 60 them jus
| tice ut all. They imagine that they are the
| greatest people in the state. Write above the
biogs that it is written by the editor in chief,
because | told them that | would have the
biogs written by our editor i'll chief, and that
he is a great historian and only writes the
biogs OF great value. You'd better write II
| letter to me, saying that the editorial staff
have decided that Mr. and Mrs. Walker are
| entitled TO a fJll page portrait, and that if he
willing to pay for it you viii publish it, etc.
I called on General -, ana he said that he
don't want the books III his library. and that
| he will not pay more than $25 for making that
| So portrait. He says that he is connected
| with publishing house. and that he knows
| exactly what it costs to make such portrait.
| Yours truly,
| GENTs-Write the inclosed boy. in grand
| style and send it to right off. 1t means
| SEQ if l succeed i'll securing his order. Write