The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-06-04
THE LITERARY OUTLOOK.
MAINE AND NEBR ASIA YIELD TWO
NEW NONILISTS.

General WaIlace's Good Bargain tor
..The Prince OF Indin"-How SardOu
writes PIay-An American Ro-
nance by :. n. CrOckett-Notes on
several New Books and New Au-
thOrs.
New York June 81 don't know that
q is necessary 90 bring forward any new
instances 20 prove that publishers are
oo.. k enough 10 accept work Of unknown
writer's. when the work itself gives fair
promise Of proving acceptable TO the read
ink public. Bur a new one has lately come
10 ms knowledge that Is worth reciting
even though ii may not be needed for ar
gument. AIr William r. Lighton Of Oma-
Ia. Neb, who has never Yet published a
book. nor. Indeed. anything That has given
him distinct name and identity with
publishers. sent 20 a New York house, not
long since, without introduction, the man
uscript of "a novel and had the satisfac-
ton Of getting an almost immediate accept
ance; ana the book viii be brought out
early in the fail. 1t is entitled. Sons Of
Strength: A Romance OF the Kansas Bor-
der Wars" The young author had been
working Gu it as other employ ments per
mitted for about two years. lie did not
trouble himself particularly about pub
fishers. but having got ia his mind good
idea Of what ne wanted to do, worked away
steadily and sincerely, leaving the final
result to take care Of itself.
In this instance Of Mr. Lighton, however.
there is another interesting thing illustrat-
ed besides the readiness of publishers TO
accept the work of unknown writers, and
that is the growing appreciation, with both
writer's and publishers, Of the value OF
nearby material for literary uses. A few
years ago the mere suggestion of novel
Of the Kansas border war would have
turned a publishers back. and no author
would have had the hardihood to make il.
OF the general character of his story Mr..
Lighton himself says:
In planning and executing the tale, 1t
was my desire to portray a group of
strong simple honest men and women en-
gagged in a struggle for honor and for live
lihood on new soil, at a time ana place and
under circumstances calculated to bring
out manly qualities at their best. Kansas
was really The only one of the transmits
souri, states or territories which was pho
neered by men whose manhood was de-
voted TO the support of large, humaniz-
ing thought, therefore chose for my field
the territory OF Kansas in that lime which
Immediately followed the repeal of the Mis-
souri, compromise, and the passage of the
Kansas Nebraska act in 1854. 1t has seem
ed 10 me that this field offered splendid
opportunities for portraying the essentials
of good, heroic manhood-which l like to
hood"
John Brown IS one of the characters. and
referring 10 this fact, ssr Lighton said:
"In any attempt to realize the spirit of
that time the personality Of Brown must
necessarily figure, for he was, in fact, the
dominant spirit of those early days, and
traces Of his marvellous influence SIN en-
dure But as an instrument for working
out the plot Of the story Brown Is kept,
perhaps wisely, in the background"
Ii is always a good deal Of a speculation
to base a publishing contract with an au-
thor on a previous success Of his. The
fact seems to nave had interesting illus
tration in the case OF Gen. Lew Wallace
and mis- last novel. THE Prince of India"
! was told the other day that when, two
or three years ago. Gen. Wallace had
about finished the novel and began to ne
gotiate for its publication, he fixed his
desires on the neat sum of 100000 down.
For over ten years Ben Hur' had been
maintaining its popularity, and had reach
ed gross sale of upward of half a mill
ion copies. There had been from Gen.
Waliace's pen no novel since. Certainly
il WIS q case in which publishers would
seem 20 have been well warranted in bid
ding high. But 500 900! Even in these
expansive days it looks to be a good deal
of money. Several publishers considered
the matter. but none of them could muster
up quite courage enough for the venture.
Finally there was a compromise. Harper
d Bros, the publishers of Ben Hur," took
the new book. but not quite at 100000
down. They agreed TO pay $4,000 a year
for ten years For the first year or TWO,
as I understand, they didn't fare badly
on their contract On the strength of the
authors previous reputation the book sold
largely. But latterly it has not done so
well. Sull IL is not to be included that
the publishers won't emerge happily in
the end, for. after all, The Prince of
India" is very much liked by just the class
of readers that gave Ben Hur" its enor-
nous sale.
Mr. S. r. Crockett has just sent over
from England the manuscript OF his new
est novel, and It proves to be IN some
measure an American story. 1t is a rath-
or rollicking and, of course, since it is
A5r. Crocketts, a decidedly adventurous
tale, somewhat of the kind of THE
Raiders" The hero, Peter Williamson,
Is kidnapped from Aberdeen as boy.
brought TO Philadelphia, and sold as a
slave. Ills life on an American planta-
ton, his escape TO the Indians and his
adventures among them, and his meeting
and relations with the heroine furnish no
end Of romantic matter for the continue
ton Of the tale. The heroine, TOO. is from
Scotland. She has come over in the hone
Of finding her mother, who has been trans
ported for participation IN a cruel murder.
Mr.. Crockett says that he derived the
story partly from the Aberdeen records:
partly from the hero's personal memoirs,
which he himself possesses. and partly
from recently discovered private sources. =
il win appear through tine summer and
tall in a number of newspapers. and then
be issued ia book form. Il win here bear
the tide "The Isle Of the Winds" but in
England il is to be called Little Anna
Mark"