Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1899-12-29
A Bohemian Romance
How Eussbius Smith Came TO q
Decision as TO a Publisher
OF His Novel


The publishing Grm Of Lansing &
Lane was exceedingly anxious to OBJ.
tain n book manuscript from the popu
lar young author, Eusebius Smith.
Young Smith had gone up like n rock
ct, &c to speak, and was now sclntillat
ing broadcast In the armament, with
no apparent exhaustion Of pyrotech
MICS nor Intention OF returning darkly
20 earth, after the manner OF the
%proverbial stick. He had sprung Into
immediate and gratifying populari
to according to the reviewers. upon
the publication Of his first volume.
1.-THE Wings Of Salt" and was. there
fore, n typical modern man of letters.
worshlpcd by all femininity with n
kind Of uobsonian hysteria and sur
reptltlously envied by every man Jack
OF his W sex aud particularly Of his
own profession.
To announce n new volume of Fuse
bus smith. Lansing & Lane perceived.
would be the browning achievement Of
the year for any American publisher
It would be the talk of the book world.
heralded and advertised far and near.
The sales would Immediately advance
by overlapping thousands toward the
phenomenal. and all the literary and
trade journals would he describing the
clangor. by day and by night, of multi
Piled lightning presses upon the tons
OF white paper flowing into Cusebius
Smiths new book. That Mr.. Smith
already had n book manuscript ca the
eve Of completion all the literary gos.
clips averred. The interesting question
was. What publisher would get 1t?
Presumably the Cbapwells. said ev-
erybOdy. The Chnpwells had publish
ed Mr.. Smiths two former volumes
and pushed them. or at least steered
them. TO enormous sales. But popular
men Of letters are freaky. You can't
depend on them. especially II they are
young. Variety is the spice OF life,
ever In the matter OF publishers, and.
though IN author has beon well served,
he is never quite sure that he may not
be served better by another agent. So,
while the Chapwells we're rubbing
their hands with mingled expectation
and nervousness. the other publishers
were Ruardedly putting their best foot
forward. In the customary approaches
TO the literary lion Of the day.
Mr.. Eusebius Smith c~omplacently al
lowed himself to be wined and dined
went to ride with the ladies' of rich
publishers families, tried the shooting
on various choice preserves. and, in
fa0f aupnnsnI oil tho 1aTfna tn nnaVfa-
sles extended him in a manner as affa-
bly, unconscious as that which marked
the proffer of them.
But In the meanwhile he was debat-
Ing. The Aiessrs. Chapwells had treat.
ed him fairly enough In the matter of
royalties on his first two volumes and
had made him a handsome cash offer
for the third-but there were others.
Richards had made him n better cash
offer by $500. Richardsl BahD Ian
sing Lane produced much better look
ing books than the Chapwells. real
works Of art. externally, whereas the
Chapwells' books were mere blocks OF
paper and pasteboard-clay paper at
that But Lansing & Lane were chary
OF advertising and Indifferent about
pushing a book. Furthermore, they
had fallen out OF touch with the book
sellers. having refused 20 allow the
latter the customary undertaking priv
ilege. Lansing & Lane provided choice.
select books for the select few-books
of literary flavor, without literary sub
stance. the cream puns OF literature.
Their books were VIGOROUSLY unsal-
able and were commonly printed
from the type I'm editions OF $50, hall
OF which found their way to parlor
tables and the luxurious dens Of liter
airy men Of leisure and the other half
to the omnlvorous junk bag. No; 1t
would be suicidal 20 give the new a
uscrlpt TO Lansing g. Lane. Even his
own popularity, modestly reflected Mr..
Smith, would scarcely 1oat a book aft
er having their imprint.
Stlll there was an undeniable fasci-
nation In looking over the new issues
OF this firm. each one n unique model
OF dainty book designing. II was gen
orally admitted that no house could
compete with Lansing s. Lane In ne.
spect to artistic bookmaking
Eusebius Smith had TO drop In At
their offices every few hours. In spite
Of himself, to see what new delight for
the eye and the touch was on the polnt
OF coming out. This tendency on his
part was. OF course. warmly encour
aged by both Mr.. Lansing and Mr..
Lane. and the leather upholstered easy