Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-04-27

bic. This fact and the fact that the
world renowned funmaker is not in the
best Of financial condition led his friends
in the New England society to secure
control of all the copyrights and to pre-
pare an edition of his works that would
be lasting memorial in paper, ink and
morocco to his fame.
There will be an autograph edition
consisting of 5l2 numbered copies bound
in morocco and printed on handmade
paper, with illustrations on India pa
per Each one of these 5l2 copies will
be signed personally by Mark Twain,
and every other leaf of the book will
display at the bottom watermark of
the name Clemens, visible only when
the page is held between the eye and
the light. That this edition will he q
very successful phase of the project is
already assured. Twelve of Mark
Twain $ friends in Hartford have each
subscribed 81, 600 for set of the books,
making total sum of 1000, which,
it is said, will be used to liquidate a
certain mortgage that has never seemed
at all funny to Mark Twain.
The humorous artists of America
have co-operated heartily with the New
England society and with their deft
pencils have interpreted in a masterful
manner considerable of Mark Twain 8
best humor. Among these artists are A.
B. Frost, Peter Newell, Dan Beard,
Frederick Opper, E, W. Kemble, j. G.,
Brown, W. T. Snedley, and others like
T. De Thulstrup Frederick Dielman,
B. w. Clinedinst, and few others who
have more Of a reputation for serious
than for humorous work. There is also
an edition de luxe of 900 copies, bound
in silk buckram, and all the editions
will have an appreciative introduction
written by Brander Matthews. Each
story will be accompanied by picture
of the humorist taken at the time the
story was written.
He is now living in Vienna. Reports
of the disastrous result Of his venture
in the publishing field We're current two
years ago, and the New York Herald,
with Mark Twain's consent, started a
fund for his benefit, The scheme how
ever, did not meet with the approval of
his family, and the matter was very
suddenly dropped. The project Of the
New England society to better Mark
Twain 5 financial condition is much
more commendable one, because any
man who purchases complete edition
of Mark Twain S works. thereby giving
Mark Twain a royalty, will surely get
his money worth.
Robert w. Chambers, the New York
novelist and poet, is only 33 years of
age, but is already famous on both sides
of the Atlantic. His strong story,
ashes of Empire, has created furore
in London literary circles. and his sto-
ries sell as well there as here He was
born in New York in 1860, was educat-
ed in Paris, and after years of art study
under Constant, Boulanger and other
masters exhibited in the salon, His first
book, "In the Quarter, was written
in 1887 and published in 1894.
Like all geniusos Mr.. Chambers is
versatile He is well posted concerning
civil engineering he has marked talent
as painter; his poetry i'll his little
volume xvi II the Band is of high
order of merit he knows all about but
tertiies, and is an expert collector The
strength and freshness Of his novels have
won for him countless friends He is q
very clever designer of military cos
tunes and once designed a uniform fol-
n Brooklyn regiment, and he is al
ardent fisherman and sportsman.
He belongs to the Calumet, the Cen
tury and other fashionable New York
clubs, and is such stickler for the con
ventionalities that carrying even the
very smallest sort of bundle through
the street is very distasteful to him,
but when the conventiunalities interfere
with good deed he never observe,
them. The other day he ran across al
impecunious Italian artist who had &
number of pictures of merit, but coulc
not sell them because of his ignorance
Of English Nj Chambers promptly
tucked the bulky drawings under hi,
arm, and, much to the amazement OF
his friends, started off down the street
saying; Tell the fellow to stay here {
minute. | am going to take these pic
lures up to the Calumet club and sci
them for him
EARLE HOOKER EATON.
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