The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-03
THAT" MESSAGETO GARCIA"
MORE THAN MILLION COPIES OF
BUBBARD's ESSAY CfRCULATED.

George H. Daniels Largely Responsible for
the Wonderful Demand for tho Article
He Has Circulated Nearly 100000
Copies Himself-A Demand for 100000
More-Text OF the message" EsssJ.
With the beginning Of the new year more than
one and a quarter million copies Of Elbert Hub
bard's pamphlet, "A Message 10 Garcia will
havobeen issued. tits estimated that the essay has
been reprinted in various forms 100000 times.
This, taking into consideration the short time
that has ELAPSED since the little book was printed
first. In undoubtedly the most remarkable record
that has ever been made by any publication.
Elbert Hubbard who wrote the Message TO Gar
cia" wrote II without any idea OF the possibilities
for wide circulation Of the sermon IL contained
lie Is the editor Of the Phaistfns Magazine. ANAL
periodical Of protest" published at East Aurora
in Erie county. lie conducts printing shop
aud fine book bindery In the name OF the Society
OF the Philistines OF which he In himself the prin-
cipal and pervading member He wrote "A Mes
sage to Garcia" for last Marchs number Of tho
Phlisfine. His attention had been attracted
10 the act of Lieut. Rowan in delivering a mes
sage from tho President to Gen. Garcia early in
the Spanish war and thereby keeping some 2o,0 600
Spanish troops out OF Santiago until the United
States army and navy had taken the city. He
made the incident the text Of homily on prompt
and intelligent service Of employers.
Tho PhIisifre has a fair circulation as circu-
lations go among magazines but the entire March
edition exhausted In three days. Then
Mr.. Hubbard began to think he had written some
thing worth reading. Its his proud boast that no
number Of the Phdisiins " ever reprinted after
tho first edition In exhausted; and he thought
Of rcprn,ing the Message" in pamphlet form.
While he was still thinking II over, there camo
a telegram from George II. Daniels. the General
Passenger Agent Of the New York Central and
Hudson River Railroad asking whether the
Roycrofters. as MI Hubbard calls his community
ofworkmcn, could print him one thousand copies Of
the Message to Garcia" in quick time. Mr..
Daniels had been reader Of the Palestine for sew
cral years and he liked Hubbard's style Of fun
making and preaching. AS he was sitting in
his Office a, the Grand Central station one day.
looking over the PhIiStine, his eye caught the
Message TO Gorcia," and IL struck him that the
sermon contained there applied with particular
force 10 railroad employees lie wheeled around
in his chair and rrad 1t TO his secretary.
Charlie" he sad, when he had finished. that's
good We know lots Of folks who need 70 read
that Let's ask Hubbard To print us one
thousand Of them 10 send around"
Hubbard printed them and they were sent
gu, To Mr. Daniels's friends on his own and other
fdlNOhu lines. IclOIc INC hhIn tudt
the first 10, Of them had reached Syracuse, Mr.
Daniels says, requests for more copies began
to come in That night he ordered another
thousand from tho Roycrofters The next day
he ordered another thousand and the day after
that friend. Mr. Crane. who has a big business
ia Chicago. came in and said he wanted every
workman III his factory 10 hove copy Of tho
pamphlet and Mr. Daniels ordered thousand
for Mr. Crane
II seemed advisable that Mr. Daniels should
ask Hubbard how long i, would take TO Print
100 600 copies Of the book. Hubbards reply,
which was consistent with the principle that all
Roycrof, work must be beautiful. and that beau
tiiul work cannot be done In a hurry, filled Mr.
Daniels with despair. IL did not suit his railroad
ideas at oil lie called In his advertising man
and they decided that the hes, way TO satisfy all
of Mr. Danicls'S friends and all his friends friends
was to obtain from Hubbard leave To print tho
Message to Garcia" This was done The
Message u Garcia" was made one Of the -Four
Track Series" a set Of little books part railroad
advertisements part pictures and part historical,
geograg meal aud scientific information. II was
put out as Number Is Of the series The first
100 900 was issued on April 20 Tho book was
sent 10 every one who would send postage
stamp issued by any country IN tho globe for IL"
The second 10000 was ordered on April -. II
appeared "n May 10 The third 100, 600 appeared
ON May -, the fourth on June TO- and the nth
on July
In the earlier editions MIR Daniels had an.
nounCed that he intended Ia keep on printing
the booklets in editions II lO0O 600 until the de
mnnd was met II II took the whole II the twentieth
century TO do H. But II has become manifest TO
him that 100000 editions are too slow and there
* now in prcpa edition Of 500 900 II will
~
he appropriately illustrated and will contain
biographical sketches Of Mr.. Hubbard. Lieut.
Rowan and en- Garcia
The demand for the book has not come alto
Ec,hcr from manufacturers, railroad and
other business men. but they have taken to IL
with unanimity which proves that II appeals
10 something down nj the bottom Of every success.
full business character Mr. Daniels has received
thousands II letters from such men UP and down
the land thanking him for sending oil, the book
the great industrial combinations writes
We have 1000 men IN or offices and $4,000
We wan, n copy for each Of them"
The general manager Of all ink company in
You have done me the favor Of sending me a
COPY OF a Message 70 Garcia, and would like
TO invest the enclosed dollar for couple OF hun.
drcd of them; il is about the best way know Of
! mcmbcr Il a large iron manufacturing cs-
thhlishmcnt IN Erie. Pa. writes:
" Is a good thing: want Ia pass i along"
The American manager Of one OF the great in.
surancc companies Of London, writes
1t is one Of the best things Of its kind have
ever read wish Ia send n copy To each Of our
agents. want Ia tell them that something done
for Ms il more satisfactory than excellent reasons
why something is not done"
manufacturer IN central New York says
1t contains more sound horse sense To the square
inch than anything have read in a long time"
me president OF one OF our great Colorado
railroads tclcgraphs
Many thanks for A Message TO Garcia II
IL strong, pointed, true, and ought 10 be in ali
hands am sending To my son at Yale the copy
yOu sent me
The second vice president and general mana
ger Of n New York railroad writes:
The lessons contained within the covers Of
this book II properly studied and applied will
do more tn stem the tide 81 unrest and fault find
ing with the present condition Of things than all
other teachings combined
Hundreds Of ministers have written Of their m
prevail Many Of them have signified their intrn.
ton II preaching sermons on the Message" and
haN" asked fnr lot Of the pamphlets Ia Distribute