The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-10-20
Story of a MS.
How David Harum
Reached Ink


Ia1id Harum, left little except his fam
Gus book. THAI little has been
published in book form by y. Appleton &;
Company who published the renowned
David Harum What he left was I liz
tie story entitled "The Teller" 4 story
with the same happy VEN IN il which
runs through The story of the Country
Banker.
Following this are his letters telling,
by. casual reference. the building Of the
book David Harum" and its struggle to
reach ink
Unlike many suffering from consump-
ton Westcott did not deceive himself as
10 the nature Of his malady So great
was his exhaustion that much OF his
work on the book was accomplished un-
der the greatest difficulties. IN a letter
he says: Day before yesterday I did a
little necessary work on the machine for
the first tine since January. In fact
did not DO any real work then: l pat the
paper in but felt so i'll that I abandoned
The effort and went to bed, where i have
been almost continuously since. I have
been up ali day since then but for three
days. I am getting on a bit now and
hope to be about The house as usual-at
least before Iong-and when the warm
weather sets in, TO get out"
That he knew his end was near he says
in this part Of a letter: If David Harum
were to be published, even without much
delay, It would, in all probability. be
posthumous. have had the fun of writ
ing it, anyway, and nobody win ever
laugh over it more than I have. never
could tell what David was going to say
next"
The hard reception the manuscript met
with from many publishing houses is
well known. The following is an extract
sent by a publishing house to which
David Harum vas submitted. Their ex-
cuse for rejecting the manuscript is
amusing, in view Of the fact that the
manuscript was typewriter and pro-
nounced by D. Appleton & Co, TO be one
of the clearest and best manuscripts
ever submitted to their criticism: we
had the manuscript very casually looked
into by one Of our readers, who read
only a few chapters Cfor the hand-writ-
ing was not very easily decipherable);
but not feeling at liberty TO give it a real
examination under the circumstances.
we wrote YOU. IN returning it on July IS.
the hands of a special reader he had re-
ported somewhat favorable upon it. and
we added that before replying definitely
with regard to publication we should
consider it necessary to obtain other re-
ports ct is perhaps just TO say in
connection with this matter that the
manuscript was sent to this publishing
house with the request that it be read
Immediately and if not acceptable re-
turned without delay) In further ex-
PLANTATION the publishers who rejected
the manuscript say; I'VE DO not think
that if we had been allowed time to
rea lily and carefully examine the work
It would have been declined ever by Us.
and we are extremely sorry that you felt
It necessary to recall it so suddenly and
perenr otorily. Of course we see now it
was unfortunate for US TO lose the book,
as We greatly admire it as published by
AppIetoa2 and are well aware from our
own exp erienca that it is selling very
largely"
In fact, so great is the output of manu-
gcript so much of it IS trash. so various
are the ju.l gments Of publishers readers
that in he present day it takes two to
produce a book, the author and the
reader who discovers lis merits 1t is in
feresting 10 know the name Of the man
who discovered David Harum, and thai
he has the qualification denied by death
to the man who created 1t. The hook
was read ard recomn ended by Mr.. Rip
lev Hitchcock and accepted by d. Apple
ton x Co. early in January. 1898. and the
cordial words Of recommendation which
were Their sent TO the author 10y Mr.
Hitchcock we're more welcome so he
said. than any gift I could have re
ceived" Westcotts heath actually rail-
lied a little at this time in response to
the mental eNniliration, but only tenn
porarily. and never sufficiently TO permit
him to leave his bed He was able to
conduct rhe preliminary business negoti-
atoms himself. however; but he died
without knowing. and perhaps without
suspccting. the extraordinary welcome
that was to be given his book.
In his book. this occurs: Many of the
aisappointmcnts of life. if not the
greater part. come because events are
unpunctual. They have a way of arriv-
ing sometimes too early, or worse, too
tate"
The Teller" by Edward Moves West
colt is published Icy d. Appleton & Co,
New York. and is handled in Wichita by
the Goldsmith company.
There is somewhat of the old Poe spirit
In Max Ehmann's story. a Fearsome
Riddle" which has just been published
It has some of PEGS touches Just as It
nears at times. the atmosphere of Dr..
Jel1yl and Mr. Hyde That it VIII never
reach the popularity of any of Poe's
grewsome tales, or Stevenson's duality.
is not likely
But it is a good story. and for the most
part cunningly handled. Il runs in this
wise: 4 professor of mathematics CON
tends that numerals arc means of ex-
pressing intervals or time. that 1-2-3-4-5-
6-7-S-9. are convenient figures for ex-
pressing 1-1-1-l-1-l-1-1-l. and with this rs
4 simple basis he experiments In the
relevancy OF time and mind He essays
the exploitation OF time rhythm. first
upon birds and dogs. finally upon HIM
self lie goes 10 bed ut midnight. at the
beginning Of the experiment and sleeps
tin eight The next day he sleeps few
minutes longer. tho next a few minutes
longer adding each day 10 his period or
sleep. The use OF morphine 10 help. and
later chloroform is made. After q time
he is going To bed at midnight ana
arising ut IS o'clock the next evening: