The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-11-17
THE LITERARY OUTLOOK.
CoPYRIGHTING RACE WHICH
RESULTED IN A DEAD HEAT.

RESULTED IN A DEAD HEAT.
Book rrefaces and How to Use Them
Julia Ward Howe Protests Against
an Editors Advertising of Her
Childhood story-some Attempts
mt Humor-Books About Authors
and Their Homes.
New York, Nov. ia most exciting
race between two dramatic companies
recently took place in England. It
seems that the London branch or the
New York publishers of Monsieur
Beaucaire" were Instructed to take out
a copyright on the play. 'Beaucaire. ."
based upon the book. The copyright
ing process is somewhat involved in
England when a play is concerned, 1t
being not only necessary for copies OF
the production to be deposited in the
British Museum, but the official censor
must read the play and a regular bona
fide dramatic presentation must be
given. The aforesaid London agent
had scarcely undertaken his task of Sc
curing the copyright when he heard
that there was at least one other par
ty in England bent on the same pur-
pose. Likewise the unknown "other
party" heard of the copyrighting in
tentions of the agent. Then began the
race. Two dramatic companies were Sc.
cured and two suburban theaters en-
gagged for the performances; two tick
cts for each presentation were sold "a
necessary Condition). and two anxious
managers rushed their people through
the plots and scenes. When the dust
had cleaerd away, each rival party
claimed the copyright. There was a
difference of few minutes and both
sides claimed the advantage. Finally
the rival parties agreed to a Joint con-
ference and a few days ago met for
the first time. Imagine the surprise
of both when they learned that each
had the same object in view. Mr..
Booth Harrington, the author of the
book, had asked his publishers to secure
copyright on the play in England, and
Mr.. Richard Mansfield, who has the
playing rights in the dramatized YER
sion, asked his brother who was then
in England to care for the copyright
matter there. Both the authors ana
the actors instruction were carried out
TO the letter, with the result of the race
IN doubt until the rival claimants got
together and decided to call it a dead
heat. At any rate, Mr.. Tarkingon has
secured the English copyright for his
play.
After the title and the name of the
author, the next duty in connection
with book reading is the preface. With
such a course of procedure it may not
be necessary to read further-indeed
it is popular belief that those who
deal out glittering generalties about
books and authors never get beyond
the opening chapter. / made the fatal
mistake recently, however, of starting
infon Gilbert Parker,s 1.-The Right OF
Way" Consequently I am unable to
write much about the book, for l kept
that, at the time, I was in Canada
not the wild country between Mon
treal and Quebec into which the story
takes the reader-but still in Canada.
There was a long train ride TO be gone
through with and 1.-THE Right of Way
was the only defense I had against
loneliness. The next moment, it
seemed my station was called-I had
been reading three hours.
1t is in the preface to "The
Right of Way that Mr.. Parker tells
his readers that he wrote this story
before a previously published volume,
THE Lane That Had No Turning"
which. as he announced at the time
of its publication, is the last story he
will ever write OF Canada There are
not a few of Mr.. Parker's admirers
who will be. sorry that he has made
such a decision.