The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-03-02
CHAMPION BOOK FOR SELLINGp
Somethins About The Prince OF the House
OF DAVID and Its Author.

Il saw a little book the other day, said
the man who sees books occasionally,
(which is worthy Of preservation among
the archives Of American literature. II was
Traditions Of Palestine by Harriet Mar
tinesu, l4s pages, published by Longman,
Rees, Orme. Brown and Green. London,
1880, and still In good condition. The book
itself is not worthy OF such permanent
recognition. but on a hy-leaf in a small.
clear, old-fashioned hand IL this inscription:
From Mrs. Lee, June, 1880 20 Rev. ]. p. T.
Ingraham, A. D. 1910. Note: This little
pooh suggested through the Rev. J.. p.
T.. Ingraham to the then Prof. j. H. In
graham. his brother. The Prince Of the
House OF DAVID
mo other book by an American author
not even excepting Uncle Toms Cabin.
has had the popularity Of Prof. Ingraham's
The Prince OF the House Of David and Il
goes without saying that the book was
we'll known TO the distinguished author Of
Ben Hur' which was written thirty years
later. The Prince OF the House of
David was written In 1855, occupying the
author about three months. II contains
about 100, 900 words, OF about $50 pages Of
open type and IL was published by Pudney
4 Russell. 70 JOIN street, New York, In
1855. Prof. Ingraham was at that time
rector OF st. Johns, Mobile. He began
his work In Aberdeen, Miss, and con-
cluded IL in Mobile. IL became popular
at once and the sales increased until the
Civil War. when all book buying fell off.
Succeeding the wal the book again
came into prominence M up TO within
a few years ago it had reached a sale OF
over -four million copies. This large mum
Der however, does not mean that the heirs
Of Prof. lngraham have grown rich of
the book. | cannot 60 into the details
OF tho copyright held by the original
publishers and transferred from one 10
another through many years, but aside
from about 300 received before the war
by the author up TO the time Of his death
III 1850. all of the returns have gone 10 the
publishers.
-Since the expiration Of the copyright
several years ago, dozens Of publish
ers have issued the book in all kinds OF
forms from a five-cent edition to one
at $3.50, and a new edition in hand
some binding Is soon 20 make its APP
the demand for II still contin-
uing, although there are thousands of
modern readers who have not so much as
heard Of such a book. The success Of
The Prince Of the House Of David called
and he wrote within the next two
The Pillar OF Fire and The Throne
of David which had Il rogue second only
TO the greatest book of them all. These are
still being published as paying books,
the sale, il is said, reaching a million copies
Of each. Al the time Of his death, Prof.
lngraham was engaged upon a life of 81.
Paul on the same line as the others. As
n tribute TO his work as an author so widely
rcad there is an inscription On the tablet
20 his memory in the church at Holly
Springs, Miss, where he died, which a
Though dead. he still speaketh.'
The Rev. j. L. T. lnEraham, whose gift
Of Harriet Martineau's little book inspired
his brother TO such great authorship, still
lives at the age of 81, and is the active rec
tor Of Grace Church, St. Louis. His nephew
prentiss, 20 whom he gave the little book.
lives in New York. and is. at the age when
men think IL is time to stop, busy
with his pen, having recently accepted
which will necessitate his writing
millions of words a year 10 meet the
for his work. Incidentally IL
NAV be said that Prof. Ingraham had
some seventy of eighty novels of
before entering the ministry at
and undertaking his famous series Of
stories. His son has not yet essayed
hat kind of work, but he has written over
eight hundred novels of adventure"