Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-05-12
THE SCIENTIFIC ASPECT OF
"MORMONISM."

]
We have several times referred in
these columns, to a forthcoming work
on that subject, by Professor ~ b. Mel.
son Of Provo, We can now give the
following further Information
Prof. Nelson Is In receipt Of a letter
from Mr. y. f. Cummings IN New
York, showing the final disposition OF
his manuscript Four prominent pub
fishing houses took It under adyisement,
each receiving a favorable report from
its respective readers, hut all turned
II down, on account Of the tremendous
prejudice aroused through the country
through recent events Al last a house
has the courage to launch IT, MIR, cum
mngs writes:
AS / wrote you, | left your manu-
script with q, 7. Putnam's Sons, on
Monday last. the 9Th, with the stipula-
ton that / should have their answer
during the week They put reader
on # at once, and his report was SO
favorable that on Thursday / was in
ylted TO a conference with Mr. Hun
tington, We had a long interview In
which he admitted thar the work was
better than they expected to ind IL,
and they said they would publish an
edition at their own risk, II you would
Cake 2.500 copies
THE situation Is this. The Punams
VIII pint as large an edition as they
may think IT, and auch subsequent
ones as may be necessary, and VIII pay
you a royalty on all copies sold, except
TO you on your first order, They win
bear the entire expense, and promise a
handsome volume mechanically, 20 be
printed on high grade OF paper. All
they require of you ~ that YOU pur-
chase 2 500 copies.
They VIII put the book in an cata-
logues issued by both their houses, New
York ana London, and will push sales
by the usual methods. Though cos
mopolltan and HectarIan, they pub
lish many religious books relating to
different denominations, and number
many religious people among their pa
irons They are one of the largest
ana most influential publishing lrms m
America, and their London house may
be Of special value TO you, as il viii
certainly introduce your book in Eu-
rope. ! am inclined 10 believe that the
y
house you could have chosen.
"Of course you could print the book
privately at "A much smaller cost per
copy than YOU viii have TO pay the put
mans. But they win make a hand
somer book with better paper than the
figures I'm mine OF the 25th Call for. and
then the royalty Is likely To amount to
a substantial sum, though any estimate
OF II now would Toe wild guess
but II you win pardon my presump-
ton I'm advising you, | viii suggest
that the advantage TO you personally,
ana TO your future az an author, and
especially to the cause that lis so dear
TO you In having a good publisher. Is
not TO be measured by the few hundred
dollars YOU might possibly save by hay
ing this book printed privately. You
win write other books, and perhaps 9TH
or Mormon authors VIII DO likewise.
ana there is no foreoasting the benefits
that may accrue through breaking in
one god place, the shell OF anti Nor
mon prejudice which has heretofore
shut out from the world the literary
genius of our writer's. | sincerely hope,
therefore, that you viii make contract
with the Putnams
SHOULD you SO decide, they will re-
Quiro You 60 place an order FOR $500
copies at the time Of signing the con-
tract ana one half the amount must be-
paid before the work ON the book be-
gins
Prof Nelson has written Mr. Cum
miugs TO go ahead and sign up a con-
tract with the punams. The terms are
stlff as was to be expected; but as this
work was written especially to appeal
TO intelligent men Of the world the
professor realizes that this IS practical
~ the only way Of crectng his pur-
pose. And rescrvIug the right to sell
the book among Lotter-day Saints, he
hopes 20 escape AN financial difficulties
IN the venture
We hope the Lattor-day Saints genor-
ally win sustain this literary enterprise
Brother Nelson is writer who always
has something 20 say and who knows
how 10 say IL In "a pleasing and impress.
sIye manner. His works show deep
thought and dilIgont study But be-
sides this those who buy this book
thereby aid IN the dissemination ot
knowledge I'm the world They perform
a good missionary work They cast
seed abroad, which IN due time win
give harvest Money thus spent is
well invested.