The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-03-26
Jules Verne and His Earnlng..

The death Of JULES VERNE, at the age
OF n years, will be felt as a personal loss
by millions Of readers throughout the
world, for some Of his stories have been
translated so widely that he may be said
to have had, in the true sense Of the ex-
! preston, an international audience. Liv-
ing for the most part away from the
hurry and hustle of affairs, yet by occa-
sional travel or visit keeping in touch
with them-thOugh careful not to be alb
sorbed thereby-JULEs VERNE worked on
steadily, year after year, earning money
sufficient for his needs, accomplishing
his literary purpose, enjoying personally
a normal sane existence which, to on
lockers, seemed to approach the ideal
! for an author
A week ago, referring to the estate
left by the late LEW WALLACE, we men
toned the general understanding that it
was derived principally from the book
and dramatic royalties Of a single work
Of fiction. The reverse is true of JULES
VERNE, who, if current gossip be ac-
cepted, contracted nearly forty years
ago to produce two books year, receiv-
ing for each one the equivalent Of s., 900.
A question that at once suggests itself
is whether Gen WALLACE would have
striven, year after year to write other
and even better books than that which
made him famous, had he sold this one
outright for a comparatively small sum;
and whether JULES VERNE would have
continued his marvellous productiveness
had he received a considerable fortune in
royalties from any Of his first books.
This, Of course, is a question not 70 be
answered definitely. Under the spur of
financial need Gen. WALLACE might have
written a long list of excellent books
Furthermore, had JULES VERNE been en-
riched in his early thirties through sales
OF his first scientific novel, Five Weeks
in a Balloon, 1t is possible that the world
might never have had it's Twenty Thous-
and Leagues Under the Sea, or Around
the World in Eighty Days But those
who have been interested by VERNE's
wonderfully ingenious tales do not like
to think Of such possibility To them he
was energy personifed, the father OF
invention realized, an evcr-bubbling,
sparkling, joyous fountain II youthful
spirits and hope, even in old age That he
worked well under arrangement with a
publisher whereby he received a mod
crate but regular income his career at
tests, and he is not alone in this. One Of
the most successful Of American writers
for boys-at least from the boys stand
point, and from the publisher s-worked
under similar contract for nearly
generation; excepting that he received
81 900 for each book produced.
We fancy that some OF the younger
American writers-yachting in the Med
iterranean, speeding along Fifth avenue
in SIC, 900 motor car, building castles in
Newport, Spain and elsewhere-may
think Of JULES VERNE as doubtless they
have thought OF MILTON; or, if they
never heard Of Paradise Lost, as they
have thought Of HAWTHORNE, THoREAU,
EMERsoN. One can imagine them say
ing, with a sympathetic shake Of the
head, Poor old Chapl Grinding away
nearly sixty years for a beggarly four
thoul Wonder why the dickens he didn't
try 'ad' writing, or put blacksmith jokes
together for the ten-twent -thirt' shows?
They pay pretty well.
1t might be worth while for these young
persons to reflect that JULES VERNE, and
some Of the others mentioned, were Of
such calibre that they did not have to
possess fortunes in order to be great men
as we'll as highly successful writers.