The San Francisco call., 1908-03-22
Gossip Of Books and People Who Make Then

While many popular American novels
are likewise popular in England IL is
net often that one of them is used as
a newspaper serial IN q London daily.
The successful novel. The Long Arm.
by Samuel Gardenhire. published by
the Harpers in America. is running as
a current serial in the London Daily
Express. Mr.. Gardenhire. the author.
who is a resident of New York. is at
work upon another story. which he ex-
poets to have ready within the year
For "MiddIemarch" George Eliot got
$40 900 and for "Romola7 SIS. 600; Ma
caulay's history brought the author
100000 during its first 10 weeks sale:
Emile Richebourg used to get $4,000
each for his novels before they ap-
peared in book form; Scott earned from
5000 to $4,000 a year by his pen for
several years and for IL novels and 8
volumes of tales he received s55O.00O;
Georges Ohnet received $4,000 for The
Forge Master as a novel and $4,000
from it as a play in the first three
months. Out of the play he made more
than $4,000.
While travelling in England during
the early sixties the original J. B. Lip
pincott, founder of the firm of the same
name, chanced upon the late "Ouida's'
ing merit in it he bought the American
rights The book did not at first prove
a success in this country, owing to it's
title, which was supposed to have ref
erence to the impending war. How
ever. Mr. Lippincott brought out in
1855 this authors second novel.
'.Strathmore." which proved more sue
cessful. The first novel was later re-
published under the title Granville de
Vigne" and achieved S~eater pOpU-
larity. Thus was estab ed the al
most life long connection between this
popular author and the j. c. Lippin-
colt company. For nearly 30 years
America.
The fact has been neglected or over
looked by all the extant biographies
that Thomas Chatterton, the boy poet
OF Bristol. was one of the stanchest
friends the American colonies had in
the troublous times preceding the revO-
luton Chatterton was a tireless and
powerful political writer, as well as
poet. and a letter that he published
short time before his death arraign-
ing the British ministry for the Bos-
ton massacre is one of the fiercest in
vectives in the language. In his poems.
too, he sturdily uphoIds the American
cause and cheers on the patriots six
pendence- The untimely and sad death
Of Chatterton in 1870 undoubtedly de-
prived the American cause of an Eng
lish champion as forceful as Colonel
Barre or as Pitt Americas Indebted
ness to "the marvellous boy has been
set forth for the first time in the
American biography of Thomas Chat
terton by Charles Edward Russell, pub
ished by Moffat, Yard & Co.
Jacobs Co. have just published a
biography of Richard Hooker Wilmer.
the second Protestant Episcopal bishop
of Alabama, by Walter c. Whitaker.
Wilmer was so much of a confederate
during the war that he was drawn into
many picturesque situations. He held
that the diocese of Alabama was au-
tonomous, changed the prayers in re-
gard TO the president of the United
States and commanded all.his ministers
TO eonfine their suppIicatiOns to the
confederate states. even in the teeth
of the federal troops who came to oc-
cupy the country. When this object
could not be peacefully attained Wilmer
told his clergy to close their churches.
There Is record OF only one who took
a contrary course. A federal officer in
the congregation rose and demanded a
prayer for the president of the United
States, and the poor Clergyman com
piled. Later Wilmer took him to task
II used the prayer. it is true. but under
protest" the offender replied by wav
OF apology. to which the answer came
grimly: II leave 1t for others to de-
termine the status before God of a
prayer made under protest"