Troy weekly news. (Troy, Idaho) 1897-1933, 1908-11-20
LITERARY LOG BOILING.
How Some Famous Authors Sought to
Advertise Themselves.

The examples cited by Francis Crib
BILE in his article on "The Comedy OF
Literary Log Rolling in the Strand
Magazine arouse some suspicion as to
their absolute authenticity, but are
amusing enough whether true or not.
Sainte- Beuve increased the circulation
of his books by insisting upon fighting
a duel in the rain with an umbrella
over his head. Gerard de Nerval used
to be seen in the streets of Paris lead
ing a lobster by a string. Nine. Kru-
dener, the author of valerie" and the
friend of Alexander 1. of Russia, made
the fortune of her novel by calling at
all the Paris shops and asking for va
rious articles of dress "a la Valerie"
OF Victor Hugo and of Alexandra Du-
mas the elder the following stories are
told:
Nor was the great poet ashamed to
roll his log even at funeral. He seized
the opportunity at the obsequies OF
one Of his own sons. 1t happened tnat
on the way to the cemetery the pro-
cession passed a travelling menagerie,
and the lions. for whatever reason,
stopped roaring just as Victor Hugo
was in front of their cage. HIS COM
nanion. q minor poet named Pelleport,
drew his attention to the fact. MAS
fer" he whispered, 1.-THE lions recognize
Won and hush their voices. The king
If beasts is silent in the presence OF the
king of men" Victor Hugo bowed and
turned the matter over in his mlhu
Then. after meditation, he said: "Pelle
mort that was a happy thought o.
yours. Couldn't you write something
about it?" And Pelleport wrote son
NET about it. and the fame OF the mas
for stood on a higher pinnacle thai
: ever.
And finally there was the case OF Du
mas. of whom it may almost be san
that his whole life was an advertise
, mont Some one once said of him ina
his vanity was such that he was capa
BILE of getting up behind his own cai
Z ,;aoa In order to demonstrate that Il
] had negro footman in his service
= He certainly did many things Amos
as absurd as that in his restless pu
suit Of reclame. One of his dellgh'
was TO clothe his noble proportions
uniform and to embellish the uh
Form, with decorations to which he wa
no+ entitled He even went so 1ar
himself to design the uniform IN VINO
ha foueht-or. rather, did not f1ght' Il
no arrived after the fighting was q
over-in Garlbaldrs army, ana
achieved a tremendous advertlselnei
nv conducting a well known actress
a court ball to which she had not pee
invited. He got another aoVer'ls
= mont by allowing himself to be sue
Co.. nondelivery Of a feuilleton. l.
Was utterly in the wrong, and ne 10
his case. but he kept the court ID roa
~ laughter while he explained ms !
o-orv methods and the nature OF u
d,stroctions which had interfered WI
the fulfillment Of his contract
tbo hest of all his advertisement '"
attained when the announcement .
reared that NJ. Alexandra Duin
, rrorld write the last chapter OF TOT,
/, ooroIno romance sitting In a shop WI
dow for all the world to see now
e ,ros done. One can understand III
that sort of advertisement wouiu .
the authors who are also Interested
: tbo sale of hair restorers. They
= go owe Il TO the public TO exm'
themselves in this way. kiiiin2 l