The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1909-12-09
yso.o0o PAID TO Pl6ARY
This Rscord.Breaking Price is Given
BY Hampsoan's Magazine for the
Story OF Polo Discovery.

Story Of Pole Discovery.
New York, Dec. At seems prob
able that many years will pass before
an author receives a higher price for
his literary product than Commander
Robert p. Peary receives from Ham
Ipton's Magazine for his own story of
the discovery of The North Pole.
This feature cost Hampton's a
clean. cool $4,000. No rate per
word is specified in the contract. but
1t is generally estimated that Com
mander Peary is receiving $1.18 cash
for each word that he writes for
Hampton's Magazine. Benz. B. Ham
pton editor Of the magazine, makes
this statement:
"If you have a desire to estimate
the rate per word that will be earned
by Peary with his North Pole story.
you would be safer in placing it at
$3.50 per word than $1.20. We have
bought only American and Canadian
magazine rights. and Stokes book
rights cover only these countries.
That leaves all the foreign rights to
sell. When they are figured up. the
totals should amount to 100000
or ever $4,000.
"Peary is not a good business man.
AS a matter of fact, he is a poor man.
Mrs. Peary has been the business
head of the family and the Command
der never loses an opportunity to
praise her for the manner in which
she has labored and borne the brunt
of his quarter of a century of work
in the Arctic. Peary and Mrs. Peary
have sacrificed their material COM
fort to this Arctic ideal. Every dol
lar they could spare from actual liv-
ing expenses has been used to equip
expeditions, 80 that, when Peary re-
turned a few months ago, there was
mighty little money in the Peary bank
account.
The revenue from his books and
magazine work could be greatly in
creased by lecturing, if Peary's
friends car persuade him to go on
the platform. He has had offers that
would net him nj hundred thousand
dollars for the first years work, or
more, If he would be willing to stick
to it for several consecutive months.
He has received offers from many of
the leading cities of the country,
guaranteeing him as high as $4,000
for a single lecture.
There can be no reason Cat least
SO his friends a~ssert) why he could
not take advantage of the lecture OPP
portunities and meet the people, and
let them hear !lis story from his own
lips.
Up to the present time he has not
completed any lecture arrangements,
but it is believed that he may be per-
suaded to do SO within a few weeks.
The chief difficulty seems to be that
this man, who has been living in the
frozen North eighteen out of the last
twenty-three years. has a genuine diff
fidence about exhibiting himself to
the public. Peary is a scientist first,
last and ali the time. He values his
scientific achievements as of more
Importance than the opportunity to
make money. He will do nothing
that does not coincide with his rigid
ideals of a scientists dignity. For
example, he has declined offers from
moving picture men, who want to
show his Polar photographs, and Of
fers from talking concerns that want
a few reels Of talk to retail througout
the country, offers which amount to
a tidy fortune"
Just why Commander Peary re-
ceived such an exceptional rate FOL
his story is explained by the cage,
competition for 1t on part of nearly
all the important houses in the world
Realizing the supreme Importance o.
this, the most wonderful and last Of
the earth's repositories. they engag
ed in a bidding which made figures
rise m%ercurially. They knew o.
course that this story had not-like
most Of the world romances-beer
told before. It was the most extra
Ordinary and interesting story Of fac
to be told for the first and last tim,
1t is interesting to compare tn,
price paid Commander Peary will
the rates enjoyed by the top-notcl
writer's Of the world.
E%x-president Roosevelt receive,
for his African hunting stories q dol