Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1909-12-17
pEARY RECEIVES $50 600 FOR STORY

TIHNI NLOLIfLD pJV ,VOU iVh DiVhi
1t seems probable that many
| years will pass before all author re-
ceives higher price for his literary
product than Commander Robt. E.
Peary receives from Hampton'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 it is generally estimated that
Commander Peary is receiving Sl.lS
cash for each word that he writes
for Hampton's Magazine. Benz.
B. Hampton, editor of the maya
zine. makes this statement:
eff you have a desire to estimate
the rate per word that will be earn
ed by Peary with his North Pole
story, you would be safer in plac-
ing it at 81 so per word than Stu.
We have bought only American
and Canadian magazine rights, and
Stokes book rights cover only these
countries. That leaves all the for
eign rights to sell. When they are
figured up, the totals should
amount to 500, 900 Or even $780,
900.
"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 Commander never loses an
opportunity to praise her for the
manner in which she has labored
andsborne the brunt of his quarter
of a century of work in the Arctic.
Peary and Mrs. Peary have sacri-
feed their material comfort to this
Arctic ideal. Every dollar they
could spare from actual living ex-
penses has been used tie equip ex-
petitions, so that, when Peary re-
turned a few months ago, there was
mighty little money in the Peary
bank account.
RATES PAID OTHER AUTHORS.
Just why Commander Peary re-
ceived such an exceptional rate for
his story is explained by the eager
competition for it on part of nearly
all the important publishing houses
of the world. Realizing the SUI
preme Importance of this, the most
wonderful and last of the earth's
hero-stories, they engaged in a bid
ding which made figures rise mer-
curially. They knew, of course,
that this story had not like most
of the world romances / been told
! before. 1t was the most eXtraOrd-
mary and interesting story of fact
to be told for the first and last
time.
1t is interesting to compare the
price paid Commander Peary with
!, the rates enjoyed by the top-notcf
: writer's of the world.
Ex-President Roosevelt received
for his African hunting stories
t dollar a word. Rudyard Kipllns
is supposed to receive the highes
prices paid any author of fiction
For the English and American
serial rights of kim" he received
.S25 900. Sir Arthur Conan Doyl
a hit one of the highest marks whel
y he received 60c a word for tn
= American serial rights of his late
d "Sherlock Holmes" stories. Thi
IS compares amusingly with the rat
"A of 50 per thousand words or on
, fifth of cent a word received TO
+ his first and generally considere
e best stories.
r High prices for literary work be
/ gan practically with the great SUI
cess of Sir Walter Scott. The con
pensation for his Life of Bona
!. parte" averaged S165 for each ola
IS of work spent upon it,
n Thackery was offered 81 900 fc
Henry Esmond" and he jumpe
I at the proposition. Both Dlcker
IS and Hugo made good money, BIT
n when Eugene Sue drew $4,000 fc
is his Wandering Jew" q novel
s. probably upward of 100000 wore
v. the literary world gasped. Price
IN have risen steadily, with the il
ne creasing success of publishers an
the growth of magazines. No al
, . III A. L;c+OrN