The San Francisco call., 1910-02-06
Gossip of Books and Writers

What was the best selling book so
years ago? In these days of record
breaking sales, and these sales almost
exclusively among novels, the answer
to this question involves contrast. In
1855, according to documents on file
in the Harper publishing house, Edward
Everett wrote to Lord Macaulay OF the
latter's History of England: No book
has ever had such sale in the United
States except the bible, and one or
two schoolbooks."
1t is a singular coincidence that two
of the most important books Of the
year are by old men. and each is pub
lished on it's authors birthday. 1T
Never Can Happen Again by William
de Morgan, was published on his seven
tieth birthday and The Retrospection
of an Active Life" by John Bigelow.
appeared on his ninety second birth
day.
W. w. Jacobs. whose new book of
shore stories, Sailors Knots has
Just been published, continues to hold
his own as the foremost living humor-
list. Only the other day correspond
ent wrote to the English publishers an
interesting letter in the course of which
she explained that Jacobs stories were
first brought to her notice by busi-
nessman out west, who was suffering
from what she called Jacobs mania"
This admirer of the humorist, she says,
devours everything that Jacobs writes
as soon as it appears and even pays a
man to make researches in the British
museum library in case there are any
early stories which he may have
missed.
He is a highly successful business
man and works hard. but whenever he
tax n
dose of Jacobs and is himself again.
E. w Hornung and Sir Arthur Co
nan Doyle are brothers in law and
some years ago a proposition was made
by publisher that they collaborate on
a book in which the ingenuity and dare
deviltry of Raffies as an enemy of con-
ventional society be pitted against the
science of deduction as practiced by
Sherlock Holmes. Needless to say, the
suggestion came to nothing. as it would
be obviously impossible to yoke two
heroes in this way without giving one
or both over to burlesque, and of course
neither Doyle or Hornung could give
consent to this.
Apropos of the state of Names Pc
tition to congress for an appropriation
to raise the battIeship Maine in Havana
harbor it is interesting to read what
Rear Admiral F. E. Chadwick. mem
Der of the commission appointed by
congress in 1898 TO determine the cause
of the battleship's destruction, has to
say about the work of the commission
in his book, "The Relations OF the
United States with Spain-Diplomacy
which has just been published. Ad
miral Chadwick went to Cuba believ-
ing that the explosion had been caused
by interior forces, and one other men,
Der of the board shared this belief.
After careful investigation, however.
both men became firmly convinced that
the explosion was caused by mine
or torpedo outside the ship
Now that Marie Corelli's likeness
has been exploited far and wide, Eden
Phillpotts remains distinguished and
unique among authors in refusing to
give out his picture for publication
Ernest Thompson Seton in his new
book, Life Histories OF Northern Ami
mails" which has just been published,
contends that there are suffragettes
even among the elks of the papiti herd.
Mr.. Seton says: The individual in that
herd who can impress on the others
that he is the wise one-the safe one TO
follow-eventually becomes the leader
NumberIess observations show that this
wise one is not the big bull, but almost
invariably an elderly female. The big
bull might drive them, but not lead
them. She is the one that has i'm
pressed the others with the idea that
she is safe to follow-that she will lead
into no foot traps; that she knows the
best pastures and best ways to them
that she has learned the salt licks and
the watering places that are safe and
open to all around; that her eyes and
ears are keen and that she will take
good care of herself and incidentally OF
the band. This female leadership