The log cabin Democrat. [volume] (Conway, Ark.) 1908-current, 1912-01-20
new NEWS OF YESTERDAY
Famous Poet Who PeddIed q
Classic of the Sea.
William Cullen Bryant Had Hard
Time Finding Publisher for
Richard Henry Dana's 1.-TWO
Years Before the Mast"
BY E, J. EDWARDS.


One Of the great sea classics or
English literature is Richard Henry
Dana, Jrs Two Years Before the
Mast" AS is we'll known, the BOOK
was the outcome Of voyage that Its
author made as a common sailor
around the Horn and up the Paclnc
coast in the fifties of the last cen
fury. He left college to make the
trip in the hope that the hardly lie
on the deep would cure his weakened
eyesight, caused by an attack OF
measles. His father, Richard Henry
Dana, the poet, was fully able to SEND
his son on health seeking sea voy-
age as a passenger even on one eX-
tending around the world. But young
Dana, as a lad, had conceived great
fascination for the sea, and 1t was his
own idea that he sail before the mast.
At that time he was still in his teens.
Young Dana wrote the story of his
experience as sailor partly on ship
board and partly after he returned to
his home. The story finished, he
showed the manuscript to his father.
THE old gentleman was delighted
with it, said the late Col. George
Bliss, for many years a prominent
politician of New York state. and an
intimate friend of the Dana family.
He was so delighted with it that
about the first thing he did after read
ing it was to hunt up his warm friend.
William Cullen Bryant, and give him
the manuscript to read. Bryant grew
almost as enthusiastic over the story
as the boys father had done, and
when Dana, Sr., asked Bryant If he
could find a publisher for the story,
Bryant gladly replied that he would
make every effort to do SO, since he
considered the book a second Robin
son Crusoe, and was equally sure that
it would net its writer and its pub
Usher each a fine profit.
Bryant entered upon his loves er-
rand with great enthusiasm. But pub
Usher after publisher refused to be
tempted by the poets enthusiastic
praise of the story. They could see
nothing in the book. they said, that
would attract the public to it.
AT last Bryant carried the manu-
script to Fletcher Harper He told
Harper what he had told other pub
fishers about the book; among other
things saying that though it was the
work of a mere boy, it was, never
theless, in his opinion, a second Rob
inson Crusoe Harper was decidedly
reluctant at first to give the book any
serious consideration, but at last he
told Mr.. Bryant that he would buy the
manuscript outright, including the
copyright, provided he did not have
to pay over three hundred dollars
for it.
Bryant, remembering what he had
been through, thought that was a
pretty fair bargain and he let Fetch
er Harper have the manuscript for
two hundred and fifty dollars, | be
lieve, and twenty-five copies of the
book. You know the hit that the
book made in this country as soon as
it was published And 1t was the
first American work to be widely
translated If Harper had accepted
it on a royalty basis that would have
meant a small fortune for young
Dana But Dana never regretted that
he did not reap fortune out of the
book. He was satisfied with the
fame that the story brought him
much more satisfied than he would
have been with any pecuniary sue
cess"
Copyright. 1911. by e. J. Edwards. All
Rights Reserved)