The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1912-01-19
I3 news or YESTERDAY
Famous Poet Who PeddIed a
Classic of the Sea.
William Cullen Bryant Had Hard
Time Finding Publisher for
Richard Henry oana's 1.-TWO
Years Before the Mast"
BY E. j. EDWARDS.


One of the great sea classics OF
English literature is Richard Henry
Dana, Jrs 1.-TWO Years Before the
Mast" AS is we'll known, the book
was the outcome Of a voyage that lts
author made as common SAIL
around the Horn and up the PACING
coast In the fifties OF the last CEN
fury. He left college to make the
trip in the hope that the hardly life
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 passenger, even on one ex.
tending around the world. But young
Dana, as a lad, had conceived a great
fascination for the sea, and 1t was MS
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 a sailor partly on ship
board and partly after he returned to
his home. The story finished, ne
showed the manuscript to his father
THE old gentleman was delighted
with It," said the late Col. George
Bliss, for many years prominent
politician of New York state. and an
intimate friend of the Dana family
HE was so delighted with 1t that
about the first thing he did after read
ing II 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, ST., asked Bryant II he
could find 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
1t would net its writer and It's pub
Usher each 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 1t.
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 II was the
work of a mere boy. 1t was, never
theless, In his opinion, q 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 1t.
Bryant, remembering what he hat
been through, thought that was q
pretty fair bargain and he let Fletch
err Harper have the manuscript fol
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
1t was published. And 1t was the
first American work to be widely
translated. II Harper had accepted
1t on royalty basis that would have
meant 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)