Evening journal., 1913-07-19
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
"Thoreau'S Unfortunate Ex-
perienCe as a Publisher
By Holland

Bs Holland.
Some years ago. in the early all
tlmn. visited Concord, Mass, having
in mind the meeting with someone
who had personal acquaintance with
Thoreau and who might therefore pe
able TO give some information upon a
matter which had long Interested me.
Although there were living in Con-
cord a few persons who remembered
Thoreau. and one who had been IN
somewhat intimate relations with him.
Mr. Frank SanbOrn, yet ] was unable
TO find anyone who could. answer
question which I had in nind to ask.
was at last referred 90 farmer of
the name OF James Gull and when
found him discovered that he was a
very intelligent man. He said to me,
81 never knew Henry Thoreau'
Everybody in Concord ! noticed spoke
of Thoreau as Henry Thoreau), but |
did become acquainted with his sister,
SOPHIE who was the last member of
Thoreau's family then living, and who
died few years after / made her ac-
qaintance.
ested i'm her brother she told me many
things about him. She gave me two
lead pencils which she said came from
a parcel OF pencils which her brother
Henry had made You know he was
b. trade a surveyor and lead pencil
maker. She also gave me the curious
ly shaped water jug which Henry
Thoreau used to strap over his
shoulders when he went out for a
DAVIS surveying. II was shaped like a
small barrel or keg.
asked Mr.. Gull If he had ever
heard Thoreaus sister speak Of the
! copies of Thoreau's first book. "A
Week Oh the Concord and Merrimac
! River"
81 vaguely remember hearing
! SOPHIE say something about those
I books. hut / haven't the slightest idea
now what she did say
"Can you tell me what became OF
them?' I asked
81 think she gave them to a minis
ter who was going to write a'lite OF
| Thoreau.'
said to Mr. Gull that did not re-
fer To the manuscript volumes which
we're turned over by Sophie Thoreau
]
them. as he did in the form now
known as "Thoreaus Journals
One OF the entries in "Ihoreaus
Journals" spoke of some 500 volumes
of his books, which had been returned
to him by his publishers at Cambridge
because the latter had been unable
10 sell thent Thoreau, i'm his journal
speaks of Juggling them up to his gar
that he finds himself possessed OF q
library Of about a thousand volumes
nearly 900 Of which he wrote himself
This paragraph from Thorcau's journ
al was widely published, and rs one
Of the best known of his sayings,
was told a few months before
visited Concord that Thoreau
week" had heen repuhllsher, will
illustrations, with perfect typography
admirably bound. aud that the cos
of the edition had been approxmatel
$4,000. and that every copy had bee
sold. Yet somewhere shortly afte
Thoreau's death there were some so
copies Of the first edition the identc'
copies which Thoreau himself ha
carried upon his back from an eXpres
wagon to an attic room
asked the publisher II ho knew wh'
hecame of these copies, and he roplle
that he did not Tic added that the
would be very valuable if they could ]
found. lie presumed. however, that the
NAV have been sold after Thoreau
death for waste paper or junk. So IA
as he could learn there was absoute
mo- record of what became Of the fir
edition of Thoreau's first book. LQr
after Thorcau'. death an edition of th
work was published at the cost Of S2C
600 Thorcau in his lifetime. the pu
, Usher said. had been compelled to VOL
very hard Tor two or three years
order 10 pay OIL what he owed for u
| publication Of this book for as he con
lind no one vino would take IL upon
ROYALTY basis. he was compelled to pa
li-h it al his own expense and to 60 IN
debt for it.
s After my talk with the publisher ~
l. after my conversation with Mr.. Gull.
was convinced that the disposition Of {
e memorable unsold first edition of Tn,
q eau. FIRST book would always remain
- mystery,
Copyright 1918. hy y. = Edwards.
...lt .. AL b