The Washington herald., 1914-08-05
HISTORY BUILDERS.
The Two Best Selling Auto
biographies.
BY M. r.. ,. EDWAhDs

8I Ar4@s ne - - =" ~~~~03s
The career Of General James Grant
wilson. Notwithstanding his brilliant
service as an ofacer in the Union army In
civil war days was conspicuous chiefly
for his careful and somewhat exhaustive
studies In biography for more than sixty
years. He was friend OF F1tz-Greene
Haileck and regarded him at his best
unsurpassed as an American poet His
associations with william Cullen Bryant
were Intimate and made II possible for
him TO write of the famous poet and his
friends IN a manner which commanded
general interest. He met Thackeray upon
both Of the noveIist's visits to the United
States and wrote entertainingly Of
Thackerays experiences when upon his
reading tours In this country.
Gen. Wilson had. In fact, profound un-
derstanding Of what is essential In writ
ing a perfect biography. He was not
particularly Impressed with the value of
autobiography, feeling assured that when
a man wrote OF his own life and times he
did not get the proper prospective.
Some years ago, spent an hour or
two with Gen. Wilson and he told me
some interesting things about American
autobiographies and biographies
"Only two works Of an autobiographical
character published in the United States
and written by an American were
pecuniarily very successful" he said.
These two were James @. Blaine's book
entitled Twenty Years In Congress- and
Gen. Grants personal memoirs think
IL Is safe TO say that the sale OF these
two works brought considerably over
81. 100000.
but there were especial reasons for
this great financial success which did
not exist when Cen Sheridan's memoirs
were published or those Of Gen Sher-
man. 1t is my impression that the public
sale of Sherman's and OF Sheridan's
memoirs was not very large.
Blaine once told me that he was led
to the writing OF his book from the
experiences he had In the preparation OF
his euIogy of Gen. Garfield. He then
learned that work Of this kind Is ex-
tremely pleasant and he did not tire OF
II. II furnished both mental recreation
and at the same time mental stimulus.
Therefore, as he had plenty Of time
on his hands IL occurred TO him that he
might find 1t an agreeable occupation In
writing the history OF the twenty years
In which he served as a member OF
Congress He had no idea when he be-
gan work that it would give him any
considerable money return. 1t was not
his writing this book that Blaine fully
realized that II was to be the source Of
large gain.
1T was written Just at the right mo-
ment for a large sale. Mr.. Blaine had
been associated with President Garfield
as Secretary OF State and there was
general expectation on the part Of many
Republicans that he would be nominated
for President in 1884. He was nominated
and the election took place just as he
was completing the book. All this served
as a very fine advertisement
IT have been told that Blaine received
about $4,000 net for the book.
"Of course. every one knows the at
tendant circumstances associated with the
writing OF Gen. Grants memoirs, and
there were many Thousand Of subscribers
to the book who had been especially
tempted to buy II because OF their
knowledge that Grant wrote II in silence
for ne could not speak on account Of his
mortal disease-and furthermore, that he
wrote It in the hope that II might pro-
vide his family with a competency.
"Of course one reason for the very
large returns which Gen. Grants widow
received from the sale OF the book was
the unusually favorably contract which
was made with Mark Twain for its pub
lication. believe that l am safe in
saying that no other work written in the
English tongue, excepting, possibly, Web
sters Spelling Book and the Bible. ever
brought such pecuniary returns as did
Gen. Grants "reminiscences. Certainly
no one ever brought so great returns in
so short time"
Copyright, 1914. by Dr. Z. ]. Edwards. AL rights
rSeryed.l
Tomorrow DR.. Edwards will tell Of "a
Remarkable Manufacturing Coincidence"