Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-02-07
PERSONAL VIEWS
OF MANY WRITER'S
William Ellsworth, President
of Century Company, Speaks
to College Club

There was a decidedly literary at
last evening where the College Club
of Harrisburg presented to an au-
dience which filled the auditorium
William Webster Ellsworth, president
of the Century Publishing Company,
for delightful evening with promi-
nent authors and publishers.
For more than forty years Mr.
Ellsworth has been identified with
the Century Company and his remin-
lscences of distinguished authors and
poets of the period before and since
the CIVIL War were of the most init
mate character. Many of these he
knew personally and his analysis of
their work and his narratives of per-
sonal interviews with Mark Twain,
Jack London, Thomas Nelson Page
and many others, including Rudyard
kipling, held the close attention of all
present until the last word had been
spoken. Then the speaker was given
prolonged applause.
1t would be difficult to imagine a
more clever personal view of the great
writers of this country than that pre-
sented by Mr.. Ellsworth. He told
modestly of the work of the publish
ers OF the United States with special
reference to the Century Company
with those operations he has been
closely associated. Most of his stor-
les were absolutely new and served to
enrich his narrative. He told of the
best sellers of the period starting with
the decade Immediately preceding the
Civil War and also related many in
stances of books that had once been
rejected and later proved tremendous
ly popular. His conclusions were
those of the expert and he admitted
that on at least two occasions the
Century Company had made mistakes
by refusing manuscripts which were
afterwards accepted by other publish
ers and proved instantly acceptable to
the reading world.
Especially interesting was his/refer-
ence to Jack London, whose recent
death has caused widespread regret.
London had written to his publishers
that there were upon his shelves plots
for least 500 stories and manu-
scripts for 90 novels. He told of Jo-
Seph Jefferson and the preparation of
his memoirs and also indicated how
frequently 1t was necessary for pub
fishers to reconstruct the manuscripts
OF authors in order that the better
sections might be brought Immediate
ly and conspicuously to the attention
of the reader.
Mrs. Paul Johnston, president of the
College Club, introduced Mr.. Ellsworth
and after the lecture light refresh
way most delightful occasion and the
desire was expressed generally that
1t might be but the beginning of n
series of such literary treats.
Many i'm Attendance
Among those present last evening
We're Mrs Frederic c. Martin, Miss
Mary Smart, of Chillecothe, Ohio;
Miss Etfie Reimensnyder Miss Alice
Eaton, Miss May Lemer, Mrs. William
w. Galbraith Mrs. w. w. Ellsworth
OF Boston; Mrs. Paul Johnston, Mr..
and Mrs. E. j. Stackpole, Mrs. John b.
McAlister, Mrs. Philip r. Meredith,
Mrs. Frederick w. Cohen, of New
Jersey; Mr.. and Mrs. Henderson Gil
bert, Mrs. Walter p. Mcguire. Mr.. and
Mrs. j. Ralph Morrison, Miss Frances
Morrison, Mrs. John Oenslager, DIR.
and Mrs. Harvey f, Smith, Mrs. John
G: Stine, Miss Anne Mccormick. Mrs
Walton, Miss Carolyn Walton. of
Brownstone; Bishop and Mrs. Darling
ton, Mrs. Olmsted. Mrs. William Hen
derson. Mrs. A. j. Herr, Mrs George
Kunkel, Mr.. and Mrs. Richard V. Nc
Kay, Mr.. and Mrs. Lew r. Palmer.
Mrs. Roy p. NJ. Davis, Miss Snyder,
Mr.'and Mrs. Perry Mrs. r. A.Sawyer,
! Miss Janet Sawyer, Mr.. and Mrs. Wal
ter Johnston, Miss Helen Mcfarland.
Mr.. and Mrs. Robert Mcfarland, Mr..
and Mrs. w. S. Baldwin. DR.. and Mrs.
Bullitt Mr.. and Mrs. Paul Hooker.
MRS. Herman p. Miller. Miss Anna
Margaret Miller, Mrs. A. Ii. BigIer,
Mrs. j. Roy Croll, Mr.. and Mrs.
Lewis M. Neiffer, Lawrence Phipps.
Mrs. d. M. Gilbert, Miss Jane Gilbert,
Mrs. William o. Hickok, DIR. and Mrs.
John ID. Fox, DIR. and Mrs George
Preston Mains, Miss Minister, Mrs.
Robert M. Rutherford, Miss Anna
Brady, Miss Letitia Brady, Mr.. and
Mrs. Arthur Brown, Mr. and Mrs,
Carl Willis Davis, DIR. and Mrs Charles
b. Eager. Miss Caroline r. MofHtt,
the Misses Clute, Mrs. Torrington.
Mrs. Solomon Hiney, Mr.. and Mrs, Gill
lespie, Mrs. NJ. w. Jacobs. Miss Sara
Jacobs, DIR. and Mrs. George b. Kun
kel. Mrs. Mabel Cronise Jones, Miss
Mary Reimensnyder, of Washington.
and Newell Albright.