The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1922-05-14

- of "reminiscences of authors
ore written by other authors. 1t
would be better if we could see more
OF men and women of letters from
the point of view of their publishers.
For after all the publisher is the
one likely to see the matter more
dispassionately and effectively. The
publisher of yesterday was often
gwen to chronicling his experiences.
For example, is there a more in
forming book of its kind than James
I. Fields Yesterdays With ku-
tfors"? To-day the writing about
authors of his acquaintance is a re-
spons,bility which the publisher
seems inclined to shirk. There are
exceptions. Mr.. Holt has poured
cut his genial philosophy and drawn
from rich memory in his "Remi
Hiscences of an Octogenarian."
Major Putnam has written much
and entertainingly. Mr.. Mcclure
has published an Autobiography"
that is good reading despite certain
blazing inaccuracies. Some years
ago book of "reminiscences of au-
tbors from somewhat different
angle, that of one who had known
authors in the capacity of public
lecturers, was written by Major
Pond.
A LII of which comes to mind with
"A the announcement, recently
made, that the firm of Harper &
Pros, the dean among American
publishers, having been founded in
1917, is about to leave the structure
facing Franklin Square which has
housed its activities for so many
years. Soon, so far as the literary
association is concerned, the spiral
iron staircase which so many aspir-
ing authors have climbed with hearts
fast beating at impending fate, will
be a thing of the past. Not all the
authors were mere aspirants. 1t
may reasonably be assumed that
Thackeray and Dickens climbed tina.
spiral staircase, not to mention a
score of reverend names of our own
literature. A little more than ten
years ago the firm issued a book
called "The House of Harper: a
Century of Publishing in Franklin
Square" That there was an adver-
Using aspect to the publication of
the volume was of no Importance
What really counted was that it was
a mine of Illuminating literary anec-
dote, a book deserving a place upon
the permanent shelf.
THE Harpers were the accredited
l. publishers of Dickens and
Thackeray and Bulwer-Lytton and
Charles Reade. Englishmen are
still given to harping on the mad
equate copyright laws of the Unitei
States in the last century, forget
ting certain English publishers, and
also that the greatest sufferers from
the injustice were the American men
of letters, forced to compete upon
uneven terms with the importations.
The fairer American publishers
were in the habit of paying English
authors or their representatives
literally for advance sheets, al
though these payments in no way
protected the publishers against
subsequent piratical competition.
The Harpers paid Dickens f1,250
for Great Expectations" Thack-
cray 1880 for THE virginians," and
Anthony Trollope f700 for "Sir
Harry Hotspur." George Eliot
was paid as high as f1,700 for
one novel. Charles Reade received
$1,000 for "A Woman Hater," and
Wilkie Collins ESQ apiece for 1.-The
Woman in White" Man and Wife
and 1.-THE Moonstone." Six hundred
and fifty pounds was paid for the
courtesy and priority rights of
Macaulay's "Iistarv of ENGLAND