Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-25
DISCOVERY" OF KIPLIlVG
is TOLD FOR FIRST TIME
Famous Writer Sold Book Rights in India
for 1000 and Trifling Royalty to Man
Who Recognized His Genius.

he been published in small way In
India, he was unknown in Europe
until 1 put his works on the London
market.
Accepted Offer at Once.
when / suggested publication to
him, he said the idea appealed to him
strongly, but that he had no money.
NY offer was, however, that / should
take all the risk and pay him the sum
of $1,000 and a royalty OF S20 per
thousand copies after the sale of the
first fifteen hundred copies, for the en-
tire rights of publication Of Soldiers
Three" "Wee Willie Wrinkle, Under
the Deodars," 1.-THE Story of the
Gadsbys," "In Black and White and
THE Phantom Rickshaw. He closed
with the offer at once.
What is more" said my friend, his
eyes sparkling with excitement kin
died by the recollection of this mem
orable transaction, II can show you
the actual contract between myself
and Kipling.' And, going to a safe in
a corner Of the study, he produced a
small black japanned box. unlocked
1t and smoothed out on the table be-
fore me piece of foolscap paper,
two-leaved, with Kipling's receipt and
T.
thereon-the date, March Z, 1889.
When he had safely locked up the
precious document my friend told me
that he and Kipling went through the
stories that had been published in the
Weeks News and finally made a Sc
lection, and 1t was then arranged that
A. H. Wheeler & Co. should publish
them and that the Pioneer Press
should print them. They were pub
lished in India first, in green paper
covers. and the striking designs for
the covers were drawn and produced
by Kipling's father, Lockwood Kip
ling. The price per copy was / rupee,
on the Indian railway bookstalls,
where they sold like hot cakes. thus
confirming my friends opinion of
them and his determination to launch
them in London.
Made Trip Around World.
With the 81 900 he received for the
copyright of these six little books,
probably the largest sum he had re-
ceived thus far, and having obtained
a years leave Of absence from the
Pioneer, Kipling went on a trip round
the world. He journeyed from India
to Singapore, via Rangoon, and then
on to America, by way of Hongkong,
Shanghai and Japan, these travels af-
fording him splendid opportunities of
studying other peoples and ctviliza-
tions, which he soon turned to excel
lent account.
In the meantime, my friend, eager
to see what could be done with Kip
ling's writings in London, wrote to
his London agents, sending with the
letter set of the Kipling books pub
lished by him in Allahabad, with in
structions that 8. publishing house of
good standing In London should be
approached with view to publishing
them for him.
This was done. The firm selected
by the agents was that Of Sampson,
Low. Marston & Co., whose reader
flung UP his hands in excitement
when he had read one of the books,
exclaiming Eureka! A genius has
come to light" And a genius had
come to light-as Messrs. Sampson,
Low, Marston & Co. soon discovered,
as Rudyard Kipling himself discov-
cred when, a few months later, he
landed in England from his Far East
ern and American trip, to find him.
self famous and his literary future in
England secured.
But, as my friend said to me most
emphatically: "Of course nothing
could have prevented such a genius
60 AAAPAAheo AdOlt lIlIO MS OWN
some day. 1t was merely my great
good luck to have been the medium
of first introducing him to the British
public, and undoubtedly l had the
best of the bargain financially. But
am sure Kipling never grudges me
that, as it was my publication in Eng.
land of these six little books of his
the price of which was / shilling q
copy-that made his name here"
In conclusion 1 asked my friend
whether he had maintained any sort
OF relations with the great writer.
Practically, / have not" said he,
but some 20 years ago Kipling asked
me whether L would sell him the pub
LEGATION rights of Soldiers Three and
the other five books had published
originally. l was not exactly in need
OF money then, and for the sake of
old associations didn't feel like Civ.
ing up the rights to Kipling for a sum
greatly in excess of that which I had
paid him originally, so that my whole
business association with him turned
out very profltably for me. However.
1t suited him then to recover ali
rights of publication outside India for
the books named, and so came about
our second and final deal"
Copyright. 1925, in United States and
Great Britain. by the North American
Newspaper Alliance.)