Evening star., 1936-03-31
MIR. Pickwick Celebrates
His Hundredth Birthday

On March 81. 1886, there appeared in
London Q little, green, paper-covered
pamphlet which was No. of '"The Post
humous Papers of the Pickwick Club,
Containing Faithful Record Of the Per-
ambulationS, Perils, Travels, Adventures
and Sporting Transactions Of the Core
spending Members. Edited by Boz With
Four Illustrations by Seymour"
Except for the partners Of the pub
fishing house of Chapman g. Hall, and
very few others in England's capital. no
one knew who Boz was. Charles Dickens
wrote the first issue of the "Pickwick
Papers," an unknown A-year-old Morn
ing Chronicle reporter, under an agree
ment to receive $40 month and to pro-
duce one number Of the story monthly.
Nineteen months later, when the last part
of the novel was issued to an eager public,
the same Charles Dickens was the most
popular and famous of English authors.
The first number attracted practically no
attention. Nor did the succeeding four.
The story has come down to us, from the
best authorities, that there was an aver
age sale of only about 100 copies of each
of the first five parts. Before the second
part was issued, at the end Of April, 1885,
the illustrator, Robert Seymour, had
suicided. The third part contained three
illustrations by r. w. Buss. His work was
satisfactory to neither Dickens nor the
publishers, and he lasted for but one
number. From the fourth number on
Pickwick illustrations were made by
Hablot X. Browne, the now immortal
Phiz. But that fourth number sold little
better than the first. Something, how
IoVv>onoA xrifta 70 r,irhlirofi fiaY, nf
the fifth Pickwick, in July, 1886. That
something Mr.. John T. Winterich, one OF
Americas most delightful writers about
books, has thus described: But in the
fifth number was laid the fuse that was
to explode Pickwick to all corners Of
the English-speaking world. That fuse
made its appearance 'habited in coarse
striped waistcoat with black calico sleeves
and blue glass buttons, drab breeches and
leggings; bright red handkerchief was
wound in very loose and unstudied style
round his neck, and an old white hat was
carelessly thrown on his head Under
the hat was Sam Weller.
This Victorian wisecracker promptly
captured the affection Of the English
people. Within a few months the MONTH
ly issues of Pickwick had circulation
Of 10000 copies, London had its PlckW1ck
clubs, men carried Pickwick canes and
fancy dress balls were attended by
characters out of Pickwick. Down to
this very day one finds ashtrays on which
are sketched the immortal Mr.. Pickwtck.
The publishers were put to 1t to supply
the demand, for the thousands who were
buying the later parts sought to obtain
also the earlier ones. And month after
month reprints OF the earlier parts came
from the press. So that those parts of
which not more than 400 copies were
originally printed attained to the number
of more than 10000 before the serial is
sues of Pickwick were completed and 1t
came out in book form to join the best
sellers of the ages" Pickwick was being
printed in America by November, 1886.
The work which attains its hundredth
anniversary today is one Of the greatest
books in the world. The great Dickens
author, Mr. John G. Eckel, truly says OF
Pickwick: Its birth was c0incident with
the beginning Of the reign of Victoria
and the literature produced during the
lifetime of the great Queen has been sur
passed, if at all, only by that of the era
that we call Elizabethan. And at the
very pinnacle Of all the works Of the Age
of Victoria stands Charles Dickens re-
markable book, 'Pickwick Papers, writ
ten by a young and almost unknown
journalist; certainly the ways OF genius
are inScrutable."
In monetary value, among rare book
collectors, the first issue throughout, OF
the 20 parts of Pickwick ranks, in Eng
| lish literature, with the first half dozen
great items. Indeed, at one time 1t was
| considered to stand second only to the
First Folio" Of Shakespeare. That place
| Is now held by any perfect copy OF the
| first edition of the first part OF John
| Bunyan's Pilgrims Progress" OF whlcf
| only five copies survive.
OF the first issue, in serial form. ol
Pickwick only IA sets are in existence
| now, so far as known by authorities
| Pickwick was Charles Dickens first book
for Sketches by Boz" which ran in 9
London newspaper prior to March. 1886
| can hardly be called book. Seldom does
an authors first book bring fame. Ever
| among the most famous, the first book Il
| usually an inferior product. Since th'
| day of which this is the centenary M
prose book has exceeded Pickwick II
| population circulation. Mr.. Eckel tells u!
| that millions of copies have been printed
and they have been sold at prices rang
| ing from a penny in paper covers to
| limited number which were disposed o
| at a thousand dollars copy"
This is Mr. Pickvick's birthday.