Autobiography of Mark Twain (23 page)

G
EN
G
RANT
, M
ARK
T
WAIN AND THE
C
ENTURY
.—The story of Gen Grant’s last days includes yet another disagreeable episode, according to the New York correspondent of the Boston Herald. It has been generally understood that Grant’s papers on the war in the Century magazine have been chapters from the autobiography which he is preparing, and that they were to be followed by other chapters; and it now seems that it was all but concluded that the Century company should publish the book. Arrangements, says this correspondent, were made for the printing of the volumes and the making of the pictures,
and terms nearly settled, on the basis of a royalty, when in stepped Mark Twain and spoiled it all. It is stated by this writer that Mr Clemens is the principal partner in the subscription book firm of Charles L. Webster & Co, which publishes his own books, and that Webster & Co made a proposition to Gen Grant to take his son Jesse into the enterprise of publishing and circulating the autobiography, showing the general that he could get a clean profit treble the royalty offered by the Century company. The consequence is represented to be that no more of Gen Grant’s work will appear in the magazine, and it is intimated that Mark Twain cannot have any more of his “Huckleberry Finn” literature published hereafter in those offended pages. The readers of the magazine may well hope the last item of this news is true. “Brunswick,” the Boston Saturday Gazette correspondent from New York, who is Miss Jeannette L. Gilder, sister of the editor of the Century, and, therefore, ought to know—gives a somewhat different account, saying:—

The terms offered Gen Grant, by Mr Webster, are the same, I believe, as those offered by the Century company—10 per cent on the retail price. But Mr Webster’s contract includes one of the young Grants, which makes it more attractive to the general. The Century company would probably have published the Grant autobiography if it had not been for the “son” clause; but that put a new aspect on the thing, and while it was perfectly natural for Gen Grant to want to see his son fixed in business, it was not so natural for the Century company to want to be forced into a bargain of this sort. The relations between Gen Grant and the Century people are still perfectly friendly, and it may be that, after all, they will publish the book.

Springfield Republican
March 9, 1885

GRANT AND HIS MEMOIRS.

WHY AN ADVERTISED ARTICLE
DID NOT APPEAR IN THE
“
CENTURY
.”

A Brilliant Business Scheme by Which Mark Twain Takes Jesse Grant
for a Partner and Becomes the Publisher of the Forthcoming Work
.

The March number of the
Century
appeared without the promised and much-advertised article from the pen of Gen. Grant on one of the great battles of the civil war. The fact caused much comment in literary circles, and in some quarters it was thought that the absence of the article was due to the General’s serious illness. Better informed people, however, have known that nearly all, if not all, the papers of the series had been prepared before the first appeared.

It has just leaked out that Gen. Grant and the
Century
Company have had a “falling out” and it is not likely that any further papers from the General will appear in the
Century
. Gen. Grant is preparing an autobiography and it was all but concluded that the book would be published by the
Century
Company. He was paid $1,000 for the article on “Shiloh,” which appeared in the February number. The managers expected that chapters from the autobiography would first appear in their magazine and that the volumes would bear their imprint. Negotiations were in progress in regard to the illustrations and the printing of the volumes, and terms between Gen. Grant and the company had almost been concluded on the basis of a royalty. The contract, however, had not yet been signed
when Mark Twain appeared upon the scene with more advantageous terms than the
Century
Company offered. Mark Twain, besides being a rollicking humorist, is a smart business man, and it is said that in recent years he has not shared the profits of his fun with any one. He has mastered the art of selling books by subscription, and, moreover, is the principal in the firm of Charles L. Webster & Co. Mr. Webster is a relative, and his duties are mainly to look after the regiments of agents who go about the country soliciting customers for any literary novelties that the firm may have to offer.

The story goes that Mr. Webster, acting for Mark Twain, proposed to Gen. Grant to take his son Jesse, who travelled with him during a part of his famous trip around the world, into the firm as partner. This proposition was regarded favorably, and then it was suggested that the firm would publish and circulate the General’s autobiography. Mr. Webster told the General that the mechanical cost of producing each $2 volume would not exceed 30 cents, and that if large editions were sold, as was sure to be the case, the profits would be three times larger than the royalty offered by the
Century
Company. Gen. Grant accepted the offer not only because his profits would be larger but because also it would make a business for his son, who was almost “cleaned out” by the failure of Grant & Ward.

A representative of the
Century
Company when questioned about the matter said that a contract had not been completed for the publication of Gen. Grant’s reminiscences, but it had been considered almost settled that the book would be issued by the company. The General visited the office almost daily, when able to go about, to consult about the material and make-up of the book and the advice given was generally followed.

“We have no grievance,” continued the
Century’s
representative. “Gen. Grant had the right to go elsewhere, his main object being to create a place for his son. We were not prepared to do that.”

It is said, however, that the
Century
people feel exceedingly “sore” about the matter, and it is doubtful if any more of Gen. Grant’s papers will appear in the magazine. It is not likely that any passages from the forthcoming book will appear in it in advance, either.

N. Y. World

THE GENERAL’S LITERARY WORK.

FOUR ARTICLES FOR
“
THE CENTURY
”—
HIS MEMOIRS TO FILL TWO SUBSCRIPTION VOLUMES
.

Many curious and anxious eyes ran over the columns of
The Century
for March expecting to find therein another paper from the pen of General Grant. The impression had gone forth that the article on Shiloh which appeared in the February number was the first of a series that were to be published regularly every month and when the March number was issued without containing the expected paper speculation was rife as to its cause. Some attributed the omission to the General’s ill health; others to the fact that he was more anxious that his more important memoirs should be first completed; but it was left for
The World
to discover the fact that there had been a “falling out” between the publishers of
The Century
and General Grant and that it was not likely that any more of his papers would be published in the magazine. The cause of the falling-out was said to be that General Grant had taken the publication of his memoirs away from
The Century
and had entered into a contract for their publication by Charles L. Webster & Co., because
The Century
could not find a place for Jesse Grant in any of its departments.

The facts are that General Grant stipulated some time ago to write for
The Century
four papers on the War, and the following subjects were selected: Shiloh, Vicksburg, Chattanooga, and the Wilderness Campaign. As soon as the terms were agreed upon the General entered upon his literary work with characteristic energy, working frequently from eight to ten hours a day: and though he was hampered by the insidious disease that is now sapping his vitality, only a comparatively short interval elapsed from the time he began his labors when the papers on Shiloh, Vicksburg and Chattanooga were completed and handed over to
The Century
. They were paid for in accordance with the agreement, and are now in the possession of
The Century
. The manuscript for “The Wilderness Campaign” is completed and is now being revised by the General as rapidly as his health and other duties will permit.

There has been no falling-out between General Grant and
The Century
, and their relations are in every way cordial and pleasant.
The Century
Publishing Company entered into competition for the publication of General Grant’s books and its failure to obtain the contract was simply a business incident, the General being better satisfied with the arrangements made with Webster & Co. In the negotiation for the publication of the book the question of giving his son a position was not a matter of consideration.

The contract between Webster & Co. and General Grant was signed on February 28, and it is denied at the publishers’ office that taking Jesse Grant into partnership, as
The World
alleged, had anything to do with awarding them the contract, for the reason that such an arrangement has not been made. Samuel L. Clemens (Mark Twain) is a silent partner in the firm of Webster & Co., but entrusts the management of the business to his nephew, Charles L. Webster, who conducted all the negotiations with General Grant. The book is to be complete in two volumes. The manuscript for the first is completed and will be delivered to Mr. Webster, the latter part of this week. The General is working as much as possible on the materials for the second volume, which is also nearly finished, the principal labor now being that of revision. The book will be sold by subscription, and the price will probably be $3 50 a volume. It is expected that the two volumes will be ready for delivery in October or November.

N. Y. Tribune

GEN. GRANT AND HIS BOOK.

Over 100,000 Orders for the Set Received by His Publishers.

Gen. Grant has done much towards completing his book during his period of convalescence and expects to finish it within the next few days. The first volume is written and revised. Only about one hundred pages are needed to complete the second, though only a portion of it has been revised. The story of Lee’s surrender was finished on Monday and revised yesterday. The General’s connection with Lincoln’s assassination has been related. It is his intention to begin work to-day on a description of the grand review of the Federal armies in Washington at the close of the war. He writes little himself, but dictates to a stenographer. Not only is his mind clear, but the story as he dictates it is lucid and requires but little revision. His daily average is about thirty pages and the work apparently fatigues him little, if any.