1885.Ⓐapparatus note (Spring.)

I want to set down somewhat of a history of General Grant’s memoirsⒺexplanatory note.

By way of preface I will make a remark or two indirectly connected therewith.

During the Garfield campaign General Grant threw the whole weight of his influence and endeavor toward the triumph of the Republican PartyⒺexplanatory note. He made a progress through many of the states, chiefly the doubtful ones, and this progress was a daily and nightly ovation as long as it lasted. He was received everywhere by prodigious multitudes of enthusiastic people andⒶapparatus note to strain the facts a littleⒶapparatus note one might almost tell what part of the country the General was inⒶapparatus note for the momentⒶapparatus note by the red reflections on the sky caused by the torch processions and fireworksⒶapparatus note.

He was to visit HartfordⒶapparatus note from BostonⒶapparatus note and I was one of the committee sent to Boston to bring him down here. I was also appointed to introduce him to the Hartford people when the population and the soldiers should pass in review before him. On our way from Boston in the [begin page 76] palace carⒶapparatus note I fell to talking with Grant’s eldest son, Colonel Fred GrantⒺexplanatory note,Ⓐapparatus note whom I knew very well, and it gradually came out that the General,Ⓐapparatus note so far from being a rich man, as was commonly supposed, had not even income enough to enable him to live as respectablyⒶapparatus note as a third-rateⒶapparatus note physician.

Colonel Grant told me that the General left the White HouseⒶapparatus note at the end of his second termⒶapparatus note a poor man, and I think he said he was in debt but I am not positively sure. (Said he was in debt $45,000, at the end of one of his terms.)Ⓐapparatus note Friends had given the General a couple of dwelling houses but he was not able to keep themⒶapparatus note or live inⒶapparatus note either of themⒺexplanatory note. This was all so shameful and such a reproach to Congress that I proposed to take the General’s straitenedⒶapparatus note circumstances as my text in introducing him to the people of Hartford.

I knew that if this nation, which was rising up daily to do its chief citizen unparalleled honor,Ⓐapparatus note had it in its powerⒶapparatus note by its voteⒶapparatus note to decide the matter, that it would turn his poverty into immeasurable wealth, in an instant. Therefore, the reproach lay not with the people but with their political representatives in Congress and my speech could be no insult to the people.

I clove to my plan, and, in introducing the General, I referredⒶapparatus note to the dignities and emoluments lavished upon the Duke of Wellington by England and contrasted with that conduct our far finer and higher method towardⒶapparatus note the savior of our country: to wit—the simple carrying him in our hearts without burdening him with anything to live on.

In his reply, the General, of course, said that this country had more than sufficiently rewarded him and that he was well satisfiedⒺexplanatory note.

He could not have said anything else, necessarily.

A few months laterⒶapparatus note I could not have made such a speech, forⒶapparatus note by that timeⒶapparatus note certain wealthy citizens had privately made up a purse of a quarter ofⒶapparatus note a million dollars for the General, and had invested it in such a way that he could not be deprived of it either by his own want of wisdom or the rascality of other peopleⒺexplanatory note.

Later still, the firm of Grant and Ward, brokers and stock-dealers,Ⓐapparatus note was established at number 2, Wall street, New York City.

This firm consisted of General Grant’s sons and a brisk young man by the name of Ferdinand Ward. The General was alsoⒶapparatus note in some wayⒶapparatus note a partner,Ⓐapparatus note but did not take any active part in the business of the houseⒺexplanatory note.

In a little time the business had grown to such proportions that it was apparently not only profitable but it was prodigiously so.

The truth was, however, that Ward was robbing all the Grants and everybodyⒶapparatus note else that he could get his hands onⒶapparatus note and the firm was not making a penny.

The General was unsuspicious, and supposed that he was making a vast deal of money, whereasⒶapparatus note indeedⒶapparatus note he was simply losing such as he had, for Ward was getting it.

About the 5th of May,Ⓐapparatus note I think it was, 1884, the crash cameⒶapparatus note and the several Grant families found themselves absolutely pennilessⒺexplanatory note Ⓐapparatus note.

Ward had even captured the interest due on the quarter of aⒶapparatus note million dollars of the Grant fund,Ⓐapparatus note which interest had fallen due only a day or two before the failure.

General Grant told me that that month,Ⓐapparatus note for the first time in his life, Ⓐapparatus note he had paid his domestic billsⒶapparatus note with checks. They cameⒶapparatus note back upon his hands dishonored. He told me that Ward had spared [begin page 77] no one connected with the Grant nameⒶapparatus note however remote—that he had taken all that the General could scrape together and $45,000 that the General had borrowed on his wife’s dwelling house in New York;Ⓐapparatus note that he had taken $65,000—the sum for which Mrs.Ⓐapparatus note Grant had sold, recently, one of the houses which had been presented to the General;Ⓐapparatus note that he had taken $7,000Ⓐapparatus note, which some poverty-stricken nieces of hisⒶapparatus note in the WestⒶapparatus note had recently received by bequest,Ⓐapparatus note and which was all the money they had in the world—that, in a word, Ward had utterly stripped everybody connected with the Grant familyⒺexplanatory note.

It was necessary that something be immediately done toward getting bread.

The bill to restore to General Grant the title and emoluments of a full General in the army, on the retired list, had been lagging for a long time in Congress—in the characteristic, contemptible and stingy congressional fashion. No relief was to be looked for from that source, mainly because Congress chose to avenge on General Grant the veto of the Fitz-John Porter Bill by President ArthurⒺexplanatory note.

The editors of the Century MagazineⒶapparatus note some months beforeⒶapparatus note conceived the excellent idea of getting the surviving heroes of the late Civil War, on both sides, to write out their personal reminiscences of the war and publish themⒶapparatus note nowⒶapparatus note in the magazine. But the happy project had come to grief, for the reason thatⒶapparatus note some ofⒶapparatus note these heroes were quite willing to write out these things only under oneⒶapparatus note conditionⒶapparatus note that they insisted on as essential.Ⓐapparatus note They refused to write a line unless the leading actor of the war should also write.Ⓔ Ⓐapparatus note All persuasions and arguments failed on General Grant. He would not write;Ⓐapparatus note so, the scheme fell through.

Now, however, the complexion of things had changed and GeneralⒶapparatus note Grant was without bread. [Not figurative, but actual.]Ⓐapparatus note

The Century people went to him once more and now he assented eagerly. A great series of war articles was immediately advertised by the Century publishers.

I knew nothing of all this, although I had been a number of times to the General’s houseⒶapparatus note to pass half an hourⒶapparatus note talking and smoking a cigar.

However,Ⓐapparatus note I was reading one nightⒶapparatus note in Chickering HallⒶapparatus note early in November, 1884, and as my wife and I were leaving the building we stumbled over Mr.Ⓐapparatus note GilderⒶapparatus note, the editor of the Century, and went home with him to a late supper at his house. We were there an hour or two andⒶapparatus note in the course of the conversationⒶapparatus note Gilder said that General Grant had written three war articles for the Century and was going to write a fourthⒺexplanatory note. I pricked up my ears. Gilder went on to describe how eagerly General Grant had entertained the proposition to write when it had last been put to himⒶapparatus note and how poor he evidently wasⒶapparatus note and how eager to make some trifle of bread and butter moneyⒶapparatus note and how the handing him a check for $500Ⓐapparatus note for the first article had manifestly gladdened his heart and lifted from it a mighty burden.

The thing which astounded me was,Ⓐapparatus note that, admirable man as Gilder certainly is,Ⓐapparatus note and with a heart which is in the right place, it had never seemed to occur to him that to offer General Grant $500Ⓐapparatus note for a magazine article was not onlyⒶapparatus note the monumental insult of the nineteenth century,Ⓐapparatus note but of all centuries. He ought to have known thatⒶapparatus note if he had given General Grant a check for $10,000Ⓐapparatus note the sum would still have been trivial;Ⓐapparatus note that if he had paid him $20,000Ⓐapparatus note for [begin page 78] a single article the sum would still have been inadequate;Ⓐapparatus note that if he had paid him $30,000Ⓐapparatus note for a single magazine warⒶapparatus note article it still could not be called paid for;Ⓐapparatus note that if he had given him $40,000Ⓐapparatus note for a single magazine article he would still be in General Grant’s debt. Gilder went on to say that it had been impossible, months before, to get General Grant to write a single line, but that now that he had once got started it was going to be as impossible to stop him again;Ⓐapparatus note that, in fact, General Grant had set out deliberatelyⒶapparatus note to write his memoirs in fullⒶapparatus note and to publish them in book form.

I went straight to General Grant’s house next morning and told him what I had heard. He said it was all true.

I said I had foreseen a fortune in such a book when I had tried in 1881Ⓐapparatus note to get him to write it;Ⓐapparatus note that the fortune was just as sure to fall now. I asked him who was to publish the book, and he said doubtless the Century Company.

I asked him if the contract had been drawn and signed?

He said it had been drawn in the rough but not signed yet.

I said I had had a long and painful experience in book making and publishing and that if there would be no impropriety in hisⒶapparatus note showing me the rough contract I believed I might be useful to him.

He said there was no objection whatever to my seeing the contract,Ⓐapparatus note since it had proceeded no further than a mere consideration of its detailsⒶapparatus note without promises given or received on either side. He added that he supposed that the Century offer was fair and right and that he hadⒶapparatus note been expecting to accept it and conclude the bargain or contract.Ⓐapparatus note

He read the rough draft aloudⒶapparatus note and I didn’t know whether to cry or laugh.

Whenever a publisher in the tradeⒶapparatus note thinks enough of the chances of an unknown author’s book to print itⒶapparatus note and put itⒶapparatus note on the market,Ⓐapparatus note he is willing to risk paying the man 10Ⓐapparatus note per cent royaltyⒶapparatus note and that is what he does pay him. He can well venture that much of a royalty but he cannot well venture any more. If that book shall sell 3,000 or 4,000Ⓐapparatus note copies there is no loss on any ordinary book, and both parties have made something;Ⓐapparatus note but whenever the sale shall reach 10,000 copies the publisher is getting the lion’s share of the profits and would continue to get the lion’s share as long thereafter as the book should continue to sell.

When such a book is sure to sell 35,000 copies an author ought to get 15 per cent: that is to say,Ⓐapparatus note one-half of the netⒶapparatus note profit. When a book is sure to sell 80,000Ⓐapparatus note or more, he ought to get 20 per cent royalty: that is, two-thirds of the total profits.

Now, here was a book that was morally bound to sell several hundred thousand copies in the first year of its publication and yet the Century people had had the hardihood to offer General Grant the very same 10Ⓐapparatus note per cent royalty which they would have offered to any unknown Comanche Indian whose book they had reason to believe might sell 3,000 or 4,000 or 5,000Ⓐapparatus note copies.

If I had not been acquainted with the Century people I should have said that this was a deliberate attempt to take advantage of a man’s ignorance and trusting nature,Ⓐapparatus note to rob him;Ⓐapparatus note but I do know the Century people and therefore I know that they had no such base intentions as these but were simply making their offer out of their boundless resources of ignorance and stupidity. They were anxious to do book publishing as well as magazine publishing,Ⓐapparatus note and had tried one book already,Ⓐapparatus note but owing to their inexperience had made a failure of it. So, I suppose [begin page 79] they were anxious, and had made an offer which in the General’s instance commended itself asⒶapparatus note reasonable and safe,Ⓐapparatus note showing that they were lamentably ignorant and that they utterly failed to rise to the size of theⒶapparatus note occasion. This was sufficiently shown in the remark of the head of that firm to me a few months later: a remark which I shall refer to and quote in its proper place.

I told General Grant that the Century offer was simply absurd and should not be considered for an instant.

I forgot to mention that the rough draft made two propositions—one at 10Ⓐapparatus note per cent royaltyⒶapparatus note and the other the offer of half the profits on the bookⒶapparatus note after subtracting every sort of expense connected with itⒶapparatus note, including office rent, clerk hire, advertisingⒶapparatus note and EVERYTHING ELSEⒶapparatus note, a most complicated arrangement and one which no business-like author would accept in preference to a 10Ⓐapparatus note per cent royalty. They manifestly regarded 10 per cent and half profits as the same thing—which shows that these innocent geese expected the book to sell only 12,000 or 15,000 copies.Ⓐapparatus note

I told the General that I could tell him exactly what he ought to receive: that, if he accepted a royalty,Ⓐapparatus note it ought to be 20Ⓐapparatus note per cent on the retail price of the book, orⒶapparatus note if he preferred the partnership policyⒶapparatus note then he ought to have 70Ⓐapparatus note per cent of the profits on each volumeⒶapparatus note over and above the mere cost of makingⒶapparatus note that volume. I said thatⒶapparatus note if he would place these terms before the Century peopleⒶapparatus note they would accept them;Ⓐapparatus note but, if they were afraid to accept them,Ⓐapparatus note he would simply need to offer them to any great publishing house in the countryⒶapparatus note and not one would decline them. If any should decline them let meⒶapparatus note have the book. I was publishing my own book,Ⓐapparatus note under the business name of Charles L. Webster & Co., I being the company,Ⓐapparatus note (andⒶapparatus note Webster being my business man,Ⓐapparatus note on a salary,Ⓐapparatus note with a one-tenth interestⒺexplanatory note,)Ⓐapparatus note and I had what I believed to be much the best-equippedⒶapparatus note subscription establishment in the country.

I wanted the General’s bookⒶapparatus note and I wanted it very much,Ⓐapparatus note but I had very little expectation of getting it. I supposed that he would lay these new propositions before the Century people, that they would accept immediately, and that there the matter would end,Ⓐapparatus note for the General evidently felt under great obligations to the Century people for saving him from the grip of poverty by paying him $1,500Ⓐapparatus note for three magazine articles which were well worth $100,000;Ⓐapparatus note and he seemed wholly unable to free himself from this sense of obligation, whereasⒶapparatus note to my mindⒶapparatus note he ought rather to have considered the Century people under very high obligations to him,Ⓐapparatus note not only for making them a present of $100,000,Ⓐapparatus note but for procuring for them a great and desirable series of war articles from the other heroes of the warⒶapparatus note which they could never have got their hands on if he had declined to write. (According to Gilder.)Ⓐapparatus note

I now went away on a long western tour on the platform,Ⓐapparatus note but Webster continued to call at the General’s house and watch the progress of events.

Colonel Fred Grant was strongly opposed to letting the Century people have the book and wasⒶapparatus note at the same timeⒶapparatus note as strongly in favor of my having it.

The General’s first magazine article had immediately added 50,000 names to their list of subscribers and thereby established the fact that the Century people would still have been the gainers if they had paid General Grant $50,000 for the articles—for the reason that they could expect to keep the most of these subscribers for several yearsⒶapparatus note andⒶapparatus note consequentlyⒶapparatus note get a profit out of them in the end of $100,000 at least.

[begin page 80] Besides this increased circulation, the number of the Century’s advertising pages at onceⒶapparatus note doubled—a huge addition to the magazine’s cash income inⒶapparatus note itself. (An addition of $25,000 a month as I estimate it from what I have paid them for one-fifth of a page for six months [$1,800].)Ⓐapparatus note

The Century people had eventually added to the original check of $1,500Ⓐapparatus note a check for $1,000Ⓐapparatus note after perceiving that they were going to make a fortune out of the first of the three articles.

This seemed a fine liberality to General Grant,Ⓐapparatus note who is the most simple-hearted of all men;Ⓐapparatus note butⒶapparatus note to meⒶapparatus note it seemed merely another exhibition of incomparable nonsense,Ⓐapparatus note as the added check ought to have been for $30,000 instead of $1,000.Ⓐapparatus note Colonel Fred Grant looked upon the matter just as I did, and had determined to keep the book out of the CenturyⒶapparatus note people’s hands if possible. This action merely confirmed and hardened him in his purpose.Ⓐapparatus note

While I was in the West, propositions from publishers came to General Grant daily, and these propositions had a common form—to wit: “OnlyⒶapparatus note tell us what your best offer is and we stand ready to make a better one.”Ⓐapparatus note

The Century people were willing to accept the terms which I had proposed to the General but they offered nothing better. The American Publishing Company of Hartford offered the General 70Ⓐapparatus note per cent of the profits but would make it more if required.

These things began to have their effect. The General began to perceiveⒶapparatus note from these various viewsⒶapparatus note that he had narrowly escaped making a very bad bargain for his bookⒶapparatus note and now he began to incline toward meⒶapparatus note for the reason, no doubt,Ⓐapparatus note that I had been the accidental cause of stopping that bad bargain.

He called in George W. ChildsⒺexplanatory note of Philadelphia and laid the whole matter before him and asked his advice. Mr. Childs said to me afterwards that it was plain to be seen that the General, on the score of friendship,Ⓐapparatus note was so distinctly inclined toward me that the advice which would please him best would be the advice toⒶapparatus note turn the book over to me.

He advised the General to send competent people to examine into my capacity to properly publish the book and into the capacity of the other competitors for the book. (This was done at my own suggestion—Fred Grant was present.) And ifⒶapparatus note they found that my house was as well equippedⒶapparatus note in all ways as the others,Ⓐapparatus note that he give the book to me.

The General sent persons selected by a couple of great law firms (Clarence Seward’s was oneⒺexplanatory note,)Ⓐapparatus note to make examinations,Ⓐapparatus note and Colonel Fred Grant made similar examinations for himself personally.

The verdict in these several cases was that my establishment was as competent to make a success of the book asⒶapparatus note was that of any of the firms competing.

The result was that the contract was drawn and the book was placed in my handsⒺexplanatory note.

In the course of one of my business talks with General Grant he asked me if I felt sure I could sell 25,000 copies of his book and he asked the question in such a way that I suspected that the Century people had intimated that that was about the number of the booksⒶapparatus note that they thoughtⒶapparatus note ought to sell. [See Roswell Smith’s remarkⒺexplanatory note, later on.]Ⓐapparatus note

I replied that the best way for a man to express an opinion in such a case was to put it in money—therefore, I would make this offer: if he would give me the book I would advance him the sum of $25,000 on each volume the moment the manuscript was placed in my hands, and [begin page 81] if I never got the $50,000 back again, out of the future copyrights due, I would never ask him to return any part of the money to me.

The suggestion seemed to distressⒶapparatus note him. He said he could notⒶapparatus note think of taking in advance any sum of money large or small which the publisher would not be absolutely sureⒶapparatus note of getting back again. Some time afterwards when the contract was being drawn and the question was whether it should be 20Ⓐapparatus note per cent royalty or 70Ⓐapparatus note per cent of the profits,Ⓐapparatus note he inquired which of the two propositions would be the best all roundⒶapparatus note. I sent WebsterⒶapparatus note to tell him that the 20Ⓐapparatus note per cent royalty would be the best for him, for the reason that it was the surest, the simplest, the easiest to keep track of, and, better still, would pay him a trifle more, no doubt,Ⓐapparatus note than with the other plan.

He thought the matter over and then said in substance that by the 20Ⓐapparatus note per cent plan heⒶapparatus note would be sure to make,Ⓐapparatus note while the publisher might possibly lose: therefore, he would not have the royalty plan, but the 70-per-cent-profit plan;Ⓐapparatus note since if there were profits he could not thenⒶapparatus note get them all but the publisher would be sure to get 30 per cent of it.

This was just likeⒶapparatus note General Grant. It was absolutely impossible for him to entertain for aⒶapparatus note moment any proposition which might prosper him at the risk of any other man.

After the contract had been drawn and signed I remembered I had offered to advance the General some money and that he had said he might possibly need $10,000 before the book issued. The circumstance had been forgotten and was not in the contract but I had the luck to remember it before leaving town;Ⓐapparatus note so I went back and told Colonel Fred Grant to draw upon Webster for the $10,000Ⓐapparatus note whenever it should be wanted.

That was the only thing forgotten in the contract and it was now rectified and everything wasⒶapparatus note smooth.

And now I come to a circumstance which I have never spoken of and which cannot be known for many years to come,Ⓐapparatus note for this paragraph must not be published until the mention of so private a matter cannot offend any living person.

The contract was drawn by the great law firm of Alexander & GreenⒶapparatus note on my partⒶapparatus note and Clarence Seward, son of Mr. Lincoln’s Secretary of State, on the part of General Grant.

Appended to the contract was a transfer of the book to GeneralⒶapparatus note Grant’s wife,Ⓐapparatus note and the transfer from her to my firm for the consideration of $1,000Ⓐapparatus note in hand paid.

This was to prevent the General’s creditors from seizing the proceeds of the book.

Webster had said yesⒶapparatus note when the sum named was $1,000Ⓐapparatus note andⒶapparatus note after he had signed the contract and was leaving the law officeⒶapparatus note he mentioned incidentallyⒶapparatus note that the $1,000Ⓐapparatus note was of course a mere formality in such a paperⒶapparatus note andⒶapparatus note means nothing. But Mr. Seward took him privately asideⒶapparatus note and said “NoⒶapparatus note, it means just what it says— for the General’s family have not a penny in the house and they are waiting at this moment with lively anxiety for that small sum of money.”Ⓐapparatus note

Webster was astonished. He drew a check at once and Mr. Seward gave it to a messenger boy, and told him to take it swiftly—by the speediest route—to General Grant’s house, and not let the grass grow under his feet.

It was a shameful thing that the man who had saved this country and its government from destruction should still be in a position where so small a sum—so trivial an amount—as $1,000Ⓐapparatus note, could be looked upon as a godsendⒶapparatus note. Everybody knew that the General was in reduced circumstances, [begin page 82] but what a storm would have gone up all over the land if the people could have known that his poverty had reached such a point as this.

The newspapers all over the land had been lauding the princely generosity of the Century people in paying General Grant the goodly sum of $1,500Ⓐapparatus note for three magazine articles, whereasⒶapparatus note if they had paid him the amount which was his just due for them he would still have been able to keep his carriage and not have been worrying about $1,000Ⓐapparatus note. Neither the newspapers nor the public were probably aware that fifty-fiveⒶapparatus note years earlier the publishers of an annual in London had offered little Tom MooreⒺexplanatory note twice $1,500Ⓐapparatus note for two Ⓐapparatus note articles and had told him to make them long or short and to write about whatever he pleased. The difference between the financial value of any article written by Tom Moore in his best day and a war Ⓐapparatus note article written by General Grant in these days was about as one to fifty.

To go back a while. After being a month or two in the West, during the winter of 1884–5, I returned to the East, reaching New York about the 20th of February.

No agreement had at that time been reached as to the contract,Ⓐapparatus note but I called at General Grant’s house simply to inquire after his health,Ⓐapparatus note for I had seen reports in the newspapers that he had been sick and confined to his house for some time.

The last time I had been at his house he told me that he had stopped smokingⒶapparatus note because of the trouble in his throat,Ⓐapparatus note which the physicians had said would be quickest cured in that way. But while I was in the West the newspapers had reported that this throat affection was believed to be in the nature of a cancer. However, on the morning of my arrival in New YorkⒶapparatus note the newspapers had reported that the physicians had said that the General was a great deal better than he had been and was getting along very comfortably. So, when I called, at the house, I went up to the General’s roomⒶapparatus note and shook handsⒶapparatus note and said I was very glad he was so much better and so well along on the road to perfect health again.

He smiled and said “If it were only true.”

Of course I was both surprisedⒶapparatus note and discomfitedⒶapparatus note and asked his physician, Dr. Douglas, if the General were in truth not progressing as well as I had supposed. He intimated that the reports were rather rose-colored and that this affection was no doubt a cancer.

I am an excessive smokerⒶapparatus note and I said to the General that some of the rest of us must take warning by his case, but Dr. DouglasⒺexplanatory note spoke up and said that this result must not be attributed altogether to smoking. He said it was probable that it had its originⒶapparatus note in excessive smoking,Ⓐapparatus note but that that was not the certain reason of its manifesting itself at this time: that more than likely the real reason was the General’s distress of mind and year-long depression of spirit, arising from the failure of the Grant and Ward firm.

This remark started the General at once to talkingⒶapparatus note and I found thenⒶapparatus note and afterwards thatⒶapparatus note when he did not care to talk about any other subject,Ⓐapparatus note he was always ready and willing to talk about that one.

He told what I have before related about the robberies perpetrated upon himⒶapparatus note and upon all the Grant connectionⒶapparatus note by this man Ward,Ⓐapparatus note whom he had so thoroughly trusted,Ⓐapparatus note but he never uttered a phrase concerning Ward which an outraged adult might not have uttered concerning an offending child.Ⓐapparatus note He spokeⒶapparatus note as a man speaks who has been deeply wronged and humiliated and betrayed;Ⓐapparatus note but he never used a venomous expression or one of a vengeful nature.Ⓐapparatus note

[begin page 83] As for myself I was inwardly boiling all the time: I was scalping Ward, flaying him alive, breaking him on the wheel, pounding him to jelly, and cursing him with all the profanity known to the one languageⒶapparatus note that I am acquainted with, and helping it outⒶapparatus note in times of difficulty and distressⒶapparatus note with odds and ends of profanity drawn from the two other languages of which I have a limitedⒶapparatus note knowledge.

He told his story with deep feeling in his voice,Ⓐapparatus note but with no betrayal upon his countenance of what was going on in his heart. He could depend upon that countenance of his in all emergencies. It always stood by him. ItⒶapparatus note never betrayed him.

July 1st or 2d, 1885, (at Mount McGregorⒺexplanatory note,) about three weeks before the General’s death, Buck Grant and I sat talking an hour to each other across the General’s lap—just to keep him company—he had only to listen. The news had just come that that Marine Bank man (Ward’s pal—what was that scoundrel’s name?) had been sent up for ten yearsⒺexplanatory note. Buck Grant said the bitterest things about him he could frame his tongue to; I was about as bitter myself. The General listened for some time, then reached for his pad and pencil and wrote “He was not as bad as the other”—meaning Ward. It was his only comment. Even his writing looked gentle.Ⓐapparatus note

While he was talking, Colonel Grant said:

“Father is letting you see that the Grant family are a pack of fools, Mr. Clemens!”

The General combatted that statement. He saidⒶapparatus note in substanceⒶapparatus note that facts could be produced which would show that when Ward laid siege to a man that man would turn out to be a fool too—as much of a fool as any Grant: that all men were fools if the being successfully beguiled by Ward was proofⒶapparatus note by itselfⒶapparatus note that the man was a fool. He began to present instances. He said, (in effect,) that nobody would call the President of the Erie RailroadⒺexplanatory note a fool,Ⓐapparatus note yet Ward beguiled him to the extent of $800,000: robbed him of every cent of it. He mentioned another man who could not be called a fool,Ⓐapparatus note yet Ward had beguiled that man out of more than half a million dollars and had given him nothing in return for it. He instancedⒶapparatus note a man with a name something like Fisher, though that was not the name, whom he said nobody could call a fool: on the contrary,Ⓐapparatus note a man who had made himself very rich by being sharper and smarter than other people and whoⒶapparatus note always prided himself upon his smartnessⒶapparatus note and uponⒶapparatus note the fact that he could not be fooled, he could not be deceived by anybody;Ⓐapparatus note but what did Ward do in his case? He fooled him into buying a portion of a mine belonging to ex-Senator ChaffeeⒺexplanatory note—a property which was not for sale, which Ward could produce no authority for selling—yet he got out of thatⒶapparatus note man $300,000Ⓐapparatus note in cash, without the passage of a single piece of paperⒶapparatus note or a line of writing, to show that the sale had been made. This man came to the office of Grant and Ward every day for a good whileⒶapparatus note and talked with Ward about the prospects of that rich mine, andⒶapparatus note it wasⒶapparatus note very rich,Ⓐapparatus note and these two would pass directly by Mr. Chaffee and go into the next room and talk. You would think that a man of his reputation for shrewdness would at some time or other have concluded to ask Mr. ChaffeeⒶapparatus note a question or two;Ⓐapparatus note but, no: Ward had told this man that Chaffee did not want to be known in the transaction at all,Ⓐapparatus note that he must seem to be at Grant and Ward’s office on other business,Ⓐapparatus note and that he must not venture to speak to Chaffee or the whole business would be spoiled.

ThereⒶapparatus note was a man who prided himself on being a smart business man and yet Ward robbed him of $300,000 without giving him a scrap of anything to show that the transaction had [begin page 84] taken placeⒶapparatus note and to-day that man is not among the prosecutors of Ward at all for the reason perhapsⒶapparatus note that he would rather lose all of that money than have the fact get out that he was deceived in so childish a way.

General Grant mentioned another man who was very wealthy, whomⒶapparatus note no one would venture to call a fool, either business-wise or otherwise, yet this man came into the office one day and said “Ward, here is my check for $50,000Ⓐapparatus note, I have no use for it at present, I am going to make a flying trip to Europe;Ⓐapparatus note turn it over for me, see what you can do with it.” Some time afterwards I was in the office when this gentleman returned from his trip and presented himself. He asked Ward if he had accomplished anything with that money? Ward said “Just wait a moment,” went to his books, turned over a page, mumbled to himself a few moments, drew a check for $250,000, handed it to this man with the air of a person who had really accomplished nothing worth talking of! The man stared at the check a moment, handed it back to Ward, and said “ThatⒶapparatus note is plenty good enough for me, set that hen again,”Ⓐapparatus note and he went out of the place. It was the last he ever saw of any of that money.

I had been discovering fools all along when the General was talking,Ⓐapparatus note but this instance brought me to my senses. I put myself in this fellow’sⒶapparatus note place and confessed that if I had been in that fellow’s clothes it was a hundred to one that I would have done the very thing that he had done, and I was thoroughly well aware that,Ⓐapparatus note at any rate,Ⓐapparatus note there was not a preacher nor a widowⒶapparatus note in Christendom who would not have done it: for these people are always seeking investments that pay illegitimately large sums;Ⓐapparatus note and they never, or seldom,Ⓐapparatus note stop to inquire into the nature of the business.

When I was ready to go, Colonel Fred Grant went down stairs with me, and stunned me by telling me confidentiallyⒶapparatus note that the physicians were trying to keep his father’s real condition from him, but that in fact they considered him to be under sentence of death and that he would not be likely to liveⒶapparatus note more than a fortnight or three weeks longer.

This was about the 21st of February, 1885.Ⓐapparatus note

AfterⒶapparatus note the 21st of FebruaryⒶapparatus note General Grant busied himself dailyⒶapparatus note as much as his strength would allowⒶapparatus note in revising the manuscript of his book. It was read to him by Colonel GrantⒶapparatus note very carefullyⒶapparatus note and he made the corrections as he went along. He was losing valuable time because only one-halfⒶapparatus note or two-thirds of the second and last volume was as yet written. However,Ⓐapparatus note he was more anxious that what was written should be absolutely correctⒶapparatus note than that the book should be finished in an incorrect formⒶapparatus note and then find himself unable to correct it. His memory was superbⒶapparatus note and nearly any other man with such a memory would have been satisfied to trust it. Not so the General. No matter how sure he was of the fact or the date,Ⓐapparatus note he would never let it go until he had verified it with the official records. This constant and painstaking searching of the recordsⒶapparatus note cost a great deal of time,Ⓐapparatus note but it was not wasted. Everything stated as a fact in General Grant’s book may be accepted with entire confidence as being thoroughly trustworthy.

Speaking of his memory, what a wonderful machine it was! He told me one day that he never made a report of the battles of the Wilderness until they were all over, and he was back in Washington. Then he sat down and made a full report from memory andⒶapparatus note when it was finished,Ⓐapparatus note examined the reports of his subordinatesⒶapparatus note and found that he had made hardly an error. To be exact, he said he had made two errors.Ⓐapparatus note

[begin page 85] This is his statement as I remember it, though my memory is not absolutely trustworthy and I may be overstating it.

(These and other statements of mine to be laid before Colonel FredⒶapparatus note Grant for verification.)

The General lost some moreⒶapparatus note time in one other way. Three Century articles had been written and paid for, but he had during the summer before promised to write a fourth one. He had written it in a rough draft but it had remained unfinished.

The Century people had advertised these articles and were now fearful that the General would never be able to complete them. By this time the General’s condition had got abroad and the newspapers were full of reports about his perilous condition. The Century people called several times to get the fourth articleⒶapparatus note and this hurt and offended ColonelⒶapparatus note Fred GrantⒶapparatus note because he knew that they were aware, as was all the world, that his father was considered to be in a dying condition. ColonelⒶapparatus note Grant thought that they ought to show more consideration—more humanity. By fits and startsⒶapparatus note the General worked at that article whenever his failing strength would permit himⒶapparatus note and was determined to finish itⒶapparatus note if possibleⒶapparatus note because his promise had been given and he would in no way depart from it while any slight possibility remained of fulfilling itⒶapparatus note. I asked if there was no contract or no understanding as to what was to be paid by the Century people for the article. He said there was not. Then, I said, “ChargeⒶapparatus note them $20,000 for it. It is well worth it—worth double the money. Charge them this sum for it in its unfinished condition and let them have itⒶapparatus note and tell them that it will be worth still more in case the General shall be able to complete it. This may modify their ardor somewhatⒶapparatus note and bring you a rest.”Ⓐapparatus note He was not willing to put so large a price upon it but thought that if he gave it to them he might require them to pay $5,000Ⓐapparatus note. It was plain that the modesty of the family in money matters was indestructibleⒶapparatus note.

Just about this time I was talking to General BadeauⒶapparatus note there one dayⒶapparatus note Ⓔexplanatory note when I saw a pile of type-writer manuscript on the table and picked up the first page and began to read it. I saw that it was an account of the siege of Vicksburg. I counted a page and there were about three hundred words on the page: 18,000Ⓐapparatus note or 20,000 words altogether.

General BadeauⒶapparatus note said it was one of the three articles written by General Grant for the Century.

I said, “Then they have no sort of right to require the fourth article, for there is matter enough in this one to make two or three ordinary magazine articles.”Ⓐapparatus note The copy of this and the other two articles were at this moment in the Century’s safe;Ⓐapparatus note the fourth article agreement was therefore most amply fulfilled alreadyⒶapparatus note without an additional article: yet the Century people considered that the contract would not be fulfilled without the fourth article and so insisted upon having it. At the ordinary price paid me forⒶapparatus note Century articles, this Vicksburg article, if I had written it, would have been worth about $700. Therefore, the Century people had paid General Grant no more than they would have paid me,Ⓐapparatus note and this includingⒶapparatus note the $1,000Ⓐapparatus note gratuity which they had given him.

It is impossible to overestimate the enormity of this gouge. If the Century people knew anything at all;Ⓐapparatus note if they were not steepedⒶapparatus note to the marrow in ignorance and stupidity, they knew that a single page of General Grant’s manuscript was worth more than a hundred of mine. But they were steeped to such a degree in ignorance and stupidity. They were honest, honorable [begin page 86] and good-hearted people according to their lights, and if anybody could have made them see that it was shameful to take such an advantage of a dying soldier,Ⓐapparatus note they would have rectified the wrong. But all the eloquence that I was able to pour out upon them went for nothing, utterly for nothing. They still thought that they had been quite generous to the General and were not able to see the matter in any other light.

Afterwards, at Mt. McGregor they consented to give up half of the Vicksburg article; and they did; they gave up more than half of it—cut it from twenty-two galleys down to nine, and only the nine will appear in the magazine. And they added $2,500 to the $2,500 already paid. Those people could learn to be as fair and liberal as anybody, if they had the right schooling.Ⓐapparatus note

I will make a diversion here, and get back upon my track again laterⒺexplanatory note.Ⓐapparatus note

While I was away with G. W. Cable, giving public readingsⒺexplanatory note in the theatres, lecture halls, skating rinks, jailsⒶapparatus note and churches of the country, the travel was necessarily fatiguing and thereforeⒶapparatus note I ceased from writing letters excepting to my wife and children. This foretaste of heaven, this relief from the fretⒶapparatus note of letter-answering,Ⓐapparatus note was delightful,Ⓐapparatus note but it finally left me in the dark concerning things which I ought to have beenⒶapparatus note acquainted with at the moment.

Among these the affairs of Karl Gerhardt, the young artist, should be mentioned.

I had started out on this reading pilgrimage the day after the Presidential electionⒺexplanatory note: that is to say,Ⓐapparatus note I had started on the 5thⒶapparatus note of November and had visited my home only once between that time and the 2dⒶapparatus note of March following.

During all these four monthsⒶapparatus note GerhardtⒶapparatus note had been waiting for the verdict of that dilatory committee, and had taken it out in waiting: that is to say,Ⓐapparatus note he had sat stillⒶapparatus note and done nothing to earn his bread. He had been tirelessly diligent in asking forⒶapparatus note work in the line of his artⒶapparatus note, and had used all possible means in that direction: he had written letters to every man he could hear of who was likely to need a mortuary monument for himselfⒶapparatus note, or his friendsⒶapparatus note, or acquaintancesⒶapparatus note, and had also applied for theⒶapparatus note chance of a competition for a soldiers’ monument—for all things of this sort—but always without success;Ⓐapparatus note the natural result,Ⓐapparatus note as his name was not known. He had no reputation.

When I closed my reading campaign at Washington, the last day of February, I came home and found theⒶapparatus note state of things which I have just spoken of. Gerhardt had waited four longⒶapparatus note months on that committee which would have needed four centuries in which to make up its mind, and I was thoroughly provoked. I told him that he ought to have had more pride than to permit me to support him and his family during all that time with no assistance from his idle hands. He said that he had wanted to work and had felt the humiliation of the state of things as much as any one could, but that he had been afraid of the effect which it might haveⒶapparatus note if it became known that this artistⒶapparatus note who was applying for statues and monumentsⒶapparatus note was not to be found in a studio but in some one’s workshop. I said I thought the argument had not a leg to stand on,Ⓐapparatus note that he ought to have made it his business to find something to do: that he ought to have been shovelingⒶapparatus note snow, sawing wood, all these four months, and that the revelation that he had been so engaged would have been a credit to him in anybody’s eyes whose respect was worth anything. It was hard to have to talk to him so plainly, but it was manifest that mere [begin page 87] hints were valueless when leveledⒶapparatus note at him: I had tried them before. He said he would find some work to do immediately.

He came back the next day and said he had got work at Pratt & Whitney’s shop and could go on corresponding with people about statues without interfering with that work.

It seemed to me that Gerhardt compactlyⒶapparatus note filled JamesⒶapparatus note Redpath’s definition of an artist:Ⓐapparatus note “A man who has a sense of beauty and no sense of duty.”

Once, J. Q. A. Ward, in speaking of his early struggles to get a status as a sculptor, had told me that he had made his beginning by hanging around the studios of sculptors of reputeⒶapparatus note and picking up odd jobs of journey work in them,Ⓐapparatus note for the sake of the breadⒶapparatus note he could gain in that way. I had turned this suggestion over to Gerhardt,Ⓐapparatus note but his replyⒶapparatus note from ParisⒶapparatus note had been an almost indignant scouting of the idea, as being a thing which noⒶapparatus note true artist couldⒶapparatus note bring himself to doⒺexplanatory note;Ⓐapparatus note and I saw by that that Gerhardt was a true artist because he was manifestlyⒶapparatus note determined not to do it.

I may as well say hereⒶapparatus note and be done with itⒶapparatus note that my connection with Gerhardt had very little sentiment in it, from my side of the house,Ⓐapparatus note and no romance. I took hold of his case, in the first place, solely because I had become convinced that he had it in him to become a very capable sculptor. I was not adopting a child, I was not adding a member to the family, I was merely taking upon myself a common duty—the duty of helping a man who was not able to help himself. I never expected him to be grateful, I never expected him to be thankful—my experience of men had long ago taught me that one of the surest ways of begetting an enemy was to do some stranger an act of kindness which should lay upon him the irritating sense of an obligation. Therefore my connection with Gerhardt had nothing sentimental or romantic about it. I told him in the first place that if the time should ever come when he could pay back to me the money expended upon himⒶapparatus note and pay it without inconvenience to himself, I should expect itⒶapparatus note at his hands, and thatⒶapparatus note when it wasⒶapparatus note paidⒶapparatus note I should consider the account entirely requited—sentiment and all: that thatⒶapparatus note act would leave him freeⒶapparatus note from any obligation to me. It was wellⒶapparatus note all roundⒶapparatus note that things had taken that shape in the beginningⒶapparatus note and had kept it,Ⓐapparatus note for, if the foundation had been sentiment,Ⓐapparatus note that sentiment would have grown sour when I saw that he did not want to work for a livingⒶapparatus note in outside waysⒶapparatus note when art had no livingⒶapparatus note to offer. It had saved me from applyingⒶapparatus note in his caseⒶapparatus note a maxim of mineⒶapparatus note thatⒶapparatus note whenever a man preferred being fed by any other man to starving in independence he ought to be shot.

One evening Gerhardt appeared in the library and I hoped he had come to say he was getting along very well at the machine shop and was contented;Ⓐapparatus note so I was disappointed when he said he had come to show me a small bust he had been making, in clay, of General Grant, from a photograph. I was the more irritated for the reason that I had never seen a portrait of General Grant—Ⓐapparatus notein oil, water-colors, crayon, steel, wood, photograph, plaster,Ⓐapparatus note marble or any other material,—Ⓐapparatus notethat was to me at all satisfactory; and, therefore,Ⓐapparatus note I could not expect that a person who had never even seen the General could accomplish anything worth considering in the way of a likeness of him.

However, when he uncovered the bust my prejudices vanished at once. TheⒶapparatus note thing was not correct in its details, yet it seemed to me to be a closer approach to a good likeness of General Grant than any one which I had ever seen before. Before uncovering itⒶapparatus note Gerhardt had said [begin page 88] he had brought it in the hope that I would show it to some member of the General’s family, and get that memberⒶapparatus note to point out its chief defectsⒶapparatus note for correction;Ⓐapparatus note but I had repliedⒶapparatus note that I could not venture to do that,Ⓐapparatus note for there was a plenty ofⒶapparatus note people to pester these folks without me adding myself to the number. But a glance at the bust had changed all thatⒶapparatus note in an instant. I said I would go to New York in the morning and askⒶapparatus note the family to look at the bust and that he must come along to be within call in case they took enough interest in the matter to point outⒶapparatus note the defects.

We reached the General’s house at one o’clock the next afternoon, and I left GerhardtⒶapparatus note and the bust below and went up stairs to see the familyⒺexplanatory note.

And now, for the first time, the thought came into myⒶapparatus note mind, that perhapsⒶapparatus note I was doing a foolish thing,Ⓐapparatus note that the family must of necessity have been pestered with such matters as this so many times that the very mention of such a thing must be nauseating to them. However,Ⓐapparatus note I had started and so I might as well finish. ThereforeⒶapparatus note I said I hadⒶapparatus note a young artist down stairs who hadⒶapparatus note been making a small bust of the General from a photographⒶapparatus note and IⒶapparatus note wished they would look at it, if they were willing to do me that kindness.

Jesse Grant’s wifeⒺexplanatory note spoke up with eagerness and said “IsⒶapparatus note it the artist who made theⒶapparatus note bust of you that is in Huckleberry Finn?”Ⓐapparatus note I said, yes.Ⓐapparatus note She saidⒶapparatus note with great animation, “How good it was of you, Mr. Clemens, to think of that!” She expressed this lively gratitude to me in various ways until I began to feel somehow a great sense of merit in having originated this noble idea of having a bust of GeneralⒶapparatus note Grant made by so excellent an artist. I will notⒶapparatus note do my sagacity the discredit of saying that I did anythingⒶapparatus note to remove or modify this impression that I had originated the idea and carried it out to its present state through my own ingenuity and diligence.

Mrs. Jesse Grant added, “HowⒶapparatus note strange it is;Ⓐapparatus note only two nights ago I dreamed that I was looking at your bust in Huckleberry FinnⒶapparatus note and thinking how nearly perfect it was,Ⓐapparatus note and then I thought that I conceived the idea of going to you and asking you if you could not hunt up that artist and get him to make a bust of father!”Ⓐapparatus note

Things were going on very handsomely!

The persons present were Colonel FredⒶapparatus note Grant, Mrs.Ⓐapparatus note Jesse Grant, and Dr. DouglasⒶapparatus note.

I went down for Gerhardt and he brought up the bust and uncovered it. All of the family present exclaimed over the excellence of the likeness, and Mrs.Ⓐapparatus note Jesse Grant expended some more unearned gratitude upon me.

The family began to discuss the detailsⒶapparatus note and then checked themselves and begged Gerhardt’sⒶapparatus note pardon for criticising. Of courseⒶapparatus note he said that their criticisms were exactly what he wantedⒶapparatus note and begged them to go on. The General’s wife said thatⒶapparatus note in that caseⒶapparatus note they would be glad to point out what seemed to them inaccuracies,Ⓐapparatus note but that he must not take their speeches as being criticisms upon his art at all. They found two inaccuracies:Ⓐapparatus note in the shape of the nose andⒶapparatus note theⒶapparatus note shape of the forehead. All were agreed that the forehead was wrong, but there was a livelyⒶapparatus note dispute about the nose. Some of those present contended that the nose was nearly right—the others contended that it was distinctly wrong. The General’s wife knelt on the ottoman to get a clearer view of the bustⒶapparatus note and theⒶapparatus note others stood about her—all talking at once. FinallyⒶapparatus note the General’s wife said, hesitatingly, with the mienⒶapparatus note of one who is afraid he is taking a liberty andⒶapparatus note asking too much—“If Mr.Ⓐapparatus note Gerhardt could see the General’s nose and foreheadⒶapparatus note himself,Ⓐapparatus note that would dispose [begin page 89] of this dispute at once”;Ⓐapparatus note finally, “TheⒶapparatus note General is in the next room—would Mr. Gerhardt mind going in there and making the correction himself?”

Things were indeed progressing handsomely!

Of course, Mr. Gerhardt lost no time in expressing his willingness.

While the controversy was going on concerning the nose and the forehead, Mrs. Fred GrantⒺexplanatory note joined the group, and then presentlyⒶapparatus note each of the three ladiesⒶapparatus note in turnⒶapparatus note disappeared for a few minutesⒶapparatus note and came back with a handful of photographs and hand-painted miniaturesⒶapparatus note of the General.

These pictures had been made in every quarter of the world. One of them had been painted in Japan. But, good as many of these pictures wereⒶapparatus note they were worthless as evidenceⒶapparatus note for the reason that they contradicted each other in every detail.Ⓐapparatus note

The photograph apparatus had lied as distinctly and as persistently as hadⒶapparatus note the hands of the miniature-artistsⒶapparatus note. No two noses were alike and no two foreheads were alike.

We steppedⒶapparatus note into the General’s room—all but GeneralⒶapparatus note Badeau and Dr. DouglasⒶapparatus note.

The General was stretched out in a reclining chair with his feet supported upon an ordinary chair.Ⓐapparatus note He was muffled up in dressing gowns and afghans withⒶapparatus note his black woolen skull-capⒶapparatus note on his head.

The ladies took the skull-capⒶapparatus note offⒶapparatus note and began to discuss his noseⒶapparatus note and his foreheadⒶapparatus note and they made him turn this wayⒶapparatus note and that wayⒶapparatus note and the other wayⒶapparatus note to get different views and profiles of his features. He took it all patiently and made no complaint. He allowed them to pullⒶapparatus note and haul him aboutⒶapparatus note in their own affectionateⒶapparatus note fashionⒶapparatus note without aⒶapparatus note murmur. Mrs. Fred Grant, who is very beautiful and of the most gentle and loving character, was very active in this serviceⒶapparatus note and very deftⒶapparatus note with her graceful handsⒶapparatus note in arrangingⒶapparatus note and re-arranging the General’s head for inspectionⒶapparatus note and repeatedly called attention to the handsome shape of his head—a thing which reminds me that Gerhardt had picked up an old plug hat of the General’s down stairsⒶapparatus note and had remarked upon the perfect ovalⒶapparatus note shape of the inside of it, this oval being so uniform that the wearer of the hat could never be able to knowⒶapparatus note by the feel of itⒶapparatus note whether he had it right-endⒶapparatus note in frontⒶapparatus note or wrong-endⒶapparatus note in front, whereasⒶapparatus note the average man’s head is broadⒶapparatus note at one end and narrow at the other.

The General’s wife placed him in various positions, none of which satisfied her, and finallyⒶapparatus note she went to him and said—“Ulyss! Ulyss! Can’t you put your feet to the floor?” He did so at once and straightened himself up.Ⓐapparatus note

During all this time, the General’s face wore a pleasant, contentedⒶapparatus note and, I should say, benignant aspect,Ⓐapparatus note but he never opened his lips once. As had often been the case before, soⒶapparatus note now, his silence gave ample room to guess at what was passing in his mind—and to take it out in guessing. I will remark, in passing, that the General’s hands were very thin, and they showed, far more than did his face, how his long siege of confinement and illness and insufficient foodⒶapparatus note had wasted him. He was at this time sufferingⒶapparatus note great and increasing pain from the cancer at the root of his tongue,Ⓐapparatus note but thereⒶapparatus note was nothing ever discoverable in the expression of his face to betray this factⒶapparatus note as long as he was awake. When asleepⒶapparatus note his face would take advantage of him and make revelations.

At the end of fifteen minutesⒶapparatus note Gerhardt said he believed he could correct the defects now. So, we went back to the other room.

[begin page 90] Gerhardt went to work on the clay image, everybody standing round, observing and discussing with the greatest interest.

Presently,Ⓐapparatus note the General astonished us by appearing there, clad in his wraps, and supporting himselfⒶapparatus note in a somewhat unsureⒶapparatus note way upon a cane. He sat down on the sofa and said he could sit thereⒶapparatus note if it would be for the advantage of the artist.

But his wife would not allow that. She said that he might catch cold. She was for hurrying him back at once to his invalid chair. He succumbed,Ⓐapparatus note and started back,Ⓐapparatus note but at the doorⒶapparatus note he turned and said:

“Then can’t Mr. Gerhardt bring the clay in here and work?”

This was several hundred times better fortune than GerhardtⒶapparatus note could have dreamed of. He removed his work toⒶapparatus note the General’s roomⒶapparatus note at once. The General stretched himself out in his chair,Ⓐapparatus note but said thatⒶapparatus note if that position would not do,Ⓐapparatus note he would sit up. Gerhardt said it would do very well,Ⓐapparatus note indeed;Ⓐapparatus note especially if it were more comfortable to the sitterⒶapparatus note than any other would be.

The General watched Gerhardt’sⒶapparatus note swift and noiseless fingers for some time with manifestⒶapparatus note interest inⒶapparatus note his face,Ⓐapparatus note and no doubtⒶapparatus note this novelty was a valuable thing to one who had spent so many weeks that were tedious with sameness and unemphasized with change or diversion. By and bye, one eyelid began to droop occasionally;Ⓐapparatus note then everybody stepped out of the room excepting GerhardtⒶapparatus note and myselfⒶapparatus note and I moved to the rearⒶapparatus note where I would be out of sight and not be a disturbing element.

Harrison, the General’s old colored body-servantⒺexplanatory note,Ⓐapparatus note came in presentlyⒶapparatus note and remained a while watching Gerhardt, and then broke outⒶapparatus note with great zeal and decision:Ⓐapparatus note

“That’s the General! Yes, sir! That’s the General! Mind! I tell you! That’s the General!”

Then he went away, and the place became absolutely silent.

Within a few minutes afterwards theⒶapparatus note General was sleeping, and for two hours he continued to sleep tranquilly, the serenity of his face disturbed only at intervals by a passing wave of pain. It was the first sleepⒶapparatus note he had had for several weeks uninduced by narcotics.

To my mind this bust, completedⒶapparatus note at this sitting,Ⓐapparatus note has in it more of General Grant than can be found in any other likeness of him thatⒶapparatus note has ever been made since he was a famous man. I thinkⒶapparatus note it may rightly be called the best portrait of GeneralⒶapparatus note Grant that is in existenceⒺexplanatory note. It has also a feature which must always be a remembrancerⒶapparatus note to this nation of what the General was passing through during the long weeks of that spring. For, into the clay image went the pain which heⒶapparatus note was enduring but which did not appear in his faceⒶapparatus note when he was awake. Consequently, the bust has about itⒶapparatus note a suggestion of patient and brave and manly suffering which is infinitely touching.

At the end of two hours GeneralⒶapparatus note Badeau entered abruptly and spoke to the General and this woke him up. But for this animal’sⒶapparatus note interruptionⒶapparatus note heⒶapparatus note might have slept as much longerⒶapparatus note possibly.

GerhardtⒶapparatus note worked on as long as it was light enough to workⒶapparatus note and then he went away. HeⒶapparatus note was to come again,Ⓐapparatus note and did come the following day;Ⓐapparatus note but, at the last moment,Ⓐapparatus note Colonel FredⒶapparatus note Grant would not permit another sitting. He said that the face was so nearly perfect that he was afraid to allow it to be touched again, lest some of the excellence might be refinedⒶapparatus note out of it, instead of adding more excellenceⒶapparatus note to it. He called attention to an oil painting on the wall down stairs [begin page 91] and asked if we knew that man. We couldn’t name him—had never seen his face before. “Well,” said ColonelⒶapparatus note Grant, “that was a perfect portrait of my father once: it was given up by all the family to be the best that had ever been made of him. We were entirely satisfied with it, but the artist, unhappily, was not: he wanted toⒶapparatus note do a stroke or two to make it absolutelyⒶapparatus note perfectⒶapparatus note and he insisted on taking it back with him. After he had made those finishing touches it didn’t resemble my father or any one else. We took it,Ⓐapparatus note and have always kept it as a curiosity. But with that lesson behind us we will save this bust from a similar fate.”

He allowed Gerhardt to work at the hair, however: he said he might expend as much of his talent on that as he pleased but must stop there.

Gerhardt finished the hair to his satisfaction but never touched the face again. ColonelⒶapparatus note Grant required Gerhardt to promise that he would take every pains with the clay bustⒶapparatus note and then return it to himⒶapparatus note to keepⒶapparatus note as soon as he had taken a mould from it. This was done.

Gerhardt prepared the clay as well as he could for permanent preservation and gave it to ColonelⒶapparatus note Grant.

Up to the present day, May 22, 1885, no later likeness of GeneralⒶapparatus note GrantⒶapparatus note of any kindⒶapparatus note has been made from lifeⒶapparatus note and if this shall chance to remain the last ever made of him from life, coming generations can properly be gratefulⒶapparatus note that one so nearly perfect of him was made after the world learned his nameⒺexplanatory note.Ⓐapparatus note

Grant’s Memoirs

1885. (Spring.)Ⓐapparatus note

Some time after the contract for General Grant’s book was completed, I found that nothing but a verbal understanding existed between General Grant and the Century Company giving General Grant permission to use his Century articles in his book. There is a law of custom which gives an author the privilege of using his magazine articleⒶapparatus note in any way he pleasesⒶapparatus note after it shall have appeared in the magazine,Ⓐapparatus note and this law of custom is so well established that an author never expects to have any difficulty about getting a magazine copyright transferred to himⒶapparatus note whenever he shall ask for itⒶapparatus note with the purpose in view of putting it in a book. ButⒶapparatus note in the present caseⒶapparatus note I was afraid that the Century Company might fall back upon their legal rights and ignore the law of custom, in which case we should be debarred from using General Grant’s Century articles in his book—an awkward state of things, because he was now too sick a man to re-write them. It was necessary that something should be done in this matter, and done at once.

Mr. Seward, General Grant’s lawyer, was a good deal disturbed when he found that there was no writing. But I was not. I believed that the Century people could be relied upon to carry out any verbal agreement which they had made. The only thing I feared was that their idea of the verbal agreementⒶapparatus note and General Grant’s idea of itⒶapparatus note might not coincide. So I went back to the General’s house and got Colonel FredⒶapparatus note Grant to write down what he understood the verbal agreement to beⒶapparatus note and this piece of writing he read to General Grant, who said it was correctⒶapparatus note and then signed itⒶapparatus note with his own hand: a feeble and trembling signature, but recognizable as his.

Then I sentⒶapparatus note for Webster,Ⓐapparatus note and our lawyer,Ⓐapparatus note and we three went to the Century office,Ⓐapparatus note where [begin page 92] we found Roswell Smith, (the head man of the company,)Ⓐapparatus note and several of the editors. I stated my case plainly and simplyⒶapparatus note and found that their understandingⒶapparatus note and General Grant’sⒶapparatus note were identical;Ⓐapparatus note so, the difficulty was at an end at once, and we proceeded to draw a writing to cover the thingⒺexplanatory note.

When the business was finished, or, perhaps, in the course of it, I made another interesting discovery.

I was already aware that the Century people were going to bring outⒶapparatus note all their war articles in book formⒶapparatus note eventually, General Grant’s among the number;Ⓐapparatus note butⒶapparatus note as I knew what a small price had been paid to the General for his articlesⒶapparatus note I had a vague general notion that he would receive a further payment for the use of them in their book,Ⓐapparatus note a remuneration which an author customarily receivesⒶapparatus note in our dayⒶapparatus note by another unwritten law of custom. But when I spoke of this, to my astonishment they told me that they had bought and paid for every one of these war articles with the distinct understanding that that first payment was the last. In confirmation of this amazing circumstance, they brought out a receipt which General Grant had signed, and therein it distinctly appeared that each $500 not only paid for the use of the article printed in the magazine but also in the subsequent book!Ⓐapparatus note

One thing was quite clear to me: if we consider the value of those articles to that book, we must grant that the General was paid very much less than nothing at all for their issue in the magazine.

This was altogether the sharpest trade I have ever heard of, in any line of business, horse tradingⒶapparatus note included.

The Century people didn’t blush and thereforeⒶapparatus note it is plain that they considered the transaction fair and legitimate;Ⓐapparatus note and I believe myself that they had no idea that they were doing an unfair thing. It was easily demonstrable that they were buying ten-dollarⒶapparatus note gold pieces from General Grant at twenty-fiveⒶapparatus note cents apieceⒶapparatus note, and I think it was as easily demonstrable that they did not know that there was anything unfair about it.

During our talkⒶapparatus note RoswellⒶapparatus note Smith said to me, with the glad air of a man who has stuck a nailⒶapparatus note in his foot, “I’m glad you’ve got the General’s book, Mr. Clemens, and glad there was somebody with courage enough to take itⒶapparatus note, under the circumstances. What do you think the General wanted to require of me?” “What?” “He wanted me to insure a sale of 25,000 sets of his book. I wouldn’t risk such a guarantee on any book that ever was published.”Ⓐapparatus note This is the remark I have already several times referred to. I’ve got Smith’s exact languageⒺexplanatory note; (from my note-book); it proves that they thought 10 per cent royalty would actually represent half profits on General Grant’s book! Imagine it.Ⓐapparatus note

I did not say anything,Ⓐapparatus note but I thought a good deal. This was one more evidence that the Century people had no more just idea of the value of the book than as many children might be expected to have. At this present writing (May 25, 1885) we have not advertised General Grant’s book in any way: we have not spent a dollar in advertising of any kind;Ⓐapparatus note we have not even given notice by circulars or otherwise that we are ready to receive applications from book agents,Ⓐapparatus note and yetⒶapparatus note to-dayⒶapparatus note we have bona fide orders for 100,000 sets of the book—that is to say,Ⓐapparatus note 200,000 single volumes,Ⓐapparatus note and these orders are from men who haveⒶapparatus note bonded themselves to take and pay for them, and who have also laid before us the most trustworthy evidence that they [begin page 93] are financially able to carry out their contracts. The territory which these men have taken is only about one-fourthⒶapparatus note of the area of the Northern states. We have also under consideration applications for 50,000 sets moreⒶapparatus note andⒶapparatus note although we have confidence in the energy and ability of the men who have made these applications,Ⓐapparatus note we have not closed with them becauseⒶapparatus note as yetⒶapparatus note we are not sufficiently satisfied as toⒶapparatus note their financial strength. [Sept. 10; 250,000 sets (500,000 single copies,) have been sold, to date—and only half the ground canvassed.]Ⓐapparatus note

When it became known that the General’s book had fallen into my hands, the New York World and a Boston paper, (I think the Herald)Ⓔexplanatory note came out at once with the news;Ⓐapparatus note and,Ⓐapparatus note in both instances,Ⓐapparatus note the position was taken that,Ⓐapparatus note by some sort of superior under-handed smartness,Ⓐapparatus note I had taken an unfair advantage of the confiding simplicity of the Century people,Ⓐapparatus note and got the book away from themⒺexplanatory note—a book which they had the right to consider their property,Ⓐapparatus note inasmuch as the terms of its publication had been mutually agreed upon,Ⓐapparatus note and the contract covering it was on the point of being signed by General Grant when I put in my meddling appearance.

None of the statements of these two papers was correct,Ⓐapparatus note but the Boston paper’s account was considered to be necessarily correct, for the reason that it was furnished by the sister of Mr. GilderⒺexplanatory note, editor of the Century. So, there was considerable newspaper talk about my improper methods,Ⓐapparatus note but nobody seemed to have wit enough to discover that if one gouger had Ⓐapparatus note captured the General’s book,Ⓐapparatus note here was evidence that he had only prevented another gouger from getting it, since the Century’s terms were distinctly mentioned in the Boston paper’s account as being 10 per cent royalty Ⓐapparatus note. No party observed that,Ⓐapparatus note and nobody commented upon it. It was taken for granted all round that General GrantⒶapparatus note would have signed that 10Ⓐapparatus note per cent contract without being grossly cheated.

It is my settled policy to allow newspapers to make as many misstatements about me or my affairs as they like;Ⓐapparatus note thereforeⒶapparatus note I had no mind to contradict either of these newspapersⒶapparatus note or explain my side of the case in any way. But a reporter came to our house at Hartford fromⒶapparatus note one of the editors of the CourantⒶapparatus note to ask me for my side of the matter for use in the Associated Press dispatches. I dictated a short paragraph in which I said that the statement made in the World that there was aⒶapparatus note coolness between the Century Company and General Grant,Ⓐapparatus note and thatⒶapparatus note in consequence of itⒶapparatus note the Century would not publish any more articles by GeneralⒶapparatus note Grant, notwithstanding the fact that they had advertised them far and wide,Ⓐapparatus note was not true. I said there was no coolness and no ground for coolness;Ⓐapparatus note that the contract for the book had been open for all competitors;Ⓐapparatus note that I had put in my application and had asked the General to state its terms to the other applicants in order that he might thereby be enabled to get the best terms possible;Ⓐapparatus note that I had got the book eventually,Ⓐapparatus note but by no underhandⒶapparatus note or unfair method. The statementⒶapparatus note I made was concise and briefⒶapparatus note and contained nothing offensive. It was sent over the wires to the Associated Press headquartersⒶapparatus note in New York, but it was not issuedⒶapparatus note by that concern. It did not appear in print. I inquiredⒶapparatus note why, and was told thatⒶapparatus note although it was a piece of news of quite universal interest,Ⓐapparatus note it was also more or less of an advertisement for the book—a thing I had not thought of before. I was also told that if I had had a friend round about the Associated Press office, I could have had that thing published all over the country for a reasonable bribe. I wondered if that were true. I wondered if so great and important a concern dealt in that sort of thing.

[begin page 94] I presently got something in the way of a confirmation in New York.Ⓐapparatus note A few days afterwards, I found that our lawyers, Alexander &Ⓐapparatus note Green, and also Mr. Webster, had been disturbed by the World’s statement of this matterⒶapparatus note and had thought a correction ought to be made through the press of the country. They had imagined that the Associated Press, havingⒶapparatus note for its sole business the collection of valuable news for newspapers,Ⓐapparatus note would be very glad to have a statement of the facts in this case. Therefore, they called on an employee of that concern and put into his hands a brief statement of the affair. He read it over, hesitated, said it was certainly a matter of great public interest but that he couldn’t see any way to make the statement without its being also a pretty good advertisement for General Grant’s book, and for my publishing firm;Ⓐapparatus note but he said if we would pay $500 he would send it over the wires to every newspaper in the country connected with that institution.

This pleasant offer was declined. But the proposition seemed to explain to me a thing which had often puzzled me. That was the frequent appearanceⒶapparatus note among the Associated Press dispatchesⒶapparatus note of prodigious puffs of speculative schemes. One, in particular, was a new electric light company of Boston. During a number of weeks there had been almost daily a wildly extravagant puff of this company’s prosperous conditionⒺexplanatory note in the Associated Press dispatches of the Hartford papers. TheⒶapparatus note prosperity or the unprosperity of that company was a matter of not the slightest interest to the generality of newspaper readers, and I had always wondered before why the Associated Press people should take such an apparent interest in the matter. It seemed quite satisfactorily explained now. The Associated Press had sent the World’s misstatements over the wiresⒶapparatus note to all parts of the countryⒶapparatus note free of chargeⒶapparatus note for the reason, no doubt, that that statement slandered General Grant,Ⓐapparatus note lied about his sonⒺexplanatory note, dealt the Century Company a disastrousⒶapparatus note blow, and was thoroughly well calculated to sharply injure me in both character and pocket. Therefore it was apparent that the Associated Press were willing to destroy a man for nothing, but required cash for rehabilitating him again. That was Associated Press morals. It was newspaper morals, too. Speaking in general termsⒶapparatus note it was always easy to get any print to say any injurious thing about a citizen in a newspaper,Ⓐapparatus note but it was next to impossible to get that paper or any other to right an injured man. We have a law of libel, but it is inoperative and merely cumbers the statute books. For several reasons: First—The case must take its routine place in the calendarⒶapparatus note of the court and that ensures that some months must elapse before the courts get down to it, so that whatever injury the libel might do has been alreadyⒶapparatus note done.Ⓐapparatus note Second Ⓐapparatus note—A jury is afraid of the newspapers and always lets a newspaper offⒶapparatus note at the cheapest and easiest rate. As the resultⒶapparatus note libel suits are very uncommon andⒶapparatus note whenever one is triedⒶapparatus note it simply serves as a reminder to later comers that the best way is to let libel suits alone and take what the newspapers choose to give you in the way of abuseⒺexplanatory note.Ⓐapparatus note