Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 12.djvu/439

 ii s. xii. NOV. 27, 1915.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

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St. Paul's, Deptford. The last sermon, how- ever, was preached at Margate, 2 June, 1800. Inwood is described as P.G.C. (Provincial Grand Chaplain) throughout, although in the list referred to his appointment is dated 1806. The previous date given is 1785, when the Rev. Brother Hammond held the office Inwood's successor being the Rev. J. Watt, B.A., 1813. Possibly these earlier appointments were carelessly recorded. There is a portrait in the volume Williams pinxit, Heath sculp. R. J. FYNMORE.

0n

Memoirs of a Publisher, 1865-1915. By George

Haven Putnam, Litt.D. (Putnam's Sons,

9s.net.)

THIS is a sequel to Dr. Putnam's two previous volumes the memoir of his father, reviewed in ' N. & Q.' on 14 Dec., 1912, and ' Memories of my Youth,' noticed on the 1st of August last year. In 1865 young Putnam returned from his three years' service in the field, the record of which he has given in his ' Memories,' and, having attained his twenty-first year, was taken by his father in f o partnership. In those days he became one of a group which numbered among its members Bayard Taylor and his wife ; Richard Henry Stoddard, and Mrs. Stoddard, who was at the time producing novels which " were recog- nized by the elite as clever, but which failed to secure any popular acceptance " ; and T. B. Aldrich, then beginning his literary career.

Young Putnam found that the resources of publishing businesses generally had suffered serioubly by the war; and although trade was reviving, it was greatly hampered by heavy war taxes. In past years the sale of English books to America, both new and Second-hand, had been very large, especially on the part of book-buyers from the South, who purchased largely for their own libraries. The Sale of American works was also increasing in this country. Indeed, with a view to encouraging this, The Athenceum for some time gave a regular list of new American works.

In 1866 G. P. Putnam sent his son to London " to make acquaintance with his old-time corre- spondents in the book trade." Among these was George Smith of Smith, Elder & Co., who gave him " a cordial greeting and introduced him to his charming home circle." Some years later Putnam was Smith's guest at a dinner he gave to the contributors to the ' Dictionary of National Biography,' when Smith announced that, in the event of his death, arrangements had been made for the completion of that work. Of course a call was made on John Murray the Third, " a tall courtly gentleman, such as one describes as belonging to the ' old school.' " Another pub- lisher of the old school visited was George Bell, " rather of the John Murray type, a gentleman in manner and method ' ' ; but ' ' while never forgetful of his courtesy to his guest, he was pretty sharp in his animadversions on American methods." Richard Bentley, the founder of the firm, was still living at NewBarlington Street, " a Tory gentle- man of the good old school." His son George,

whom he took into partnership in 1870, was then, working with him, and on his father's death in the following year became head of the firm. In 1884 he took his son Richard into the firm. George Bentley died on 28 May, 1895, and Richard, not his father, transferred the business to the Macmillans ; this did not take place until 1898.

Another of the old publishers of the early sixties was to be found on Ludgate Hill, Sampson Low, who like " most of the older publishers belonged to the Tories." Bohn was evidently in one of his pugnacious moods when Dr. Putnam dined with him in his later years at his house at Twickenham, for, although polite to the American, he flatly contradicted two of his other guests rather characteristic behaviour on his part, for he could not brook any opposition.

On returning to New York in 1867 Putnam- found Dickens giving readings, and was much impressed by his great elasticity and variety of facial expression and of utterance. Dickens was resplendent in a purple velvet waistcoat, witb a mass of heavy watchchain extended right across it.

An interesting English book secured by the Putnams in 1871 was the jeu d' esprit ' The Battle of Dorking.' Great was the mystery as to it authorship until The Athenceum on 12 Aug., 1871,. announced Col. George Chesney to be the writer. Dr. Putnam is mistaken in stating that its- publication so aroused public opinion as to bring about the institution of Volunteers. The Volun- teer movement started in May, 1859, in conse- quence of the uncertainty of French politics.

At the close of the year 1872 Putnam the elder died suddenly at the early age of fifty-eight. The seven years of happy partnership had not been marred by one unkind word.

In bringing his record to the present time Dr. Putnam has much to say of the many well- known authors whose work he has published. He devotes a chapter to the fight for copyright. As far back as 1837 Putnam's father organized the first American International Copyright Associa- tion, and to the day of his death he was always believing that " next year " favourable action from Congress would be Secured. Since then, as is well known, his son has carried on the agitation,, and after the enactment of the international copyright law, the French President, in recog- nition " of service to France and to literature," presented him with the Cross of the Legion of Honour. In addition to this, Dr. Putnam has had the gratification of receiving a testimonial from English authors [in recognition of the fifty-three years' service rendered to the cause by his father and himself.

Dr. Putnam ends his volume with an appendix on ' The European War,' and bears his testimony to the fact that during the fifty years he has visited this country he has heard no word of ill- will against Germany. He now looks forward to the crushing of militarism, and finds himself in accord with those " who are working for such an association of the states of the world as shall bring about a permanent policy of peace."

In closing our review of this most interesting record, we should like to express our sympathy with the author on the loss of his brother, John Bishop Putnam, who died on 7 October, after the volume had gone to press. By his initiative in. 1874 the Knickerbocker Press was established.