May, Samuel J., letter, Syracuse, [N.Y.], April 27, 1855, to Mrs. Kate Pickard, Camillus, N.Y.

Transcription


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Mrs Kate Pickard
care
Mr L. D. Pickard

Camillus

N.Y


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Syracuse

Apr. 27. '55

Dear Friend.

I have almost made up my mind, that L.W. Hall & Co of this city will be the best persons to publish your life of Uncle Peter and Family. He has business connections with the largest publishing houses in Boston, New York and Philadelphia - and assures me he can throw the book into the market everywhere as favorably as if it were published in either of those cities. He has been the publisher of several large works - and is a man of tact and enterprise. The principal reason why I think it would be better to have the work published here, is that it would here be in some measure under your supervision - and might receive your last touches. We have too excellent engravers in Syracuse, who might prepare your illustrations under your directions.

Messrs Hall & Co will assume the risk of the whole publication and pay probably 15 cents on every copy sold, to Uncle Peter and yourself i.e. that's a piece

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subject to the arrangement you have made with each other.

If you conclude to let Messrs Hall & Co take the work - it will be well - so soon as you have done with Dr Furness' manuscripts, to let me send them to him that he may immediately put them in order for publication, and return them as soon as possible, that that part of the volume may be in the press, which you are completing your part. This will expedite the publication of the book, which ought to be issued so soon as it can be without hurrying you.

Then again, so soon as you have determined upon the illustrations, it would be well to have them in the hands of the engraver, that he may have time enough to do his work well.

My wife has been very unwell for more than a week with fever - She is getting better - still she is very weak and requires much attention. If therefore uncle Peter and his wife come to Syracuse any time within the ensuing fortnight or three weeks - it is my wish that they should sojourn with some other one of their friends. If my wife were

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well, it would be a great pleasure to me to have them stay at my house.

Yours truly

Samuel J. May.

§

Title

May, Samuel J., letter, Syracuse, [N.Y.], April 27, 1855, to Mrs. Kate Pickard, Camillus, N.Y.

Description

The Rev. Samuel J. May reports his thoughts on the subject of a publisher for Mrs. Pickard’s book on Peter Still and his family, together with his reasons for suggesting the Syracuse firm of L.W. Hall & Co.; notes that Messrs. Hall & Co. would assume the risk of publishing the book and pay her and Still each fifteen cents per copy sold; urges that certain parts of the book (Dr. Furness’ manuscripts and the images for the plates) be given to the publisher and engraver in advance of her text, to help speed the book’s publication; and notes that if “Uncle Peter” [Peter Still] and his wife came to Syracuse in the next three weeks, he would request that they stay with another of their friends, as his wife is currently ill.

Source

Special Collections and University Archives, Rutgers University Libraries

Date

1855-04-27

Rights

public domain

Format

3 p.

Identifier

rutgers-lib:26914
doi:10.7282/T3F47P81

Citation

May, Samuel J. (Samuel Joseph), 1791-1871, “May, Samuel J., letter, Syracuse, [N.Y.], April 27, 1855, to Mrs. Kate Pickard, Camillus, N.Y.,” Peter Still Digital Edition, accessed March 28, 2024, https://stillpapers.org/items/show/40.

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