April 27 Monday – In Riverdale, N.Y. Sam wrote to Frederick A. Duneka.
Yes, the collected set is being offered at $36.50, but it is not Bliss that is responsible, it is I. He is to keep within the requirements of the Harper contract, & leave the rest to me. Which is quite proper, as his house is only a subordinate partner in the set’s fortunes, I being the principal, the person mainly & perhaps two-thirdsly concerned. He wanted to try this cheap edition, but needed backing.
It ought to be quite easy for the Harpers & me to arrange a just & fair Harper-Bliss contract in place of the existing contract. A new contract could be made profitable, both to the Harpers & to me, whereas the existing one is not largely profitable to Harpers, & is probably only profitable to me at the expense of the collected edition.
Can’t you come out, & bring the contract with you, & explain to me such commercial reasons as there may be for not reorganizing it?
And can’t you bring transcripts of the semi-annual statements rendered to me of the ordinary trade-sales of my books, beginning, say, with Jan. 1, 1901? [MTP].
Alfred Farlow wrote to “Mr Clement” [sic]. Upset about the North American Review article, which he felt was “a shameful and discourteous perversion” [MTP].