M
Mike Norton
Member
Most of us know who Morgan Robertson was. He wrote the book "Futility" in 1898. It was a story about the "Titan", the largest steamer in the world that was quite similar to the Titanic. It too struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic in the month of April and a majority of the Titan's passengers perished due to a severe shortage of lifeboats.
In 1912 Futility was renamed Wreck of the Titan and remains to this day a source of great facination for many.
Well, I bought a 1915 book called "The Man" today and in it I found a letter sent out in 1915 to all subscribers of McClures Magazine. This is what the letter said:
Dear Reader:-
Last March I picked up a copy of the Saturday Evening Post, turned its pages and came upon an astounding story. It was anonymous and told about a sailor before the mast, without education, who, pushed by an inward force greater than he could control, wrote such wonderful stories that he became famous all over the world. How he never got any real reward for his work--so that today he was getting old--and poor.
A reference here and there told me that the man who wrote that anonymous autograph must be Morgan Robertson. I had admired him and wondered how a man who produced such pure literature could know so much of the sea.
The stories had appeared for many years and had been scattered.
I re-read them all, every one, because when I had started them I had to finish them. And I thought--here is the chance to give Morgan Robertson his long-deferred reward.
Morgan Robertson's stories will live after him, but he has been a poor business man. Famous he is, but fame is a poor substitute for beefsteak.
Will the American public allow the tragic end of O. Henry to be repeated?
Will they allow another of their great writers of short stories to die in want, without reward or recognition?
That is what Metropolitan and McClure's propose to find out. If this genius of the sea tale cannot get now--while he and his family are in need--the reward and recognition which are his right, it will not be from lack of proper aid.
An edition of Robertson's Works (selected from what he has written by the author himself as his best stories) is being published. Upon every book sold we shall pay him a generous royalty.
And this is our offer to you: we will send you a set of these books without charge--we will pay for them--we will pay the cost of getting them to you--and we will pay the royalty to Mr. Robertson--if you will pay for one year's subscription to Metropolitan and McClure's at the same price you would pay if you bought them from your newsdealer every month.
Send only 10 cents now. You will receive at once the set of books and the first copies of Metropolitan and McClure's. Send the blank and 10 cents today.
Sincerely yours,
Cameron Mackinzie
Managing Editor
P.S. Mr. Robertson asks us to say for him that as long as he has the strength, he will autograph every set subscribed for.
OK, this is Mike Norton again. So, there you have it. The famous red bound copies of Wreck of the Titan you see on eBay here and there were given out for free because the Managing Editor of McClure's Magazine felt sorry for poor old Morgan Robertson. Geez, you would think the guy found the cure for polio the way this guy talked about him. Kinda funny, I now sell those same sets of books of Robertson's for over $400 on a regular basis. I wonder how much ol' Robertson got from this deal? Anyone know if Robertson died rich? He died the same year that McClure's ran this deal.
In 1912 Futility was renamed Wreck of the Titan and remains to this day a source of great facination for many.
Well, I bought a 1915 book called "The Man" today and in it I found a letter sent out in 1915 to all subscribers of McClures Magazine. This is what the letter said:
Dear Reader:-
Last March I picked up a copy of the Saturday Evening Post, turned its pages and came upon an astounding story. It was anonymous and told about a sailor before the mast, without education, who, pushed by an inward force greater than he could control, wrote such wonderful stories that he became famous all over the world. How he never got any real reward for his work--so that today he was getting old--and poor.
A reference here and there told me that the man who wrote that anonymous autograph must be Morgan Robertson. I had admired him and wondered how a man who produced such pure literature could know so much of the sea.
The stories had appeared for many years and had been scattered.
I re-read them all, every one, because when I had started them I had to finish them. And I thought--here is the chance to give Morgan Robertson his long-deferred reward.
Morgan Robertson's stories will live after him, but he has been a poor business man. Famous he is, but fame is a poor substitute for beefsteak.
Will the American public allow the tragic end of O. Henry to be repeated?
Will they allow another of their great writers of short stories to die in want, without reward or recognition?
That is what Metropolitan and McClure's propose to find out. If this genius of the sea tale cannot get now--while he and his family are in need--the reward and recognition which are his right, it will not be from lack of proper aid.
An edition of Robertson's Works (selected from what he has written by the author himself as his best stories) is being published. Upon every book sold we shall pay him a generous royalty.
And this is our offer to you: we will send you a set of these books without charge--we will pay for them--we will pay the cost of getting them to you--and we will pay the royalty to Mr. Robertson--if you will pay for one year's subscription to Metropolitan and McClure's at the same price you would pay if you bought them from your newsdealer every month.
Send only 10 cents now. You will receive at once the set of books and the first copies of Metropolitan and McClure's. Send the blank and 10 cents today.
Sincerely yours,
Cameron Mackinzie
Managing Editor
P.S. Mr. Robertson asks us to say for him that as long as he has the strength, he will autograph every set subscribed for.
OK, this is Mike Norton again. So, there you have it. The famous red bound copies of Wreck of the Titan you see on eBay here and there were given out for free because the Managing Editor of McClure's Magazine felt sorry for poor old Morgan Robertson. Geez, you would think the guy found the cure for polio the way this guy talked about him. Kinda funny, I now sell those same sets of books of Robertson's for over $400 on a regular basis. I wonder how much ol' Robertson got from this deal? Anyone know if Robertson died rich? He died the same year that McClure's ran this deal.