The Walt Whitman Archive
Life & Letters
Correspondence
About this Item
Title: John H. Johnston to Walt Whitman, 25 January 1882
Date: January 25, 1882
Whitman Archive ID: loc.05595
Source: The Thomas Biggs Harned Collection of the Papers of Walt Whitman, 1842–1937, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. Transcribed from digital images or a microfilm reproduction of the original item. For a description of the editorial rationale behind our treatment of the correspondence, see our statement of editorial policy.
Editorial note: The annotation, "from J H Johnston (to Osgood) Jan '82," is in the hand of Walt Whitman.
Contributors to digital file: Stefan Schöberlein, Blake Bronson-Bartlett, and Nicole Gray
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J.H. JOHNSTON,
JEWELER,
150 Bowery, New York.
C. P. F.
DUPLICATE WEDDING PRESENTS,
S. B. M. C.
(TRADE MARK COPYRIGHTED.)
Jan
25 1882
Dear Walt:
I wrote to Osgood and asked him how Leaves of Grass was selling and he rejoices my heart by saying, "It has had a fair success so far, we have printed three editions, 2000 copies in all and it is selling steadily. It is not a "boom" nor can it be regarded as likely to produce any very large results to author or publisher, at the same time it seems likely to be the source of a steady though moderate income."
Jms R. Osgood"
I call that splendid. 2000 copies and four months not gone! Have you seen last Sunday's N.Y. Times—2½ columns headed "Whitman Poet and Seer" if you have not I will send you one.
We are all well.
Sincerely
Yrs
J.H. Johnston