The Walt Whitman Archive
Life & Letters
Correspondence
About this Item
Title: Charles Allen Thorndike Rice to Walt Whitman, 14 July 1885
Date: July 14, 1885
Whitman Archive ID: syr.00016
Source: Walt Whitman Collection, Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Library, Syracuse, N.Y. 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 notes: The annotation, "July 14th 1885," is in the hand of Walt Whitman. The annotations, "A. Thorndike Rice," and "Rice, A.T.," are in an unknown hand. The annotation, "see notes March 12 1889," is in the hand of Horace Traubel.
Contributors to digital file: Alex Kinnaman, Stefan Schöberlein, Kyle Barton, and Nicole Gray
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THE NORTH AMERICAN REVIEW,
New York.
Editorial Department.
Walt Whitman Esquire
My Dear Sir:
I take pleasure in soliciting your literary cooperation in an enterprise which has been conducted with great success since the beginning of the year. A number of important American newspapers, among which may be mentioned such as the New York Tribune, Philadelphia Press, Detroit Post, Chicago Times, St. Paul Pioneer Press etc. have agreed to combine in receiving for their Sunday Editions articles arranged for and edited by me, to be written by distinguished authors, scientists, travellers, and men of affairs on both sides of the Atlantic. Many eminent contributors in Europe and America have already written, and many others have promised to write. The papers in which these articles are published reach nearly two millions of the most intelligent people of the country. The aim is that these papers should be as far as possible of a bright and popular character '(even when treating of serious topics) such as would interest the reader of newspapers and magazines; and I sincerely hope you will find it consistent with your obligations to give me your literary assistance.
I should like a paper from you at your very earliest leisure about 3000 words in length and leave the subject somewhat to yourself, only asking that it shall be of a popular character. I shall be glad to send you an honorarium of $50 for such a paper. Hoping to hear from you very soon and that you can give me the article at once,1 I remain,
Yours Very Truly
A. Thorndike Rice Jr.
Correspondent:
Charles Allen Thorndike Rice
(1851–1889) was a journalist and edited and published the North American Review in New York from 1876 until his
death. His Reminiscences of Abraham Lincoln by Distinguished
Men of His Time (1888) was published by The North American Review
Publishing Company.
Notes:
1. Whitman's "Booth and the Old Bowery" was published in the New York Tribune on August 16, 1885. Whitman recieved $60 for it. See also his letter to Charles Allen Thorndike Rice of August 12, 1885. [back]