Niagara Revisited

CLARA M. KIRK
 

r   II  ~SI IF Columbia Unive

I      haps  unique,  of an

■^ V.    William Dean Howe
 

ersity Library possesses a copy, per-
an extremely rare little brochure by

ells entitled Niagara Revisited 12 Years
After Their Wedding Journey, By the Hoosac Tunnel Route (1884).
The pamphlet, profusely illustrated, was printed by a certain
"D. Dalziel" of Chicago. In several copies which the present
writer has examined the text is followed by sixteen pages of ad¬
vertising, proclaiming the beauties and comforts of a railroad
journey to Niagara by the Hoosac Tunnel Route which had re¬
cently been opened by the Fitchburg Railroad. The copy of Niagara
Revisited to be found in the 1 abrary of Columbia University con¬
tains no advertising. .A note folded within the cover states:

IJcspirc the fact that only a few copies of this book are known, rhe present example
represenrs a different issue from that of the other recorded copies in that rhe end
papers are printed in a blue figured pattern and rhat it has no adverrisemenrs. In
the other copies the end papers displa\' a black flowered design, and there are 16
pages of adverrisemenrs at rhe back which are an integral parr of rhe book. It has
been conjectured that this copv represents a trial issue.

This conjectutc is probably correct; the story of why the trial
issue was run off and « hv the pamphlet itself is so extremely rare
remains to be told.

Howells, well known to .American readers both as editor of the
Atlantic Monthly and as the author of popular no\'els, clashed with
the officials of the Fitchburg Railroad who, without his consent,
had reprinted Niagara Revisited from the May Atlantic of 1883,
as an advertisement for the scenic route to Niagara. When the
railroad refused to pay the author. How ells threatened suit and
forced the company to suppress the whole edition. Because the