530 THE HOUSE OF AMERICA. 



thought, I will give a single example that will honestly represent- 

 many others in my own experience. At one time he was em- 

 ployed several months as editor of Wilkes' Spirit of the Times, 

 and during that time I wrote an article for that paper that had 

 some pith and point in it, but I was afraid to send it for fear 

 Sanders would steal it, so I called in a capable friend and told 

 him the situation, had him read it carefully and make some notes 

 of the order of thought that he might know it if he ever saw it 

 again. The paper was then signed and sent forward. In two or 

 three days I received an acknowledgment of the communication 

 effusively thankful for the favor, remarking that by a singular 

 coincidence our minds had been running in the same channel and 

 that when my communication was received he already had an 

 article in type taking the same view of the subject. When the 

 paper came my friend looked it over and remarked "that man is 

 nothing more than a shameless plagiarist." 



In a short time work on the book, if it were ever begun, came 

 practically to an end for want of material, and this was probably 

 brought about by a hint from the proprietor, Mr. Alexander,, 

 that Woodburn, with all its strength, could not afford to sacrifice 

 its good name for honesty, by taking the property of another 

 man, without his consent. At this juncture J. H. Sanders, of 

 Chicago, wanted a job, for ready money, and knowing the situa- 

 tion in Kentucky, published an editorial going to prove that 

 pedigrees could not be copyrighted, for they belonged to the own- 

 ers of the horses, or some other such brainless argument as this. 

 Brodhead and his echo saw in this the opportunity of their lives,, 

 for Sanders wanted the job, and if my work were to be appropriated 

 they could blame it all on him. So they hied away to Chicago, and 

 the three worthies, all fully inspired with the animus furandi, 

 were not long in reaching an agreement. Sanders did not want 

 any share in the book or in the profits it might yield, but he 

 was ready to do the work for a fixed compensation, in cash, and 

 to be free from all responsibility for damages or loss. The com- 

 pensation, as represented by Sanders, was three thousand dollars. 

 The negotiations were consummated, announced through the 

 press with a brilliant flourish of trumpets, and the two gentle- 

 men returned to Kentucky in high feather. Work on the com- 

 pilation (?) was soon commenced, and, as related by an eye- 

 witness, the methods were very simple and expeditious. Mr. 

 Sanders sat at one side of a table with the three volumes of 



