He was not immediately interested in the matter of book publication.  The Jumping Frog book was popular, and in England had been issued by Routledge; but the royalty returns were modest enough and slow in arrival.  His desire was for prompter results.  His interest in book publication had never been an eager one, and related mainly to the advertising it would furnish, which he did not now need; or to the money return, in which he had no great faith.  Yet at this very moment a letter for him was lying in the Tribune office in New York which would bring the book idea into first prominence and spell the beginning of his fortune.

Among those who had read and found delight in the Tribune letters was Elisha Bliss, Jr., of the American Publishing Company, of Hartford.  Bliss was a shrewd and energetic man, with a keen appreciation for humor and the American fondness for that literary quality.  He had recently undertaken the management of a Hartford concern, and had somewhat alarmed its conservative directorate by publishing books that furnished entertainment to the reader as well as moral instruction.  Only his success in paying dividends justified this heresy and averted his downfall.  Two days after the arrival of the Quaker City Bliss wrote the letter above mentioned.  It ran as follows: 

Office of the American publishing co. 
Hartford, Conn., November 21, 1867.

Samuel L. Clemens, Esq., Tribune Office, New York.

Dear sir,—­We take the liberty to address you this, in place of a letter which we had recently written and were about to forward to you, not knowing your arrival home was expected so soon.  We are desirous of obtaining from you a work of some kind, perhaps compiled from your letters from the past, etc., with such interesting additions as may be proper.  We are the publishers of A. D. Richardson’s works, and flatter ourselves that we can give an author a favorable term and do as full justice to his productions as any other house in the country.  We are perhaps the oldest subscription house in the country, and have never failed to give a book an immense circulation.  We sold about 100,000 copies of Richardson’s F. D. and E. (’Field, Dungeon and Escape’), and are now printing 41,000 of ‘Beyond the Mississippi’, and large orders ahead.  If you have any thought of writing a book, or could be induced to do so, we should be pleased to see you, and will do so.  Will you do us the favor of reply at once, at your earliest convenience.

Very truly etc.,

E. Bliss, Jr.,
Secretary.

After ten days’ delay this letter was forwarded to the Tribune bureau in Washington, where Clemens received it.  He replied promptly.

Washington, December 2, 1867.

E. Bliss, Jr., Esq., Secretary American Publishing Co.