_To the Editor of "Punch."_
SIR,--We think it our duty to call your attention to the appearance of
a book that otherwise would have possibly entirely escaped your
attention. It is called _A Neglected Incident in a Company's Career_.
It is written by a gentleman with a name of historical importance, and
contains, amongst other inviting matter, several letters from the
author to his illustrious ancestor. It is full of the most interesting
stories, although its accuracy is scarcely unimpeachable. As some of
the tales are not entirely laudatory of the Company with which we had
the honour once to be connected, we beg to lay our case before you.
[Illustration]
We have approached the writer of the book, and asked him to withdraw
it. We have not obtained a satisfactory answer. We have also appealed
to the publisher of the book (whose name we would give in full if we
did not think that you might editorially suppress it, as there is a
column set apart in another portion of your issue for book
advertisements), and he, too, has not seen his way to rendering us any
assistance. He has referred us to the author, who still leaves us
without a remedy.
However, the publisher (with whom we cannot absolutely agree) makes a
suggestion which seems to us in every way admirable. As it is our wish
to cause _A Neglected Incident in a Company's Career_ to be as little
circulated as possible, he proposes that we should write a joint
letter to all the leading London papers, setting forth the highly
interesting character of its contents. This we are now doing, as you
will see from this communication.
Yours truly, (_Signed_) BENJAMIN BROWN. } Late of the
JOHN JONES. } Company.
RALPH ROBINSON. }
P.S.--It is unnecessary to state, after the above ingenious
explanation and gratuitous advertisement, that it is highly probable
that _A Neglected Incident in a Company's Career_, once possibly
little read, may now be obtained at every respectable circulating
library in town or the country.
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[Illustration: "IS IT POSSIBLE?"
_Mr. Gooldenheim of London_ (_to Mr. Beauchamp S. Potts of New York_).
"NOW YOU TINK THAT YOU CAN ALVAYS ALSO TELL AN ENGLISHMAN IN AMERICA.
I TELL YOU DAT IS A GREAD MISTAKE. I VASS DREE MONTS IN THE UNIDED
STADES, AND DERE VASN'T ONE MAN DAT GUESSED I VAS AN ENGLISHMAN!"]
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