FORD, Paul Leicester, introduced by

A House Party: An Account of the Stories Told at a Gathering of Famous American Authors

Boston: Small, Maynard & Company, 1901. 12mo. Red cloth, stamped in black & gilt. 418 p. 1st edition. Smith H-1903. BAL 754, 2369, 6229, 7219, 10916 & 18942. Front hinge starting; else near fine. [85417]

Collection of 12 anonymous stories. A contest was held which offered a prize of $1000 for guessing the authors of the stories to be chosen from a list of 25. The contest is described on the front free endpaper, "'A House Party' Guessing Coupon" appears on the next leaf. An announcement of a second contest with a prize of $500 is tipped in. Laid in is a photostatic copy of the list of correct authors. One person guessed 11 authors on the first contest and was awarded the prize. On the 2nd contest the only the names of correct authors were provided and the contestants had to match them with the proper story. There were 12 winners. The authors were George W. Cable, Bertha Runkle, Frank R. Stockton, Ruth McEnery Stuart, John Kendrick Bangs, Mrs. Burton Harrison, Paul Leicester Ford, Sarah Orne Jewett, Owen Wister, Charles G. D. Roberts & Robert Grant. Several of the stories involve fantasy or the supernatural.

Price: $40.00