Lost Jack London letter from 1905 found in local library
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Page Six Team
Like a twist from a Jack London adventure novel, a lost letter written by the acclaimed author more than a century ago has been found inside a copy of his book...
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Page Six
Like a twist from a Jack London adventure novel, a lost letter written by the acclaimed author more than a century ago has been found inside a copy of his book “White Fang” at a local library.

Volunteers at Pequot Library in Southport, Conn., were sifting through “all but forgotten” rare books in a storage closet for the library’s 125th anniversary recently, when they found the old copy of “White Fang.” “When we opened the book, we found London’s letter [dated 1905] taped to the inside flyleaf,” said Lynne Laukhuf, one of two volunteers who found the treasure.

The 1906 volume had belonged to London’s legendary New York publisher George Brett, and the letter informed him of the destined-to-be-classic’s progress, along with words of advice.

“‘White Fang’ is moving along and longer than I originally intended,” London typed. “It is now past 50,000 [words] and still growing. I don’t know what to think of it. I’m too close to it; but it ought to be pretty good stuff.”

The writer also warned Brett — who took over Macmillan Publishing in New York in 1896 — “If you believe in immortality, why of course there’s nothing to be said against your sweating out the rest of your life in New York . . . but if you believe, as I do that we’ve only got this one short life, and if you aren’t hard up, why you’ll up-stakes and get out.”

London, then 28, implored Brett, 47, to join him on an adventure. “I see you mention you are probably too old to ever do anything like this trip around the world in a 40-footer!” London wrote. “The one man besides myself who goes along, is already past 60 . . . he and I are to do all the sailing and handling . . . You better get in and join us.” But “there’s one thing that we DON’T do and that’s the cooking and dishwashing.”

Brett’s archives — including an original “Gone With the Wind” manuscript — are housed at Pequot. Legend has it that some of those papers arrived when, after a dispute with a Macmillan partner, Fairfield resident Brett packed up his office and dropped off all his documents.