copyright 1864

[Jonathan Lighter]

At some point we mentioned the phenomenon of a book published late in
one year misleadingly bearing a copyright date of the following year.

Here's an example of the complementary phenomenon:

_Thrilling Stories of the Great Rebellion...Together with an Account
of the Death of President Lincoln; Fate of the Assassins;  Capture of
Jefferson Davis, and End of the War_, by Lieutenant-Colonel Charles S.
Greene.

"Entered in Accordance with the Act of Congress, in the Year 1864...."
  (Phila.: John E. Potter)

Perhaps there was an earlier 1864 printing, which was updated with
events of 1865. GB also shows copies with an 1865 title-page date.

Some may recall a TV series called _Early Edition_ , in which a
housecat regularly delivered a copy of the next day's paper to the
hero's residence. This allowed him to "foretell" the future and save
lives. Something similar may have occurred in Greene's case, but if
so, he was  unable to prevent a national tragedy.

Such is the difference between fiction and real life.

JL



--
"If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."

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