The newspaper report of the Chicago fire needs further verification
before it can definitely be said to have been a factor in
Webster & Co. financial downfall.

The papers states, "R. S. Peale & Co., the Western agents for Gen.
Grant's book, suffer a loss of 100,000 copies of the above work,
this being the second edition.  The value of the copies was
placed at $35,000."

Problems with this news  report are:  1) Was this the second *volume*
instead of a second *edition*-- a mere reporting error?
2)  The $ amount of the loss doesn't add up with the number of
copies lost-- another reporting error?  3) R. S. Peale & Co.
were associated with known pirates of Twain's earlier works and
housed in the same building with the same.  Were the lost volumes
legitimate copies or some other edition of Grant's work?

The questions can probably be cleared up if Peale was the
defaulting agent.

Barb