I appreciate Dr Zehr's suggestion. I was reluctant to respond for fear of
stepping over the non-commercial policy of this list which I respect and
endorse. I do not have any Webster prospectuses at this time, but would be
happy to share any information I can from those in my private collection.

Perhaps a brief note on Twain salesman sample books (aka canvassing books,
aka prospectuses) would be apropos--

Not all of Twain's books were sold by subscription, although various kinds
of advertising (flyers, posters, sample books) exist for virtually every one
of his books. By far, the most frequently seen sample book is that for
FOLLOWING THE EQUATOR, and it usually survives in pretty nice shape.
Generally, however, they are rather uncommon, and tend to turn up with
problems, the most frequent being missing binding samples (most of the
sample books, besides sample pages of text, also had samples of the various
bindings glued in on the end papers). Some, like those for P&P, or LM, had
four binding samples. Others just had two or three. But if even a single
sample is missing, it hurts their market value a great deal. The other more
serious problem with sample books is that because of the air space between
the covers (created by the binding samples) and the fact that they were
often not shelved or treated like regular books but handed off to children
to color or play with, they often survive with mildew, and under no
circumstances do you want to introduce mildew into your library or home. The
spores are hard to kill and they spread to other books, never mind the
health issues.

For a good discussion of Twain's sample books, cf Ham Hill's MARK TWAIN AND
ELISHA BLISS. For a general reference on sample books (none of them Twain)
cf Keith Arbour's CANVASSING BOOKS. For a contemporary account of what it
was like to sell TOM SAWYER, cf Harriet Wasson Styer's anonymous FACTS BY A
WOMAN (1881). She was a determined saleswoman in California who even sold a
copy of TS to a black man in a barber shop. There are other accounts by
contemporary book agents, including one (DIARY OF A BOOK-AGENT, 1912) who
was unwittingly sent by one of Twain's friends to Twain's Hartford home to
sell him a set of his own collected works (amazing as it seems now, she had
no idea she was talking to Mark Twain). To see how that turned out you'll
have to read her book. These older texts may be on google by now. Not sure.
But they are fun (to me, anyway) to read.

Kevin Mac Donnell
Austin TX