When the new publishing company failed to sell many of his books, Twain decided to start his own publishing company. Previously, he had hired his nephew-in-law, a young man named Webster, to run one of his failed patent businesses. Now, Twain hired that nephew to run the publishing house and named it "Webster and Company."
Twain jokes about how little Webster and his lawyer knew about the business, and how sure Twain was that the boy was a treasure, because he seemed so confident. In fact, Webster did do well with Huckleberry Finn, and Twain received $54,500 in his first royalty check.
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