SOME ADVENTURES OF MR. SURELOCK KEYS
This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and
most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online at
http://www.gutenberg.org/license. If you are not located in the United
States, you'll have to check the laws of the country where you are
located before using this ebook.
Title: Some Adventures of Mr. Surelock Keys
Author: Herbert Beeman
Release Date: November 16, 2014 [EBook #47368]
Language: English
Character set encoding: US-ASCII
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SOME ADVENTURES OF MR.
SURELOCK KEYS ***
Produced by Al Haines.
*SOME ADVENTURES
*_*of*_*
MR. SURELOCK KEYS*
*HITHERTO UNRECORDED*
by
Herbert Beeman
SOLD IN AID OF THE ORGAN FUND
OF ST. MARY'S CHURCH, KERRISDALE
PRICE FIFTY CENTS
THE KERRISDALE KRONIKLE OFFICE
1913
*CONTENTS*
I. THE ADVENTURE OF THE STEVESTON CAR
II. THE ADVENTURE OF THE IRATE HOUSE-HOLDER
III. THE ADVENTURE OF TWO AND TWO
IV. THE ADVENTURE OF THEOPHILUS BROWN
V. THE ADVENTURE OF THE THIRTEEN CABS
VI. THE ADVENTURE OF MR. SANTA CLAUS
*I.*
*THE ADVENTURE OF THE STEVESTON CAR*
One evening early in the month of November, 1908, we were sitting in our
cosy rooms in Butcher Street. I was busy extending the notes I had made
of some of the marvellous doings of the Great Detective, when Keys
stretched his long arms towards the gramophone to start the gentleman
who was "afraid to go home in the dark," off on another long explanation
of his reasons, but I stopped him with a question--even friendship has
its limits, you know:
"You saw the _Eburne News_ of Saturday last, Keys, I suppose?" I said.
"You know nothing ever escapes me, Whenson," he replied.
I thought of the Tiger of San Pedro in _Collier's_ and _The Strand_
recently, but as it would be about as safe to rouse the tiger, I omitted
the retort obvious.
"You refer to the penetration of the vitrified material by the leaden
missile, I presume?" he said.
"Yes, the bullet from a .22 through the car window," I replied.
"Well, there was one peculiar thing about that case, but after all it
was merely a matter of calculation. The shot was fired according to one
account at Kerrisdale, and from another between Townsend and Eburne.
That is easily accounted for. The shot struck the glass at the first
named place, but so fast was the car travelling that it had proceeded
two miles before the bullet reached the woodwork on the other side."
"Oh!" I said. When I had sufficiently recovered I asked him if he had
discovered who fired the shot.
"That is a mere vulgar detail, Whenson," he said coldly, as he turned to
start the gramophone again.
*II.*
*THE ADVENTURE OF THE IRATE HOUSE-HOLDER*
We were just finishing breakfast when the door was unceremoniously burst
open and an obviously excited little man precipitated himself into the
room.
"You are an optimist, I perceive," said Keys quietly.
The little man looked amazed, as well he might, not knowing the powers
of the Great Detective as well as I did.
"How on earth did you know that?" he ejaculated.
"Quite simple, my dear sir," answered Keys, "you came in without
knocking. What can I do for you?"
"Well, sir," the little man went on excitedly, "my name is Bloggs, sir,
Joseph Bloggs, and I am the victim of a conspiracy. The Council have
sent me in a bill for $96 for three months water rate, and I never used
so much in my life.
"No, I can quite believe it," said Keys drily, surveying the rather drab
appearance of the visible portions of our visitor's anatomy. "But whom
do you suspect?"
"Well, sir, I voted against the nincompoops that the effete electors
have chosen to represent them, and now they're soaking me."
I could not control my laughter at this unconscious pleasantry, but the
little man glared at me, and Keys frowned me into silence.
"Whenson, he has given me a clue; get my gum boots and a piece of
blotting paper."
Accustomed to obey his strange commands without question, we were soon
following Mr. Bloggs to his home.
Once inside the gate, without hesitation Keys strode across the lawn
till he reached a place under which, owing to the unevenness of the
ground, it was easy to see the pipe was laid, and stooping down he
placed the sheet of blotting paper on the grass, and a second later he
held it up saturated with water.
"There is a break in the pipe, Mr. Bloggs," he said. "Get it mended."
*III.*
*THE ADVENTURE OF TWO AND TWO*
Keys was giving way to one of those orgies of spring onions and
Limburger cheese to which he occasionally succumbed--for even the
greatest of men have failings--and the atmosphere of our dining room was
very unpleasant to one with my delicate olfactory nerves, so that it was
with a feeling of positive relief that I welcomed the pungent odor of
the smoke from a strong black cigar that was wafted in on us as the door
opened to admit a stranger.
A tall, nervous looking man, he commenced to apologize for having
interrupted us at supper, but Keys waved aside his explanations and said
abruptly. "You are a married man, sir, and very fond of your wife."
Wonderingly our visitor pleaded guilty to both indictments, and Keys
resumed:
"Of course any one could tell that your wife has given you a Christmas
present, a man with your intelligence would never buy a cigar like that,
and only love for her would induce you to smoke it."
"Sir, I can see you are just the man to solve the mystery that is making
my life a hideous nightmare, if I am fortunate enough to interest you in
my case.
"My name is Humphrey Drake, and I am a country squire living in a
peaceful village, and up to a week ago I was as placid as one of my own
cows, but alas all is changed and I know not what dreadful fate is
hanging over my head. I once read a wonderful book called '_The Sign of
the Four_,' (I am a modest man, so I blushed at this unconscious praise,
you, dear reader, will know why), and now I fear that the terrible end
of Bartholemew Sholto will be mine."
Mr. Drake turned very pale, whether from fear, or from the strong cigar,
I do not know, but after a few minutes he recovered himself, and at
Keys' request continued his story.
"Last week I had occasion to go to the stable immediately behind the
house and on one of the walls saw in figures made with a piece of white
chalk, this sign," and drawing his fountain pen from his pocket, he
marked on our white table cloth
2
2 .
--
4 .
"I haven't been able to sleep since, and now I have come to you for
help."
"Why did you visit the stable, Mr. Drake?" asked Keys.
"Well, lately the carriage and harness have not been properly cleaned,
or the horse well groomed, and I went to speak to the stable-man about
it."
Hastily consulting a time-table, Keys disappeared into his bed room,
returning the next moment disguised as a stable-boy, even to a straw,
which he was chewing assiduously.
"Whenson will put you up, Mr. Drake, and I will report to you at
breakfast tomorrow morning. Meanwhile you can sleep in peace."
Coming down to breakfast the next morning, we found Keys seated by the
fire reading the paper.
"Good morning, all is well, but breakfast first and business
afterwards," he said.
It was not until our pipes were well alight that Keys deigned to satisfy
our curiosity.
"The mystery was a very harmless one, Mr. Drake, as I expected it would
be after the clue you gave me. I went round to the back of your house
and looked in at the stable window, and there was the culprit, your
young stable-man, with a laudable desire to improve his mind, though
rather at the expense of his duty to you, I am afraid, was pouring over
the arithmetic section of Barmsbirth's Universal Educator, and with a
piece of white chalk was endeavoring to work out a simple sum on your
stable wall, and, my dear sir, the answer to his sum, and the
explanation of your mystery, is that two and two make four."
*IV.*
*THE ADVENTURE OF THEOPHILUS BROWN*
"'Tis not in mortals to command success," as the Immortal Bard hath it,
and to illustrate the fact that my friend, Mr. Surelock Keys, really is
mortal which one might easily doubt from some of the marvellous things
that he has done, I will give you an incident that happened recently.
A tremendous battering at my bedroom door woke me from a sound sleep,
and an urgent request from Keys, to join him downstairs, hurried me into
my clothes. On entering the dining room I saw a pallid youth whom Keys
introduced as Mr. Theophilus Brown.
Then Keys, in his most abrupt manner, asked him what he wished to tell
us, and after much hesitation, and with frightened glances towards the
door, he blurted out a very incoherent and rambling story about a
severed leg, that he had seen hanging up somewhere, on his way home the
previous evening, and how he was afraid something dreadful would happen
to him because he didn't tell the police.
"Well, you can now, here is our old friend, Inspector Morebusiness"
(You, dear reader, can guess his real name). "Tell the Inspector what
you saw."
"It was a leg of mutton hanging up in a butcher's shop," shouted the
miserable would-be humorist, as he made a dash out of the door, just in
time to escape the bottle of ink that Keys sent hurtling through the
air, only, alas! to smash on the rapidly closing door.
The Inspector rolling on the floor in a paroxysm of laughter could
hardly get out the words. "First of April," and Keys sank back in his
chair muttering the monosyllable "Stung!"
*V.*
*THE ADVENTURE OF THE THIRTEEN CABS*
London was in the throes of a general strike, and the labour world in
such a seething ferment that many of the unions had broken from the
control of their leaders, while others were led to lengths that many of
the members deeply regretted, but were unable to prevent, so that deeds
of violence were of daily occurrence.
As we sat at breakfast Inspector Morebusiness was announced, and Keys
bade him to enter, not very cordially I am afraid, as it was the first
time we had seen him since his display of--to put it mildly--undue
levity over the unfortunate case of Theophilus Brown. However, on
seeing how white and worried the Inspector looked, Keys' look of
annoyance passed away, and heartily inviting him to join us at the
table, refused to listen to his story until he had done justice to our
ham and eggs and coffee.
It was a terrible story that the inspector had to tell us. nothing less
than the destruction of the National Gallery, with its priceless
treasures, and of course loss of life, or injury, to anyone happening to
be in the neighborhood, for nitro-glycerine was the destructive agent
used.
He went on to say that the police had no clue, and in despair he had
come to Keys, a genuine acknowledgment of the Great Detective's
marvellous powers, if a somewhat tardy one.
Keys closely questioned him as to anything unusual having been noticed
in the vicinity, and the inspector said that one of his men had seen
thirteen cabs passing shortly before the explosion.
"Arrest the President and all the Officers of the Bakers' and
Pastrycooks' Union, at once," said Keys. Greatly wondering, but willing
to catch at any straw, the Inspector hastened to obey him.
One evening, some little time after the conviction and subsequent
confession of the men whose arrest Keys had ordered, the Inspector
dropped in, he said, for a smoke, but it was easy to see that he was
dying to ask a question, so presently Keys said, "Well, Morebusiness,
you want to know how I did it."
The Inspector nodded an eager assent.
"Well, my friend, it was quite simple. Dynamite is heavy stuff, and in
such a quantity could not have been carried by hand without exciting
suspicion, but what more harmless looking than a four-wheeler, and
thirteen of them--isn't that a baker's dozen!"
*VI.*
*THE ADVENTURE OF MR. SANTA CLAUS*
It was Christmas Eve. Outside the snow was falling heavily, but we were
comfortably seated in front of a cheerful fire, in our dining-room in
Butcher Street. With strange illogicality Keys was playing "Rest Ye
Merry Gentlemen" on the comb, for surely one could neither rest nor be
merry with that beastly row going on, but it was only another proof of
the extraordinary incongruity of that marvellous man. Laying down the
comb--thank goodness--he turned to me. "Whenson, when I was a little
boy I believed in Santa Claus, and stockings, and--"
A knock at the door interrupted these remarkable confidences, which were
revealing the Great Man in a light so foreign to his usual taciturnity.
"Come in," he said. The door opened slowly, and a strange figure
appeared before our astonished eyes. It was a small boy, hardly
reaching to the handle of the door, and his little cap was covered with
snow.
"Ah, ha!" said Keys, in his most impressive manner, "you have just come
in from outside." At the evidence of such uncanny powers of deduction
the little creature started to run away.
"Don't be frightened, my little man. I knew it from the coagulated
moisture collected on your cap, but little boys must learn to be polite.
Lift your lid." He did so, scattering the Christmas largesse all over
our priceless Bokhara rug.
"Now come over here and tell its your troubles," said Keys kindly.
In the genial warmth of the roaring fire, his damp clothes steaming like
a hot toddy--a strange concoction of the ancient Romans--his little lips
lisped a tale of a strangeness such as had surely never been told
before, unless I may be allowed to except some stories of mine which
have been published by the well-known firm of Brown & Younger.
"Please sir, I writted a letter to Mr. Sandy Claws Esq., to bring me a
hairy-plain for Christmas all painted red all over, and the Post-Offis
they sent the letter back and says as how they carn't find 'im. I
knowed you could find anybody, so I come to you."
"Quite right, my little man," and Keys' keen eyes gleamed with
professional pride. "You go straight home to bed and to sleep, and I
will see that Mr. Santa Claus calls and you will find the red aeroplane
when you wake up in the morning."
Quite satisfied the diminutive client departed, and Keys picked up the
comb again--I found I had an important engagement and departed also.
It was close on one o'clock in the morning when I returned, and Keys was
still sitting before the fire. With unusual geniality he got up and
held out his hand. "Merry Christmas, Whenson." We shook hands.
Feeling something sticky, I looked at my right hand, and saw some red
paint on it, and then I noticed some white fluff adhering to the front
of his coat.
Keys often assumed disguises, but--as Santa Claus!--well, I forgave him
the comb.
*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SOME ADVENTURES OF MR. SURELOCK
KEYS ***
A Word from Project Gutenberg
We will update this book if we find any errors.
This book can be found under:
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/47368
Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright
law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, so
the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United
States without permission and without paying copyright royalties.
Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this
license, apply to copying and distributing Project Gutenberg(tm)
electronic works to protect the Project Gutenberg(tm) concept and
trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be
used if you charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific
permission. If you do not charge anything for copies of this eBook,
complying with the rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly
any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances
and research. They may be modified and printed and given away - you may
do practically _anything_ in the United States with eBooks not protected
by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark
license, especially commercial redistribution.
The Full Project Gutenberg License
_Please read this before you distribute or use this work._
To protect the Project Gutenberg(tm) mission of promoting the free
distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work (or
any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project
Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project
Gutenberg(tm) License available with this file or online at
http://www.gutenberg.org/license.
Section 1. General Terms of Use & Redistributing Project Gutenberg(tm)
electronic works
*1.A.* By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg(tm)
electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all the
terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy all
copies of Project Gutenberg(tm) electronic works in your possession. If
you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project
Gutenberg(tm) electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the
terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or
entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.
*1.B.* "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be
used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few things
that you can do with most Project Gutenberg(tm) electronic works even
without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See paragraph
1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project
Gutenberg(tm) electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement
and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg(tm) electronic
works. See paragraph 1.E below.
*1.C.* The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the
Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of
Project Gutenberg(tm) electronic works. Nearly all the individual works
in the collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an
individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the United States and
you are located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent
you from copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating
derivative works based on the work as long as all references to Project
Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the
Project Gutenberg(tm) mission of promoting free access to electronic
works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg(tm) works in compliance with
the terms of this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg(tm) name
associated with the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this
agreement by keeping this work in the same format with its attached full
Project Gutenberg(tm) License when you share it without charge with
others.
*1.D.* The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in
a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check
the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement
before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or
creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project
Gutenberg(tm) work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning
the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United
States.
*1.E.* Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
*1.E.1.* The following sentence, with active links to, or other
immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg(tm) License must appear
prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg(tm) work (any work
on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the
phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed,
performed, viewed, copied or distributed:
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United
States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away
or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License
included with this eBook or online at
http://www.gutenberg.org .
If you are not located in the United States, you'll have to
check the laws of the country where you are located before using
this ebook.
*1.E.2.* If an individual Project Gutenberg(tm) electronic work is
derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not contain
a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the copyright
holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in the United
States without paying any fees or charges. If you are redistributing or
providing access to a work with the phrase "Project Gutenberg"
associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply either with
the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or obtain permission
for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg(tm) trademark as set
forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
*1.E.3.* If an individual Project Gutenberg(tm) electronic work is
posted with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and
distribution must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and
any additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms
will be linked to the Project Gutenberg(tm) License for all works posted
with the permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of
this work.
*1.E.4.* Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project
Gutenberg(tm) License terms from this work, or any files containing a
part of this work or any other work associated with Project
Gutenberg(tm).
*1.E.5.* Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
Gutenberg(tm) License.
*1.E.6.* You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any
word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or
distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg(tm) work in a format other than
"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version
posted on the official Project Gutenberg(tm) web site
(
http://www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or
expense to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a
means of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original
"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include
the full Project Gutenberg(tm) License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
*1.E.7.* Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg(tm) works
unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
*1.E.8.* You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
access to or distributing Project Gutenberg(tm) electronic works
provided that
- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
the use of Project Gutenberg(tm) works calculated using the method
you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed
to the owner of the Project Gutenberg(tm) trademark, but he has
agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid
within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are
legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty
payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in
Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg
Literary Archive Foundation."
- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg(tm)
License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all
copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue
all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg(tm)
works.
- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of
any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of
receipt of the work.
- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
distribution of Project Gutenberg(tm) works.
*1.E.9.* If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project
Gutenberg(tm) electronic work or group of works on different terms than
are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing
from both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and The
Project Gutenberg Trademark LLC, the owner of the Project Gutenberg(tm)
trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3. below.
*1.F.*
*1.F.1.* Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project
Gutenberg(tm) collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg(tm)
electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may
contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate
or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual
property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a
computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by your
equipment.
*1.F.2.* LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right
of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
Gutenberg(tm) trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
Gutenberg(tm) electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal fees.
YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY,
BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE PROVIDED IN
PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE TRADEMARK OWNER, AND
ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR
ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES
EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
*1.F.3.* LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you
received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with
your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with
the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a
refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity
providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to
receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy
is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further
opportunities to fix the problem.
*1.F.4.* Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS,' WITH NO OTHER
WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
*1.F.5.* Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages.
If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the
law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be
interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by
the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any
provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.
*1.F.6.* INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
providing copies of Project Gutenberg(tm) electronic works in accordance
with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production,
promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg(tm) electronic works,
harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees,
that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do
or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg(tm)
work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any
Project Gutenberg(tm) work, and (c) any Defect you cause.
Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg(tm)
Project Gutenberg(tm) is synonymous with the free distribution of
electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers
including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists
because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from
people in all walks of life.
Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
assistance they need, is critical to reaching Project Gutenberg(tm)'s
goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg(tm) collection will remain
freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project Gutenberg
Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure and
permanent future for Project Gutenberg(tm) and future generations. To
learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and
how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 and the
Foundation web page at
http://www.pglaf.org .
Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive
Foundation
The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit
501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the state
of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal Revenue
Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification number is
64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at
http://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/pglaf . Contributions to the
Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the
full extent permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws.
The Foundation's principal office is in Fairbanks, Alaska, with the
mailing address: PO Box 750175, Fairbanks, AK 99775, but its volunteers
and employees are scattered throughout numerous locations. Its business
office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116,
(801) 596-1887, email
[email protected]. Email contact links and up to
date contact information can be found at the Foundation's web site and
official page at
http://www.pglaf.org
For additional contact information:
Dr. Gregory B. Newby
Chief Executive and Director
[email protected]
Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation
Project Gutenberg(tm) depends upon and cannot survive without wide
spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of
increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest
array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations
($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
status with the IRS.
The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations where
we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND
DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular state
visit
http://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/donate
While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
approach us with offers to donate.
International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make any
statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from outside
the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation
methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other ways
including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To donate,
please visit:
http://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/donate
Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg(tm) electronic
works.
Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg(tm)
concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared
with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project
Gutenberg(tm) eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.
Project Gutenberg(tm) eBooks are often created from several printed
editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in
the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not
necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.
Each eBook is in a subdirectory of the same number as the eBook's eBook
number, often in several formats including plain vanilla ASCII,
compressed (zipped), HTML and others.
Corrected _editions_ of our eBooks replace the old file and take over
the old filename and etext number. The replaced older file is renamed.
_Versions_ based on separate sources are treated as new eBooks receiving
new filenames and etext numbers.
Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility:
http://www.gutenberg.org
This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg(tm),
including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.
