The Lightning-Rod Man, reprinted from Putnam's in the Albany Evening Journal and elsewhere

Cyclopædia of Wit and Humor

Originally published in the August 1854 issue of Putnam's Monthly Magazine, Melville's comic sketch "The Lightning-Rod Man" was reprinted in several contemporary newspapers, including the Albany Evening Journal (August 5, 1854). As customary, Putnam's magazine did not credit Melville for the story. Likewise the newspaper versions reprinted from Putnam's contain no byline or other identification of the author. Eventually the story would appear with "Benito Cereno" and other of Melville's magazine pieces in The Piazza Tales (New York: Dix & Edwards, 1856).

No newspaper printing of "The Lightning-Rod Man" is cited in the Northwestern-Newberry edition of The Piazza Tales and Other Prose Pieces, 1839-1860.

Albany Evening Journal - August 5, 1854

 "The Lightning-Rod Man" was also reprinted anonymously in these newspapers:

•  Sandusky Commercial Register (in two parts), August 12, 1854 and August 14, 1854

• Yates County Whig [Pen Yan, New York], August 17, 1854
  http://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn83031797/1854-08-17/ed-1/seq-1/

"The Lightning-Rod Man" in Yates County Whig - August 17, 1854
via New York Historic Newspapers

• "From Putnam's Monthly" in the Oneida [New York] Sachem, August 19, 1854

• "FROM 'THE PIAZZA TALES.' BY HERMAN MELVILLE." in the Columbus Gazette (Columbus, Ohio) November 27, 1857.

• Albany Atlas & Argus, May 14, 1859

• Goshen Democrat (Goshen, Orange County, New York) May 27, 1859

• Geneva Gazette (Geneva, New York) May 20, 1859.

• New Orleans Republican, Sunday, September 6, 1874

• Omaha Daily Bee, September 17 and 18, 1874

• The McCook Tribune (McCook, Nebraska), October 30, 1884
  http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn94056414/1884-10-30/ed-1/seq-6/
• North Nebraska Eagle (Dakota City, Nebraska) October 30, 1884
• Wahoo, Nebraska Independent, October 30, 1884
• Oakdale, Nebraska Journal, October 31, 1884
  
• Plum Creek, Nebraska Gazette, November 5, 1884

Links:

• Story of the Week: The Lightning-Rod Man
  excellent article with text of Melville's story via Library of America
• The Lightning-Rod Man text via University of Adelaide

Related posts:

• The Apple-Tree Table, reprinted from Putnam's magazine
•  Poor Man's Pudding and Rich Man's Crumbs in The Independent Democrat (Concord, New Hampshire)