A House-Boat on the Styx

First published as a serial in 12 parts (one chapter per issue with a skip; including the Peter Newell illustrations, uncredited, commonly signed). Harper's Weekly vol. 39, #2017-2029; August 17 to November 9, 1895; page-span p780 to p1065.   All but the final instalment appear under 6-line headings that begin with these three lines in diminishing typographical emphasis:

A House-Boat on the Styx. Being some account of the divers doings of the associated shades. (Publication Authorized by the House Committee.) followed by the by-line, a horizontal line, and a roman numeral chapter number with chapter title. So these three lines may be interpreted as a three-part full title.

Bangs was humor editor of multiple Harper magazines from 1889 to 1900 and "from 1899 to 1901 served as active editor of Harper's Weekly" -- Wikipedia

Presumed first printing. 1896 stated on the title page. The novel may have an earlier street date as evidenced by an advertisement by the publisher N-Y Tribune 1895-11-27 p8 "Published To-Day by Harper Brothers" (four listed); "16mo. Cloth, Ornamental, $1.25" Copyright 1895 listed. This likely refers to the earlier serialization of the novel. Clute/Grant, Reginald1 and Bleiler76 list the first printing as 1895, others 1896. Some information from The Whole Science Fiction Data Base No. 3 and ABEbooks. -- Briefly reviewed Det. Free Press 1895-12-02 p3, SL Post-Dispatch 1895-12-15 p25, Chi. Tribune 1895-12-28 p10; no others found in search of multiple newspapers online HathiTrust Digital Library shows five copies as 1896 (catalog record), of which those from NY Public Library and U California alone appear to be the 1st ed., apparently 1st printing (apparently identical except NYPL has the original cover). The others appear to be later printings. Illustrations, p[vii]-viii, lists 24: frontispiece and 23 plates not included in the pagination (uncredited, some clearly signed "Peter Newell" or "P N")

Year	Reviewer	Publication
1983	Everett F. Bleiler	The Guide to Supernatural Fiction