Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB
[blocks in formation]

Editorial Notes.

a

IN our comments of a fortnight since on "Clearance Catalogue," issued by a Broadway house, we were perhaps not quite just in omitting to state more fully the position of the house in question. They had a considerable surplus stock of English and American books, among which, as we stated, were many current publications, on which they desired to realize at once. They therefore offered their copies on their shelves, for sixty days, considerably below price, not intending to replace this stock or to sell any other copies at the prices named, preferring this quieter method to general advertising of underselling during the holiday season. All this is stated in the prefatory "notice," of which we must say, however, that the use of terms-" we cannot engage to fill orders at catalogue prices after the stock in hand is disposed of"—was unfortunate, since this simply protects the house from being bound to supply further | copies at these prices if they could not profitably be had, and does not state that they will not or cannot supply them. The house state, however, that they had no intention of selling other copies than those on their shelves. We find further that such a list is accepted by many members of the trade as a legitimate "clearance catalogue," and

.75

B. WESTERMANN & Co., New York. Hinrichs, Chemistry and Molecular Mechanics 2.50

on such a ground we certainly owe the house in question an apology for individualizing them for criticism. But this does not affect our own position, that it is unwise in the better members of the trade to issue such catalogues, since it thus becomes practically impossible to draw a line against underselling anywhere. Such precedents give countenance to and encourage the extreme Nassau street underselling. And it is to be understood that our chief criticism upon underselling is that it re-acts upon the larger publishers themselves. In one view, every man's business is his own, and no one has the right to object or criticise-but all this opens a very broad question, of which we shall

treat at another time.

WE are receiving gratifying encouragement from a few individual parties in the Finding List enterprise, but they are few. J. C. Trader & Co., Xenia, O., write: "Double our subscription. We can't afford to have it fail;" and in a P. S., "If necessary, will double again." N. S. Harding & Co., Nebraska City, in doubling theirs, add: "This enterprise must not fail. If we, doing a business of only $25,000 a year, can afford, rather than have it fail, to take two copies, it is a shame and disgrace to the trade that the matter lags. The publishers

working for a less per cent., but being assured that prices will be uniform, and that neither publisher or bookseller can afford to undersell. When

and jobbers ought to make up the amount at once." than 12 to 20 men in a place, and when a book is In a letter just received from Mr. Aston, Presimade at $1, it will be sold at one price by pubdent of the Book Trade Union, he says: "I trusting the advantage of a low price and the trade lisher and the entire trade, the bookbuyer reapyour Finding List will be a success. I fear, unless we succeed in making a radical change in the retail book trade, your next enterprise will be to get up a finding list to find the booksellers." If the trade generally manifested the spirit of such members of it, we could enter on the work next month. But it still looks very doubtful.

WE learn from Mr. Aston, the delegate of the American Book Trade Union to confer with publishers, that he has been delayed from his proposed journey East by sickness and business hin

drances. When he will be on he cannot even yet say certainly, but he hopes to visit our publishers before long. We trust they will be ready to confer usefully with him when he does come.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

The interests of the trade cannot be better served than by a full discussion by its members of all questions which affect it. Our columns are always open to communications on any such subject, provided they be brief and suggestive, and we cordially invite the trade to express any suggestions or opinions of in

terest or value in 66 Letters to the Editor."

A Letter from Mr. Aston.

[WE give below some portions of a letter just received, under date of Columbus, O., April 11. 1374, from Mr. Isaac C. Aston, President of the late Convention and of the Book Trade Union, and its delegate to the publishers.-Ed ]

COLUMBUS, April 11, 1874.

To the Editor of the Publishers' Weekly.

It is fair to presume that the publishers feel that a change would be quite as advantageous to them as to the trade at large, for as surely as the booksellers are only so-called now just as certainly are they going out of the book business as rapidly as it is possible for them to do so.

Bookstores are now becoming regular bazaars, selling all sorts of "traps and calamities" in order to turn an honest penny. I must confess I am almost abashed when I think "how the mighty have fallen," for in times long past I felt proud to say I was a bookseller. Ohio is now pondering the question of adopting her own series of schoolbooks; a bill was introduced in the Legislature this winter. Should this bill pass, then the school marms will sell the books and the trade will then add a few more traps, or turn school-marms or publishers. It is a lamentable fact that the best talent in the trade is fast retiring, and then the men who make books must all sell by subscription, having agents whose name will be legion.

Will not the good sense of our American publishers suggest to them that it will be far easier and cheaper for them to sell through three, rather

[ocr errors]

this climax is reached then the book trade will assume a status never before reached, and the millenia! glory will begin to dawn, and we will then proudly assume the honorable title of booksellers, as in days of yore. Yours,

ISAAC C. ASTON.

What's in a Name?

When a customer enters a bookstore and in

quires for Tennyson's "In a Garden," the salesman in attendance knows from the familiarity of sound that "Enoch Arden" is meant; but a customer puzzled us the other day by asking for a new novel called "Golden Eggs." As none of us had heard of it, and as the goose which was popularly supposed to have laid those desirable articles had long since perished through the inordinate cupidity of its owner, none of us could tell elicited the fact that the author was Mark Twain. what was really wanted until further inquiry Then we knew that " The Gilded Age" was what our customer desired.

A still more curious mistake, though in this instance a typographical one, occurred a few days since, when the writer, in sending the MS. of a catalogue to the printer, described an illustrated work, "Beauties of the Opera and Ballet," as having colored borders to each page. This the compositor transformed into "colored barbers to each page." Such a volume would truly be an "edition de luxe." We recommend the idea to enterprising publishers. The reader could enjoy a fresh shave every time he turned a new leaf. PHILADELPHIA.

BOOKS RECEIVED.

THE CIRCUIT RIDER, by Edward Eggleston. (J. B. Ford & Co.) "A tale of the heroic age," by the well known author of The "Hoosier School-master." The "heroic age," referred to here, is the beThe scene of the story is ginning of this century. the far West; the story presenting a vivid picture of the manners and customs of a period now almost forgotten. Most of the story has a foundation in fact, being based upon the personal experience of the Rev. M. Eggleston, who was in his early life a frontier minister and a "circuit rider." The book contains a number of very good illustrations. mo, cloth, $1.75.

12

ANNUAL RECORD OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.

FOR 1873. Edited by Spencer F. Baird. Harper Bros.) The third volume of a series in which it is proposed to present year by year, the principal discoveries in the various branches of science, both theoretical and applied. good analytical table of contents, and also contains It is preceded by a very a copious alphabetical Index. 12mo, cloth. $2.00.

From Orange Judd & Co., two very readable stories, "John Andross" by Rebecca Harding Davis, whose wonderful story of "Life in the Iron Mills" everybody will recollect, illustrated, 12mo, cloth, $1.50; and "Pretty Mrs. Gaston" by John Esten Cooke, illustrated, 12mo, cloth, $1.50.

THE SERMONS OF HENRY WARD BEECHER

(J. B. Ford & Co.) Two bulky volumes, embracing the sermons preached from Plymouth Pulpit from September 1872 to '73 and making, the ninth and tenth books, and completion of the series. 8vo, cloth, $2.50 per volume.

(Harper &

A CAREFUL and elaborate article on American literature has been prepared by Prof. John Nichol, B. A., L.L.D., of Glasgow University, for the new edition of the "Encyclopedia Britannica."

THE well-known Shakesperian scholar, Rev. H. N. Hudson, of Boston, as also Prof. Corson of CorARMADALE, by Wilkie Collins. nell University, have been appointed Vice-PresiBros.) Belonging to the "Illustrated Library Edi-dents of the new Shakespeare Society in England. tion" of this author's works, which the Harpers are bringing out. Finely gotten up, and profusely illustrated. 12mo, cloth, $1.50.

ESSAYS IN MILITARY BIOGRPHY, by Charles Cornwallis Chesney (Henry Holt & Co.) The first four of these essays relate to our late war, and are severally entitled "The Military Life of General Grant," "A Memoir of General Lee," "Admirals Farragut and Porter and the Navy of the Union," and "A Northern Raider in the Civil War." Of the others the most important are "De Fezensac's Recollections of the Grand Army," and Henry Von Brandt, a German Soldier of the First Empire." Handsomely gotten up. 12mo, cloth $2.50. FAMOUS TRIALS, by John T. Morse, Jr. (Little, Brown & Co.) "The Tichborne Claimant," occupies the most space in this volume, although "Mrs. Fair," "Mrs. Wharton," "Pierre Bonaparte" and the murderer "Troppmann" came in for a fair share of attention. Well written, and as fascinating as a novel. 12mo, cloth, $2.25.

THE MARTYRDOM OF MAN, by Winwood Reade. (Asa K. Butts & Co.) Under the heads of " War, Religion, Liberty, Intellect," Mr. Reade has traced out the progress of these great forces and their bearing upon the history of mankind. This book is a sort of epitome of the world's history, and contains many singular facts and startling theories. Mr. Reade is a great traveller, a disciple of Darwin, and a thorough radical. 12mo, cloth, $3.00.

LITERARY AND TRADE NEWS. MESSRS. JAMES R. OSGOOD & Co. have made special arrangements with George Eliot for the early publication of a new volume of poetry, to be entitled "The Legend of Jubal, and other Poems." THE next addition to Osgood's Library of Novels will be "Good Luck," translated from the German of Ernst Werner by Frances A. Shaw. It is a story of German mining life, and possesses more than ordinary interest.

THE first editions of Parton's "Jefferson" and Frothingham's "Parker" were exhausted immediately on publication. The demand for these large books would be surprising if their value and interest were not so great.

JOHN H. INGRAM is preparing a biography of Poe, which is to contain letters hitherto unprinted' refuting what was said of him by his former biog rapher, Dr. Rufus W. Griswold.

THE May Atlantic has a poem by Prof. Lowell, on Agassiz, being eleven pages in length, and after the style of his celebrated "Commemoration Ode." In the same number a new department, of education, is commenced.

THERE is to be published in Berlin an enlarged German version of Karl Blind's reputed essay, "German Minnesingers on the struggle between Kaiser and Pope," which appeared in the March Fraser.

"WORTHIES of All Soul's: Four centuries of

Church History. Illustrated from the College Archives;" is the title of a work lately written by Prof. Montagu Burrows, of Oxford.

AN author writes us that in traveling from Philadelphia to New York lately, after purchasing a book from one of the train-boys, he returned shortly after, "and placing beside me a huge pile of books, many by no means trash, remarked that he would give me

a good chance to stock my library as he was anxious to sell as many books as possible, a gold watch having been offered to the boy who would dispose of the most works in a given time, and he would,. therefore, sell any or every book at a discount of twenty per cent., which he assured me was the regular trade discount." Our own experience is somewhat contrary to this. Many of the train-boys stand stiffer by the retail prices than the trade do.

ROBERT CARTER & BROTHERS have received from London a few sets of the works of James Hamilton, D.D., 6 vols., crown 8vo, price $15. The separate books of this gifted writer have had a wide circulation here, and there are several who will be very glad to get a uniform and handsome

set of his books.

DR. BURMEISTER has been granted $20,000 by the Argentine Republic to aid him in preparing his twenty volume history of it.

SENOR CASTELAR'S novel is "The Story of a Heart."

It is said that Prof. Proctor is to publish a book describing his travels and experiences in the United States.

MR. WELFORD, writing from London to the Bookbuyer, says: "Perhaps it is not irrelevant to observe as a softening touch to Mr. Forster's somewhat austere portrait of "Boz," that his publishers declare he was the easiest and most agreeable man to do business with that they ever met at once perfectly honorable, and rigidly scrupulous in fulfilling his own part of an agreement, and the reverse of harsh or exacting in his expectations of others' conduct.

BOOKS WANTED.

MEMOIRS of Tristram Burgess, by H. L. Bowen.

Hume's Life and Correspondence, 2 vols.
Hume's Philos. Essays, 4 vols.
Hume's Private Correspondence.

PORTER & COATES, 822 Chestnut Street. Phila.

WHISPERS

to a Newly Married Pair.-ROBERT CLARKE & Co., Cincinnati, Ohio.

ONE " A P., the Amateur Vagabond," is to write of "The Mysteries of the Great Metropolis, etc." being the disguises and surprises of a New York Correspondence solicited by A. H. Clark, Bookseller, journalist. The Appletons are to publish the volume by subscription.

"NORMANDY, Historical and Descriptive," is the subject of Mrs. Macquoid's new work, now in press. It is to be illustrated by her husband.

buyers and sellers of "Second-Hand School Books." Peekskill, N. Y.

PER

ERSONS who can spare the No. of the PUBLISHERS'
WEEKLY for Jan. 3, 1874, being Vol. 5, No. 1, would

greatly oblige the publisher by returning them, for which

we will extend their subscription one month.

[blocks in formation]

A

SITUATIONS WANTED.

TEACHERS' AIDS

IN THE STUDY OF THE

INTERNATIONAL LESSONS of 1874.

Across the Desert.

A LIFE OF MOSES.

By the Rev. S. M. CAMPBELL, D.D. Price $1.50.

The Hebrew Lawgiver.

By the Rev. JOHN M. LOWRIE, D.D. In two volumes 12mo. Price $2.50.

COLEMAN'S

Price $2.00.

GENTLEMAN with twenty years' experience in the Historical Text-Book and Atlas. book and stationery business (school books chiefly), and competent to tak e charge of the wholesale department of a jobbing house, is desirous of securing such a situation by 1st July next, at a salary proportionate to the responsibilities. Address" Adamsson" care PUBLishers' Weekly, 37 Park Row New York.

Jacobus on Exodus, to Chap. XIX.......

WANTED By a young man of experience, a situation Murphy on Exodus...............

ence.

as bookkeeper in a jobbing house. First-class referAddress JOHN HOWARD, 360 East Water Street, Mil

waukee, Wis.

In press, and will be ready about the 20th of April. MARIE HOWLAND'S GREAT AMERICAN NOVEL, PAPA'S OWN GIRL.

One of the keenest of American critics, who has read it in manuscript, says, "It will be the greatest literary sensa tion of the time. It will make a handsome 12mo Vol. of about 500 pages, bound in cloth. Price $1.75. JOHN P. JEWETT, 27 Clinton Place, New York, and LEE & SHEPARD, Boston, Publishers.

Trade supplied by American News Co., New York.

JOHN CHURCH & CO.,

CINCINNATI, O., PublisherS, JOBBERS, AND RETAILlers of

MUSIC BOOKS.

Having the very best facilities, we always keep in stock full lines of all Music Books published in the United States. Trade supplied, and orders promptly filled.

EVERY SABBATH. OUR NEW BOOK FOR SABBATH SCHOOLS. By T. C. O'KANE. Now Ready.

All over the land, Sunday-schools that have been using "Sunshine," "Prize," "Charm," "Silver Spray," or other of the popular books issued by our house, confidently look to the publishers of these works for something equally good and useful to take their place, and they will not be disappointed, for in "Every Sabbath "everything is new, fresh, and sparkling. Orders filled in rotation. $30 a hundred. ROOT'S NEW CURRICULUM, THE "KING OF PIANO INSTUCTORS." Constantly gaining in favor, and increasing in sale. edition, now ready.

New

The quickest selling Music Book in the market is the "SONG KING."

With all other Commentaries.

- Price $1 00

.Price $2 25

[blocks in formation]

LET WELL ALONE. By the author of

"But Once." Illustrated. 16mo........$1.25 A story of an ingenious and skilful mechanic, who succeeded well in his business, but who was never content with moderate success, but always giving up one kind of business as soon as it began to pay, and rushing into something new that promised better. It is only too true a picture of what we see almost every day. The book contains an important lesson, forcibly illustrated.

IN EARNEST; or, Edith Palmer's Motto.

By Faye Huntingdon. 16mo...... . $1.00 This is a book for girls, and shows well how much can be done by taking up and ever acting on the important motto IN EARNESI.

PUBLISHED BY

Alfred Martien,

1214 Chestnut Street. Philadelphia.

JOHN WILEY & SON,

15 Astor Place, New York, WILL PUBLISH MONDAY, APRIL 20, RUSKIN'S NEW WORK.

ARIADNE FLORENTINA. Lectures on
Wood and Metal Engraving (3 Lectures).
With Illustrations. I vol. $1.

Also the following New Editions: Dana's Descriptive Mineralogy. Comprising the most recent Discoveries. Fifth edition. Almost entirely re-written and greatly enlarged. Containing nearly 900 pages 8vo, and upwards of 600 wood engravings. By Prof. J. Dana. Including appendix by Prof. Geo. I. Brush, and further recent corrections, (being the 5th sub. edition, 1874.) Cloth $10.

JAMES MILLER

HAS JUST PUBLISHED

Three Great Classical Romances

BY

WILLIAM WARE.

ZENOBIA;

OR, THE FALL OF PALMYRA.

AURELIAN;

OR, ROME IN THE THIRD CENTURY.

JULIAN;

OR, SCENES IN JUDEA.

"TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE.”

"We have used a good many works on Mineralogy, but have met with none that begin to compare with this in fulness of plan, detail, and execution."-American Journal of Mining. Mahan's Elementary Course of Civil Engineering, for the use of the Cadets of the U. S. Military Academy. By D. H. Mahan. 3 vols., Crown Octavo, $6. Separately, $2 each. I vol. 8vo, with numerous illustrations, and an Appendix and general Index. 2d edition, 1874. Edited by Prof. De Volson Wood. Full cloth. $5. Appendix and Index with Additional Cuts. (94 pages) for sale separately. 50c. Hints to Mothers for the Management of Health During the Feriod of Pregnancy, and in the Lying-in Room. With an exposure of popular errors in connection with those subjects. By Thomas Bull, M. D. I vol. 12mo, cloth. $I.

Manual of Topographical Drawing. By Prof. R. S. Smith, U. S. Naval Academy, Annapolis. New edition with new matter and two additional folding plates and additional wood cuts. I vol. 8vo., cloth. $2.

THE

CHRIST THE SPIRIT:

BEING AN ATTEMPT TO STATE THE PRI

MITIVE VIEWS OF CHRISTIANITY.

By the Late General ETHAN ALLEN HITCHCOCK,

U. S. A.

2 vols., 12mo. Cloth. $3.

JAMES MILLER, Publisher,

647 BROADWAY, N. Y.

BAPTIST UNION,

A LARGE EIGHT PAGE

Weekly Religious Paper,

ADVOCATING

FERVENT PIETY, CHRISTIAN ACTIVITY, OPEN COMMUNION, CO-OPERATION
AMONG LIBERAL BAPTISTS, LIBERTY AND UNION AMONG ALL
EVANGELICAL BAPTISTS, A CLOSER FELLOWSHIP
BETWEEN BAPTISTS AND OTHER
CHRISTIANS,

AND A MANIFESTATION OF CHRISTIAN UNION BY THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS
RATHER THAN THE COMMUNION OF SECTS AT THE LORD'S TABLE.

Editor, Rev. G. H. BALL, D.D.

Associate Editor, Rev. S. W. WHITNEY.

Corresponding Editors, Rev. T. J. MELISH, Cincinnati, O.

Rev. G. F. PENTECOST, Boston, Mass.
Rev. D. M. GRAHAM, D.D., Hillsdale, Mich.

Among our contributors are several of the ablest men in the Baptist denomination. tion reaches an intelligent class of readers in every State and Territory in the Union.

The circula

The rapid growth of its subscription list is gratifying evidence that the intellect and heart employed on its columns are appreciated. $2 a year in advance. Good commissions given to Agents. Sample copies sent free. Address

BAPTIST UNION, 37 Park Row, New York.

« AnteriorContinuar »