Wilson's Books and Letters THE sixty-ninth birthday of Woodrow Wilson was celebrated on December 28th in cities thruout the country, and the press gave wide attention to this. Booksellers are feeling a steady increase in the demand for the books of Wilson both from first edition collectors and readers on historical matters, and specimens of Wilson letters and Wilson documents are steadily increasing in price, The Jones Library of Amherst made this birthday occasion the time for presenting a very unusual exhibit of Wilson material, an exhibit which was enriched by many things from the fine collection of Ray Stannard Baker, who lives in Amherst. Specimens for the exhibit were also loaned by New York dealers: Brick Row Book Shop, Dr. Rosenbach, Gabriel Wells and R. Fridenberg. In the exhibit was a copy of the International Review for August, 1879, in which was found the first printed contribution of Thomas W. Wilson. Prize Winners in "The Fourth Norwood" Display Contest IN N July The Reilly & Lee Company offered several cash prizes for window displays of Robert E. Pinkerton's "The Fourth Norwood." Under the rules of the contest each contestant was required to submit a gloss print photograph, together with a brief description of the display. All of the displays were interesting and showed imagination and good taste in window dressing. The prize winners were as follows: First Prize, $75.00, John T. Mackey, Second Prize, $35.00, Harold A. Grin- Third Prize, $25.00, June Cleveland, Dept Mgr. Bullock's, Los Angeles. Fourth Prize, $10.00, Harriett Myers, Ass't Librarian, Ottumwa, Iowa. The judges of the contest were: Frederic G. Melcher, Editor Publishers' Weekly; L. A. Rogers, Editor Merchants Record and Show Window; and Frank K. Reilly, President Reilly & Lee Co. Maps and Their Makers HE wave of interest in old maps is THE All continuing unabated and renders particularly appropriate the publishing by Charles E. Goodspeed & Company of Boston of a brochure entitled "Old Maps and Their Makers" by Louis A. Holman, head of the print department of that firm. dealers in maps, old and new, will find this of great interest in increasing their information about the history and making of maps, and the sale of this pamphlet, which is published at $1, to customers will stimulate the interest in this fascinating field. It is illustrated with several reproductions of typical maps, some of which are in color. That the maps of a modern period are receiving the benefit of this stimulation is shown by the fact that a second edition of 2,000 has been printed of "The Map of Adventures," published by the office of the Publishers' Weekly, and a new map which is entitled "The Map of America's Making" is already well under way. As Mr. Holman says in his preface to "Old Maps and their Makers": "History is, so intertwined with the geography of the world which grew out of Columbus's discovery that it would seem as if the only way to teach it intelligently would be by cartography, as Winsor has so well done in his "Narrative and Critical History of America." The die, however, seems to be cast in the direction of the humdrum modern map which literally takes the joy out of life. Tho our children must bow to the requirements of present day education for tame, commonplace exactness, we adults, at least are not so handicapped. With Ptolemy, Ortelius, Hondius, Speed, Mercator, and Blaeu, we can have beauty and romance. We can sail with the galleons along the track recorded by Moll; we can suspect that his specifications may have served to furnish precious information to the pirates who would lie in wait for the treasure ships, and we can shiver in anticipation of the outcome of the battle. We can dream of St. Brendan's Isle and the fabled Atlantis, of the gold of the Sargasso sea and the umbilicus of the world off the coast of Norway. There is still something left to live for!" Clean Books from Contented LAST Authors William J. Flynn, Brentano's, Chicago the skilled workman, for whom Mr. Brisbane possesses an unquestioned affection. AST evening I left for home in a of books went to augment the income of reasonably mellow mood, feeling quite convinced that the great American Public was well embarked upon its annual pilgrimage to the bookstores of the nation. As I reached for my favorite street car a boy thrust a paper in front of me. Stunned by the impact of a Hearst head line I parted with some pennies and achieved both a newspaper and a seat in the car. With a delightful sense of relaxation I opened the paper, thrilled by the prospect of a quiet half hour with the prominent divorcees, thugs, gunmen and bombers, who impart such restful pastel tones to our deservedly popular family newspapers. Unfortunately, my glance strayed first to the sidelines. To my horror I discovered there those keen young blades, Winston Churchill and Arthur Brisbane, cutting up in the editorial pasture, and rudely thumbing their noses at my revered profession. Winston says books are too dear and he just isn't going to write them any more. Arthur says we need a Henry Ford (Arthur, be patient, we have a Haldeman Julius). For a moment I was mad and began to attribute unworthy motives to these reverend gentlemen. Then it occurred to me that if my surmises were correct they might become really annoyed and utter still more unpleasant remarks about books and publishers. I thought readily of the comprehensive but apparently unread statistics that Marion Humble and Frederic Melcher had gone to so much trouble to provide, of the clear evidence they have produced to offset the unwarranted charge of profiteering in the book business. It occurred to me that I was defraying a much larger increase on everything that I ate, wore, or used, than the public had been asked to accept on books. That, furthermore, the major por tion of such increase as existed in the case Then, as I reflected, I commenced to see lightning in the thunder from Mt. Hearst. Perhaps, after all, these men were right. Perhaps the business did need a Henry Ford. Visions of a bright clean factory rose before me. All glass and light, no dirty corners in which realism might lurk and rear its foul brood. The conductor rang his bell and it sounded in my ears as the closing signal for the publishing house of Mr. Brisbane's dreams. A flood of laughing, happy authors poured from its doors, their innocent faces shining and their brief cases reflecting the glow of the setting sun. "Clean Books From Contented Authors" What a wonderful slogan for this magnificent enterprise. My thoughts strayed to the possible inside of such an organization, and I reverently lifted my mental hat to the gentlemen who had provided me with such a vista. In the luxurious editorial rooms photographers were taking flash lights of the Advisory Councillors as they put their official seal upon the plans for a nation-wide campaign to put over a new sport model detective story, with enclosed plot and nickel finished happy ending. The faces of the councillors were not distinct but among others I seemed to recognize Brander Matthews, H. L. Mencken, Professor Phelps, Eugene O'Neill, Billy Sunday and the Duncan Sisters. My mind wandered out into the factory itself to discover Coles Phillips and Leydendecker turning out jacket designs at the rate of sixty an hour, assorted. The idea being that many people who passionately adore one particular book will purchase it in hundred lots for their libraries if every jacket is different. Then the assembling of the books them- Christopher Morley is there, slipping a etc., etc. The idea has limitless possibilities. Take. Ladies and Gentlemen, the booktrade P. S.-Please Mr. Editor, if anyone Minister of Letters "Aptly has it been said by one of the An Uncorrected Galley POST-CHRISTMAS MADNESS "Say, Mame, she says they don't take "Aw, sure they take back books. Why "I did and she says she dunno, but they "Well, for goodness sake, waddle we "Me, too. Say, I'm goin' to ask the "Well, I never heard of such a thing. ble store." SNAPPY Comment on Standard Classics NURSERY RHYMES (Mother CENSUS REPORTS (Government > TELEPHONE BOOK (Bell)—Char- CONGRESSIONAL RECORD (U. In the Book Market NE feature of the manufacture of STANLEY MORISON, the famous ers. His most recent work has been in "Complete Works of Shelley," newly Milton's "Comus," edited by Darrell type employed for the first time. There The poems of Arthur Clutton-Brock, "Sidonia the Sorceress," the famous THE Cokesbury Press February 16th as the date of publica- THE HE success of "Iron Men and Wood- AN |