The Sun.
London, England, 1869-10-29 00:00:00

BOOKS IN THE FAR WEST,

The New York Tribune gives a long account of the book
trade in Chicago, and boasts that the city's wholesale trada
in literature fairly rivals her trade in breadstuffs. The
literary tastes of the citizens, who are described as
" ravenous readers," have been of very rapid growth. In
1852 there was a single periodical depot in Chicago, doing
abusiness of 2,000 dols. per annum. Some years later an enter-
prising lad began to sell morning papers at the street
corners. He is now the principal stockholder of the
Western News Company, which employs fifty men
and boys, and distributes annually 1,000,000 dela.
worth of current literature through the North West.
Many thousands of the weekly and monthly publications are
circulated by this agency. The general book trade of.
Chicago began in 1845 with the establishment of the branch
of a New York house. Messrs. Griggs were among the
pioneers and were very proud when their annual Bales
reached 25,000 dohs. When they first took 1,000
copies of the " Sanders' Speller " for a winter stock
they thought they were doing an enormous business.
Their annual trade is now 800,000 dols., and they think
it a dull year in which they do not sell 100,000 copies of
the Speller.

There are two very curious features in this remote
book trade. One is that there is r;,tri;Cater demand
for fine bindings, for calf and moroccotsclitions, than in any
other book market in thnworlcl, Irhe other singular thing
is the special demand for all rare and choice books.
These are treasures of pictorial and mediaeval art from old
missals on vellum to Dor6's Bible, from black letter to
chromo-lithography, and the enterprising citizens
of Chicago are quite ready to pay their full
value for
_such works. A folio volume of
engravings from Turner was marked at 250 dols.;
three folio volumes of the " Galerie du Palais Pitti"
were 350 dols.; while a large illustrated edition of
Irving's "Washington" was charged at no less than 1,500
dole. School-books and dictionaries are also popular, and
the Bible Societies are in full work. Altogether the book
trade of Chicago is 'valued at 3,000,000 dols. yearly. The
private libraries in the city are also very valuable. Mr.
Rice is believed to have the best, as his includes many
early American imprints published before a printing press
was established in Boston. Another citizen, Mr. Assay,
has a special fancy for old English literature, and owns a
copy of the first edition of " Paradise Lost," as well as
Caxton's " Wynken-de-Wordes," and other literary trea-
sure s. A well-known Boston lawyer and, book collector
was lately ushered, without any preparation, into one of
these splendid libraries, where a collection of the daintiest
and rarest Dibdins had been previously arranged as a bait.
At first he was dumb with incredulous surprise, and then
—as the story goes—hugging the volumes, he leaped upon
a table and danced with delight.

THE NEW 'MILK GOLD Imv-1,12.

Messrs. Fisher and Sons, of Baltimore, have addressed a
letter to the Times, in reply to an article in which that
journal condemned the interference of the American
Government in the late gold speculation in New
York. Messrs. Fisher think that the mercan-
tile community would have suffered much more
seriously but for the action of the Government, and one
reason for this is, they think, overlooked. Since the in-
auguration of the paper money system in the States' mer-
cantile business of every description has partaken, they
say, more or less of the character of a speculation. They
give an instance in which a firm contracting to-day for the
supplies of a ship, to sail three weeks hence, do not wish to
draw their sterling bills against the shipment until the
vessel starts. To avoid the risk of loss from a change in
the rate of gold (they having contracted for their supplies
at to-day's prices), they effect an immediate sale of coin to
the extent that the sterling, when drawn, will realise.
Messrs. Fisher, as agents, sell the coin to-day for "cash,"
the firm entering into contract to deliver and receive pay-
ment for the amount so sold, at their option, within, say,
twenty days. " Having effected this sale," write
Messrs. Fisher, "we make delivery to the purchaser from
coin which we borrow from those who are 'carrying '
it. We advance to the lender the current value in cur-
rency, under a contract for prompt return on a demand
from either party. For the sake of mutual convenience
and security, the loan is kept at the market rate for gold
by a further advance of currency or a withdrawal of a por-
tion of that which has been already deposited, and so the
contract is kept open until A. and Co. have drawn their
bills, and, through their exchange broker,' converted into
coin, which is handed us to close the transaction." Such
operations are ordinarily conducted with very little
risk, but it is evident that when a party of
capitalists secure the temporary monopoly of the
available coin of New York, the position is very
different. Many houses who had contracts out in the
manner above stated found themselves in the position of
having virtually bought gold at 145 to 155 through'the
failure of the lenders to respond to calls. Messrs. Fisher
therefore contend that the Government interference was
under the circumstances a proper one, as otherwise the
unprincipled clique who ruled the gold-room would
_have
advanced the premium still higher, have obtained larger
advances of currency, and produced ruin among the whole
mercantile community.

Mere is a general reeling of relief now that the redoubt-
able 2Gth is fairly over, and we may return to the discus-
sion of practical politics, suspended awhile by the
uncertainty, :is to the events of the day. The Siècle says

the Cape of Storms is rounded; but finds a certain signifi-
cance in the very gravity and self-control of the people.
Such signs indicate a democracy at last ripe. Idlers and
loungers wore pointedly absent from the streets yesterday.
It was as if it had been unanimously resolved
to give the Government no pretext for inter-
ference. The Sieele, indeed, pointedly says that the
time is past in which the people fell into the
traps prepared for them. Yesterday evening all public
meetings were interdicted, and sergents-de-ville kept guard
in the quarters where they are generally held, forbidding
any loiterers to remain there. It is thought that the
meetings appointed for to-night will be suffered to take
place. However; there is still some lingering uneasiness in
headquarters, if we are to judge by a circular addressed by
the Minister of War to the heads of the great military
commands, directing them on no account to bo absent from
their posts in the present " exceptional circumstances."
The Journal des Ddbats is sanguine of the parliamentary
future. It believes that the extraordinary session will be
opened without delay, and that the Chamber will conse-
quently have completed the necessary formalities prior to
the 29th of November. This would certainly be a wise as
well as a popular movement, but most people are beginning
to share the cynicism of the Temps,whoso comment on any
judicious suggestion invariably is that it is too good for
the Government to accept it.
The draft of a Senatus-Consultum altering the nominaT

tiou of the mayors has been submitted to the Council of
State. It provides that the mayors should be selected only
from the municipal council, but they are to be still
nominated by the executive, so that the concession will
be very far from satisfying popular demands.
There is likely to be a fresh agitation respecting the ob-
noxious law of public safety. The report that M. Pietri
has furnished the Emperor with a lisle des suspects—hence-
forward, in deference to modern Liberalism, to be called
?isle de precaution—is not likely to improve its popularity.

The r- atrie publishes intelligence from Cattaro stating.

that the insurgents had sustained a serious defeat on the
24th, losing a hundred and fifty men, besides many
prisoners. Among the latter were several Montenegrin
volunteers. The neutrality of the Prince of Montenegro
is regarded with suspicion, and an envoy of the
Austrian Government has been sent to obtain from him an
lnswer to certain categorical questions. The influence of
foreign Power is, according to to-day's telegrams, percep-
tible in Dalmatia, and an active correspondence is said to
be going on between the Governments of Austria, Prussia,
snd Russia respecting recent events at Cattaro.
The strike of the weavers at Panissit:Tes is said to be
'ver, the employers having yielded to the demands of the
workmen. In future the work will be paid by the yard,
instead of by the piece. This strike was conducted with-
)ut any resort to violence, although 2,000 took part in it.
it is fortunate that the dispute has been so speedily termi-
nated, as an extensive stoppage of work at this season must
have been productive of great distress.

GUARDIAN FIRE AND LIFE OFFICE.
Established 1821.
Subscribed Capital Two Millions.
11, Lombard-street, London, E.O.
DIRECTORS.
CHAIRMAN—WiIIiam Steven, Esq.
DEPUTY-CHAlRMAN—Frederick H. Janson, Esq.
Henry Hulse Berens, Esq Richard M. Harvey, Esq
Hy. Bonham-Carter, Esq J. G. Hubbard, Esq
Charles Wm Curtis, Esq G. J. Shaw Lefevre, Esq, M.P.
Charles F. Devas, Esq John Martin, Esq
Francis Hart Dyke, Esq Rowland Mitchell, Esq
Sir W. R. Farquhar, Bart James Morris, Esq
James Goodson, Esq Abraham J. Roberts, Esq
Archibald Hamilton. Esq Henry Vigne, Esq
Thomson Hankey, Esc;
SECRETARY—Thomas Tallrmach, Esq,
ACTUARY—SamI. Brown, Esq.
N.B.—Fire Policies which expire at Michaelmas must
be renewed at the Head Office, or with the agents, on or
before the 14th of October.
The Government Duty is totally abolished.
Prospectus and Forms of Proposal, with statemen' of the
assets and liabilities in the Life Branch, free on application to
the Company's Agents,or to the Secretary.

MUTUAL ASSURANCE without MUTUAL LIABILITY.
NON-FORFEITURE POLICIES by a LIMITED NUMBER
of PAYMENTS. PROFITS may be APPLIED so as to make
POLICIES PAYABLE in LIFETIME.
BRITISH EQUITABLE ASSURANCE
COMPANY.
4, Queen-street-place, Southwark Bridge, E.O
NEW POLICIES ISSUED.
New Policies
issued.

In Weeks.
3

86 -L14,250
108 - 18,481

rHE LATEST EDITION of " THE SUN
supplied, as soon as published, Every Evening, by W
ALEXAN DER (late Brooks), Newspaper Agent, o. 4, Old
Cavendish street, Oxford-street