Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1855-12-22
II alis1eaucous.
FISH AND PHILOSOPHY"
.R. JOIN MINTOSH,

~. JUN VI IN lush, 2
~ Would inform the inhabitants Of Bradford county
that he respectfully solicitS 500 subscribers for his lacal
work entitled :" FISH AND PHILOSOPHY or Sketches
made During a Short Sojourn in Northern Pennsylvania"
The hook will con =ist of from $50 to 200 pages, Emo,
and will he bound in embossed muslin. The price will be
81 60. As the work was MT written to vindirate
any particular theory. or to advance any particular inte-
rest, it is difficult to say what it aims at--fnrthcr than to
help while away a leisure hour or two, in what the .An-
thor hopes. not Improbable reading. :,
The pages are chiefly devoted to descriptions OF local
scenery incidents willie Trnuting on the Schradcr branch;
literary criticisms and "reminiscences conversations. de-
rclopments Of local character, poetry ana phi'HoPhl'al
reflections.
As the publication of the hook is not a question of
bread. the author can use the liberty OF speaking plain
In the first place, then. he cannot afftrd to publish the
book unaided-nor would he if he could for the simple
reason. he is unwilling to shoulder the responsibility of
committing a-posSibly-poor book to the world. He
therefore seeks to make a corporate concern of it: and
thus share with the subscribers the odium Of failure,
should it fail. 1t Is a purely g%ratnitous matter, gentle
men. sign, or not sign. In the second place, the author
is unwilling 10 have his stock of books added to, by too
many hundred copies of a work that failed tn redeem the
price of its publication neither does he desire the horror
Of witnessing the awful spectacle of an auto-da-fe, of what
cost him 40 much pains and time to create for he Ger.
tainly wonld commit to the flames what remained unsold
of the edition, should they remain too long on his hands.
He is determined to pay the publisher on the receipt of
the edition, should it be printed, asking no favors and if
600 subscribers can be had, he will do 50. He can AFFORD,
however, to wait, should the 600 refuse to come To the
rescue. The Ms will not diminish in value. 1t will ro-
main az it has done, cherished by the owner, as was cher
ished and loved I" the poor mans one little eve lamb, that
was unto him as a daugher." The author will ask no one
20 undertake to publish it on the strength of its merits :
perhaps from pride, perhaps from a prophetic apprehen'
sion Of its lack Of merit. Time-perhaps-wil determine
If be did well to he influenced by the latter consideration.
The author will further say, that should the desired num-
Der Of subscriptions be obtained, he will feel tempted to
promise an embellished frontispiece, enclosing a medallion
likeness Of the principal character, DR.. Plum. And should
a second edition follow, he-tie author-will exert allthe
influence he can command to secure for the original sub
scribers a lock of that distinguished individuals hair as
thank Heaven, he is appreciativc, and, Judging from his
antecedents, the author has no doubt that Plum would
gladly wear a wig for a whole year, to have the pleasure
of furnishing To his friends so interesting a souvenir.
The publication of the book, then, is dependent on the
receipt of 600 subscribers, and one month will be allowed
for names to be given in. If, at the expiration of that time
only one person has subscribed, or any other number be-
tween that and 600-unless very closely approximating it
the book will not of course be expected to sec the light.
But, if the entire number be obtained, those who have
signed, will, in three months from the closing of the sub
scription lists, be supplied with a copy, OF copies, as they
may have ordered.
Subscription lists will be opened on Monday next at all
the stores, and at the p. O. in the borough and at c. H,
HERRIcK's, at Athens. At Burlington, there will be one
at Messrs. LONG & MERRY's store, and at Ulster Mr.. joins
MATHER and at Monroe, Mr.. SEYMOUR PHlSNEY, will act
a. agents. Others may he authorized.
Towanda, October Is, 1855. .