New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1856-03-03
Annual Book Trade Sales.

clothe him with the sullied and shivcrcd fragments Of
popular right and constitutional freedom. 2.
100
Annual Book Trade Sales.
The annual book trade sales commence in the city
OIL New York on the Goth March, when thousands
upon thousands of volumes, in every department Of
literature, upon every subject and science, are sold Off
under the hammer, i'll lots varying from ten copies to
ten thousand. 1t is the fourth of July among the
the publishers and rctailers-e great occasion of the
year, and is the best plan that has hitherto been
devised for the benefit Of both parties Half million
of dollars worth of printed matter will be sold in New
York. during the continuance Of the sales and we
trust that some of dealers in literature will be
present to look out for the wants ofths section.
With regard to these trade snes we find in an eX-
change some information of so interesting and novel
character that we give it apiece ofcurent news
I" The total number of publishers in the United
States, comprising however only those WHO publish
books not periodicals, is in round numbers three
hundred, About three ourths of them are to be found
i'll the cities of Boston, New York, Philadelphia and
Baltimore. The balance being divided among Gin
cnnati, the next in rank, Buffalo, Auburn, Albany,
Louisville, ST. Louis, ETC., etc. For the disposition of
the large amount of publications issued by thcsc'vG-
nolls houses, we have at least three thousand book
sellers, who make that their prominent business and
between six and scvcn thousand who are located in
small villages selling books in connection with drugs,
groceries OF hardware.
The present trade sale, under the supervision Of the
Publishers Association will be managed by the house
of Leavitt Delisser Co., and their invoices very
full and complete leading to expectation that at
least $500 900 worth Of books will be sold. Trade
sales take place twice year regularly in New York
and Philadelphia, and are also held annually in
Cincinnati, on more limited scale. These few items
hf
1t is true other and older countries have great sales
that surpass this of New York, in the proportion of
four to one Such is the book market at Lepsic,
famous among book-mcn the world through. But, at
the German and other continental sales, as also,
more limited SCALE at the nsuar book auction of
Great Britain, great proportion Of the works sold
are classics--sought for with ayidity by bibliopoes
and bibomaniacs, not on account of valuable infor
nation that may be in them but for the strangeness
Of cooplon the snguhity of type Or title, or some
other matter Of eXtraneous interest
Our American book sales are void of all this un-
meaning and ungrounded attractiveness. Books are
sold for no fancy rubric for no quaint spelling, Or
peculiarly Of age; but on account Of the immediate
useful practical information that sleeps in their sheets
and is kept animate between their coverings Thus,
the sale of Noah Webster's Spelling Books surpassed
arithmetic, instead of stopping at twenty, thirty
editions, like Headly's Napoleon and his Marshals,
or Beecher Stoves . Uncle Tom ran through as
many hundred editions they did units, and has not
ceased yet All books everything readable, from q
bil-poster to sanscrt inscription, is bought and
read here however. Our presses cannot kecpup with
the demands of an appetite that grows more eXactng
and voracious from every additional sop thats thrown
and never ceases its readiness to evour great in
teectua tunnel that cannot be filed by books papers
or pens If the food bestowed upon it is only sound
and well digested the growth arising thcrcfrom will
be healthy and strong and will erect new pillars
buwarks and projections for present prosperity
and behind them place great viaducts and lay broad
tracks upon which this age and ages to follow shall
sweep cxultingy into the golden and glorious plains
of the West, when knowledge virtue aud power have
their highest results and earthly apogee.
In the present, however, the improvements attend
ant upon mental culture, when rightly directed and
properly used, such should lead every one who
has the good of his country and his race at heart to re-
joice in the manifestations of its increase. Mere
strength is sure to err ability without education is
than inability, for the latter will do nothing
remain negative; whereas, the former, being posi-
tive, will do what is wrong. If education is only
right there cannot be gut or surfcit of it. The
more the merlier and the better not only for the
immediate individual individuals but for the whole
world. 1t is an old theme, fortunately, to harp upon
here-the benefits Of educational intelligence. 0ul
remarks grew naturally out of considering the grand
opportunity there is afforded in these book sales tc
which VIC have referred for procuring the pabulun
and fodder that shall make the increase and Of that
which is to be sold, we trust merchants will
return laden with the best, the sondcst and the most
useful; whatever sums up history of progress al
ready made whatcver-ponts the way and shows the
means by which it shall be surpassed in the future
For there are fertile plains unmappcd aud undiscov
cred; flames of thought unnamed and unknown, vel
to be found, classified and rendered useful