Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1859-01-27
BOOK-MAKING IN AMERICA.

h-mAh1NT LIN hhoaISA'
1t is somewhatalarming, remarks the Bos-
ton Transcript, to know that the number of
houses now actually engaged in the publica-
ton of books, not including periodicals, a.
mounts to more than three hundred. About
three-fourths of these are engaged in Boston,
New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore, the
balance being divided between Cincinnati,
Buffalo, Auburn, Albany, Louisville, Chica-
90, St. Louis, and few other places
There are more than three thousand book
sellers, who dispense the publications of these
three hundred, besides six or seven thousand
apothecaries, groccrs and hardware dealers,
who connect literature with drugs, molasses
and nails.
The best printing in America is probably
now done in Cambridge; the best cloth bind
ing in Boston; and the best calf and n,oroc-
co in New York and P Philadelphia. In these
two latter styles, we are, as yet, long dis
tance from Hayday, the pride If London.
His finish is supreme; there is nothing be-
tween it and perfection.
Books have multiplied to such an extent
in our country that it now takes 75O paper
mills with 1000 engines in constant opera
ton, to supply the printers, who work night
and day, endeavoring to keep their engage
ments with publishers. These tireless mills
produced 27O,0OG,OOO pounds of paper du-
ring the past year, which immense supply
has sold for about s27OOo,OOO. A pound
and quarter of rags arc requiredfo for pound
of paper, and 94O,OOO,0O0 pounds were
therefore consumed in this way last year
The cost of manufacturing twelvemonth's
supply of paper for the United States, aside
from labor and rags, is computed at s4 ,OO0,-
900.
Four hundred years ago, single book OF
gossiping fiction was sold before the palace
gate in the French capital for fifteen hun
dred dollars. The same amount of matter
contained in this expensive volume, Mr.
Harper supplies for twenty-five cents. Cost
ly books, however, are not.yet out of fashion,
for we are glad to know that seventeen hun
dred subscribers have already been obtained
for Professor Agassiz's splendid new enter
prise.
The Harper establishment, the largest Of
our publishing houses, covers half an acre
of ground. If old Mr.. Caxtou, who print
ed those stories of the Trajan war, so long
ago, could follow the ex-Mayor of New York
in one of his morning rounds in Franklin
Square, he would be, to say the least, a little
surprised. He would see, in one room, the
floor loaded with weight of $50 tons Of
presses. The electrotypiug process would
puzzle him somewhat; the drying and pres.
sing process would startle him; the hustle
would make his head ache, and the stock.
room would quite finish him.
An edition of Harper's Monthly Magazine
alone consists of 100000 copies. Few per.
sons have any idea how large number this
is, as applied to the edition of book. 1t is
computed, that if these Magazines we're to
rain down; and one man should attempt to
pick them up like chips, it would take him
a fortnight to pick up the copies of one SIN
gle number, supposing him to pick up one
every three seconds, and to work ten hours
day.
The rapidity with which books are now
manufactured is almost incredible. A COM
plete copy of one of Bulwer's novels, pub
lished across the water in three volumes, and
produced there in one, was swept through
the press in New York in so hours, and Of
fered for sale smoking hot in the Sheets
The fabulous edifce proposed by Yankee
from Vermont, no longer seems an impossi-
bility. "Build the establishment according
to my plan," said he, "drive sheep in at
one end, and he shall Immediately come out
at the other, four quarters of lamb, a felt hat,
leather apron and quarto bible"
About one book only in a hundred is a
success. Y Sun.