New-York tribune., 1868-04-23
AMONG THE BOOKS.

In the history of mankind nothing stands out
with more prominence than the growth and progress Of
ideas. When discovers TRUTH his first impulse
is 10 give 1t to the world Before printing intro
duced silent medium Of communication, except writ
ing was known. The triumph Of steam bears similar
relation to material substance which printing does TO
thought II communication he of in large territory
famine follows there no books, an intellectual
famine would result Books granaIies, IN which the
choicest productions Of the mind stored The history
OF American literature and common schools is closely
connected with the progress OF republican civilization
On the birth OF Democracy our system OF free education
sprang into existence which created demand for books
and who should supply themi writers fnbued with mon
erchla prlnelples WIN ieudal ieas ana alltocro ex-
cusye1ess cannot furnish proper readmg-certanly
that OF elementary characerfor free people Hall
century @ aS & few yonm: %TS pub
credible The history of the house OF Appleton y Co
suggests valuable lesson to the young, whether their
Daniel and Vim. II. Appleton commenced business ina
Que side of the store was devoted to dry goods Under the
personal management Of the senior partner Daniel Ap
Vim. Appleton. In those days publishing book was
small undertaking. Beside Appetcns, Harper q
The first publication by the Appletons was won
derful little book, entitled "Daig Crumbs" which
Gospel Seeds followed this first book, and its queer
nams plaeaded on Ihe walls attracted much attention.
greatly astonished the proprietor by asng for peek Of
them there seeds S d Al that tine In Ice copies M made
exertcns on tie part Of the publishers md booksellers
tain BOOKS ON credit. Ae was ernGy inf6rmed by
prominent dealer that he had been swindled out
books SsO"'' Mr. Appleton fred up at iE: and iSi
offered to pay every cert out & OF W which tl1. they
credpOus, for he tliought It Yankee boast and great
his surprise when Mr.. Appleton pulled out his money
They produced and proved 10 be those Of EDgsh
adyenturers who had TO the world to speculate
wanted on long credit Since then London booksellers
have been cautious Of accusing American publishers.
WHARF tSe ParR Bank now stands Trade nerSv fa
OF after removal as did in this case. and the ffm
not fndng religious books profitable discontinued then
"a Td WIZ Ponp ts eScPg S 10 p spaEUe
ious Enquirer ard few others II was not long before
ord removal was made TO No 9CO BROADWAY and the
third To the Society Lbrafy Building where for years
millions of schoobooks have been sent 70 all parts of the
one of the first successful publications was Cures
SAG and S4s Broadway, tie New American Cycopedia
eOnceiS cd. matnTed, and sent forth Another o. tho
Broadway landmarks has passed away, said the daily
journals last Winter, when the Appleton building was
bt " f s r ccaSe e @ wsaS Sad eS fSo oc l
pied the premises, the fire would not have happened
Messrs; Appleton q Co. have occupied the hne build.
years. Again the old complaint had forced
At the corner Of Grand ard Greene sts now stands
large brown stone building. bearing the sign Of d.
vaults. saesroOs and offices, in magnificent style. The
grand features Of the establishment are room ventilation
aits departments and appointments 1t rs 10 beeonnected
with the NewYork office by telegraph. In the NewYork
Hero are schOoboOks, cyclopGdias and English novels
by the cord The cheap edition OF Dickens has great
within the last onr months Near the back OF the base
ment IS huge hre-proOf vault, for storing cuts or
and kept in its proper place, so that any psrticu-
lar one may be found at moments notice.
and retail city department AL the various books sold
by subscription aIe kept in this room, and among them
more than 100000 copies have been sod An the packing
in the establishment s done here and several persons
sre constantly engaged in this labor Every floor is well
lighted by large windows. thus obvatng the necessity
for wells" Or skyighs The second floor IL the enef
firm The south end Of the room as parttioed OH INTO
spacious Offices tastegy and elegantly furnished dhe
walnut No gaudy frescoes nor fancy carvings meet the
eye The walls are hung win painIngs & ana ehoiee en-
the cashier, private offices exclusively for the pro
prieors The main room Is ned with stationery, e6g,
styles Of praycrbooks and Bibles; selling ut M wholesale
paper and books aIe contained in this room alone.
fhe third floor is hed chiefly with Englsh reprints
Here are splendid editions Of the best authors, large
Bibles gift-boOks and books filled with choice en-
cravings, ali bound IN the most elegant style On one
side Of this chdrens books OF every conceiva
BILE variety. Over volumes Ia this department
alone-more than all the books in the Mercantile Library
The fourth floor devoted Spanish school books and
works on theology and law The Appletons well
known in the West Indies and South America as In the
United States In these countries they nave extensively
circulated their publications in the Spanish tongue by
liberal advertising The top floor OF this estab
lshment is devoted exclusively to writing fluid and the
elementary spelngbooks. stock Of 100000 OF the spell
constantly kept on hand. which about months
supply.
This is of educatona pleasant room on the second floor
In connection IN receptionroom for the accommodation
Of teachers. Polite and wellinforned assistants
always ready to exhibit the publications OF the house.
The different kinds of school books published
than $50 In number and they the entire field OF ed
ncStSns literature from pictorial primers 70 Hebrew
different languages-Fench, Spanish German, Italian,
Portuguese &c books to initiate Foreigners into the
mysteries OF our vefnRcuar and rice versa And there
are primary Readers without number, Phrase Books and
Exercise Books, and Dictionaries large and small In
divers tongues ana mere are oooks N tnS mod
whatever required IN commerce and business for the
south American market The popular classical series Of
scholarly editions of college textbooks by Prof Owen
But no less In the common English extbooks than In
those OF foreign and classical languages have this house
made their mark First of ALL they publish the venerable
Of Webster dear 10 the thousands who, with
their fathers before them received their hrst lessons In
morality and orthography from sucn admirable tables ms
The Rude Boy Stealing Apples" The Partial Judge"
Ac To-day there are thousands Of families IN the South
and southW West only books are the big Bible and
the blue spelling Since tne nG @ des OF % sa
printed It's actual sales during single year were over
5o6 OO0equal 10 bl3l copies per workingusy, OF oi3
per hour allowing 10 hours per day, IN sve o
Is circulation 10 greater than that OF al otner epeIeIs
combined These books packed In UNIFORM cases 20
inches Wide 81 long, and 20 deep, each holding dozen
wise one upon another they would form literary nohu
towering eighteen times as high as the seePie OF
CONTINUOUS line, they would extend over . space
Of l1e miles Twenty years ago this nrm alu no.
publish single Sch0s9sSeO0T nn,,,c Ine eouaeRsSboss
various Observation-Disclosures, Aritlmetcs, hiS-
| tories, Philosophy, Rhetoric, and ComPoston-
| land The eVbtflatlo, aud