The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1869-02-23

years Old Both brothers soop became
accomplished workmcn. James tall
Young man. With uneommon physical
strength. was bald & be tie quickest
pressman ID town. vhils John vas
known as an excellent composilor aud
accurate prooi-rsader
Jaues was no sooner cut q his
time thar he prepared 10 set up IN bus
inass for himself Johns engagement
expired al about the samo time; ard
the two brothers, in lsl6, enterod into
partnership as printers, nnder The name
Of J & J Harper They were perfect
masters q their art. and il soon came
to be understood thai L anybody wani-
cd job done quickly and well, the
young Harpers were the m0n % do It.
Their business grew, aud in ls25i after
some obaugea in location. they estab.
lishsd themselves III Cliff street upon
the ground now covered by part Of
their establishment Before this, they
bad begun 10 gel up books on thcir own
account Their method was one still
praehsod IN England They would
print book, and then 60 around among
the leading book sellers and sell 10 each
as many copies as he would take.
Then, two younger brothers, Wesley
and Fletcher. had been joined 70 them,
and, not long after serving their time,
were admitted as partners, the firm
name shortly being changed to that Of
| Harper x Brothers, which has remain
ed unchanged eyersince The question
is often asked, Which is the Harper,
and who are the BroiAeisY The ana
wer IS, Elther Of MS is Harper, aud all
tho rest are The Brothers
In few years Harper 4 Brothers
had become recognized as the leading
book -publishers in the country. In
| 1853 their establishment occupied nine
contiguous buildings, the main front
being on Franklin Square, but running
through to Cliff street The three
buildings on the square were new,buiIt
expressly for their use. They had not
quite fairly occupied them, when, on
the 10th Of December. 1853, the whole
establishment was burned to the
Ground In two hodrs three quarters
Of a million dollars Of property, insured
for barely quarter Of that sum, was
swept from existence.
That evening the brothers held .
consultation. They were no longer
young men. Notwithstanding their
loss, they had still an ample competence,
Moreover, there was not one Of them
to whom the presidency Of bank or
insurance company, with a liberal sala-
ry and light labor, was not open The
OCCASION was tempting one 10 retire
from heavy labor. The four thought
briefly and in silence. John spoke
first Our business, ne said, is too
valuable to be given up, or to be allow
ed to pass into other hands. We have
all Of us sons They have helped us,
and will soon be able to take our places.
We will carry on tho business and
show the boys that We are not old To-
gies, yet.
This was agreed to, and before for
ty-eight hours had passed Harper q
Brothers had entered into contracts
with the principal printers in New
York, Boston and Philadelphia to dc
their work for them, they working
double time. They also bought every
decent printing press on sale, and con.
! tracted by telegraph for others to be
completed by the tune when they should
, have a place in which TO put them
The great thing to be done was te
plan the buildings for the new estab.
lishment, which was TO supercede the
old one. John Harper undertook this
, He had a certain space, a rather irreg-
ular piece Of ground, one hundred and
seventy feet deep, with two frontagos
, Of one hundred and twenty feet; in all
about half m acre, or equal 10 ten city
lots. Upon this ground he was tc
I erect building, or series Of buildings
, suitable for great printing establish
ment, involving manifold operations
and much machinery Warned by past
experience, he determined that hil
! buildings should be, FIRST of all things
: 6re-proof Fortunately, at just about
this time, Peter Cooper had completed
z his arrangements for rolling iron beam'
! and Orders, and was busily engaged il
making them for the Cooper Institute
! John Harper engaged him 10 furnisi
these for the Harper establishment, ant
: the Cooper Institute stood still for /
while, rather to the surprise Of the pub
: lie.
Q Contrary 10 all precedent, Johi
: Harper built from within outward =
e The height Of the buildings, the mum
0 Der Of stories, and all the uses to Whicl
1 each should be devoted, we're decided
before the form Of the exterior was 61
{ 81 upon.