, 1870-05-08
5AxeHY.
Tnuchntfx.
Cr7espsndenee Of The Chicago 1ri5une.

1Q5FftES5e0fNe1 ~ Lag Nf*AtNyV A1AOHHS~
LEHnc, March, 1870.
People who are ignorant Of the historical
Importance Of Leipsic, Of the genius md mon
uments it haa gwen buth to, are ut 1east awart
Of It's colossal book trnde. It has great Uni,
veraity and Musical Conservatory, but no na.
tiunal Institution like the book trade In spite
of the MORO successful etart Of the Frankfort
book fairs, tho more central position Of Rtutt-
gait, and the rising importance Of the neigh
boring metropolis ofprussia, Leipsic establish
ed yearly market in 1914, andhas maintained
it with towering success until to-
day. II would be curious to compare
the sale of tlo first years with those Of the
present time, both In amount and matter.
Printing offers its rude infant labor beside
pa1chments from the cells Of inconsistencies.
Latin is the universal language, and al the
bcokp are learned. In tho last sentence lies
the Eecret Of the more rapid growth Of Frank
tcH than Leipsic- The former city Lay be
tweon Holland, England, France, and Ger
many, and readily effected the exchange Of
learnt Latin Wares I call it exchange, for
such was the d1st character Of tho book busl-
neas.
Every publisher WIS compelled to be seller.
and pioe p1so. There was less risk in pub
1sang than now. Each firm could exchange
its own for others works at Frankfort, and in
sure their value From 1485 till 1850 the free
CITY retained supremacy indeed, held the gen.
eIl trade as long ss it bore common mark.
but fell with the Latin language. As the sec.
ond Babel arose, and the learned Of the nations
gradually dispersed, Frankfort NOT only lost
the foreign demand, but bad to yield the sup
ply Of national wants, which it had undu]y
neglected in its wider service, to
lis Hvd in Sa1ony. With the diversity Of LAM
Euages printed, the number uf books and the
yariAh1eness Of thei1 value increased. Il was
&F%$1 $1rnNn At&
to bo limited 10 simple exchange. According
y, about 1850, beginning was made with the
lar moro advantageous system OF conditional
sales or privileged remittance Of wares unsold
within certain time. The pubisher scattered
his works in every corner OF the land, and
others IN return, and thus gradually gave up
the dadc TO other hands, and improved the
facilities Of his Publishing house. On
the other hand, the small bookseller en-
la1ged bis stock, no longer rea1ing
up n his esins F4esden, soaa soaaaenss ssaHr %.
Capitalization were the speedy results OF this
credit system on tho trade Learning had
been moving norshward for centuries. In the
middle ages BolognA, at the time Of tie Re
Gle OF the learned, but in the seventeenth and
eighteenth centuries the North German uni ]
Teraities bad superceded- LeipsisTa trade |
arose On this advancing tide. In 1892 an E1- |
cnAnGe WIS 1cunoeQs Wnefe pooE mafEaantS
could neet, buy and sell, and settle accounts
and disputes. In 1825, 103, and in 1865, 800
firms were represented in it. Its work has been |
to foster the general interests Of the trade, to
protect literary property md facilitate busi-
ness For The latter purpose there is an or
counts for books, are distributed to the Leip-
SIC Commissioners Of the 5000 outside frmA
who are IN continual intercourse with thAt city:
> packing house thst forwards the wares OF
the commission houses with rapidity and IN
surznce; and IN exchange journal, that makes
wants, and offers, and affairs of special inter
est known to it's subscribers throughout Ger
many.
supposing bookseller at St Louis or Gin
cinuati, who wanted books published by New
nonld not send his orders direct to New York,
sccording to the German custom, but to Chi
:ago. Needless us that would be in single !
casc, the plan would prove beneficial II the
same person had orders on seveh Eastern
1fes.
In 17e5 only ], SIT books we're published in
Germany a century Inter the number arose
Q 1851, OF as many as were published m
France and England together. This great pro-
portion may be partly accounted for by the
act that much foreign literature Is printed,
|ot cheapness' sake, in Germany. Between the
same dates. just given. the sales increased
rom 81 ,5oO, 900 to 81 ,00o, 900 annually. Be
jde negotiating large amount OF these sales, |
.eipsic furnishes at least oue-si1th Of the mat
or published Hooked up the vast establish
aent OF Brockhaue, that combines type
oundry, and rooms for wood and stone en-
;1aying, with n printing, publishing, and
sazehouse. Nearly 500 persons are employed
n the long blocks Of bindings about the
urge inner courts and the proprletor's villa I
The finn Of BERNHARD Tnuchnitz has busi-
,ess Of Ike proportions, best known to us by
lis cheap editions of the classics, and, within
few years, By his republication Of English
nd AIaer1can works in Uniform ha1f-dollar
'olumca- For the thougandth number Of this
series the publisher offers an
:nglieh Testament, with text criticised by |
Eischendo1h, as fitting climax Whi1e this |
collection Of modern English classics has been
appearing, countless others have succeeded
:ach other, bearing IN cheaper ssor more exact ]
md elegant forms tho loved masters Of home i
hought. AL Schiller for tha1er, is only 1
by Dicks shilling Shakespeare.
a,taise, az you may, the court-fest writer's at
Berlin; be astounded at the shipping Of HAM s
'urg3 STARE at the banks OF FtanHort; be | !
lied with awe in the Cathedral at Cologne; | i
'e delighted with the abundance Of art at Mu- | /
,ich, and antiquity Of Prague, but not fail to
;lory in Leipsic as the great storehouse Of Y c
ierman intelligence, the casket in which the t
cry heart Of modern civilization is concealed. e