The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1870-03-04
THE CITY OF BOOKS.

There is something touching in the
terms in which the printers of Leipsic,
in the year 1910, expressed their inten-
ton to celebrate bicentenary of the ln-
vention of printing. Germany was then
in the depths of woe and devastation
on account of the Thirty Years War,
but nevertheless they resolved to have
q jubilee, t'to thank God for this benefit
and in friendly talk to take drink and
frugal meal together in stiffness" Lelp-
sic, though always an important citadel
of the book trade, did not, how ever en-
Joy its present metropolitan dignity till
the year 1865, when Nicolai and a few
other leading booksellers agreed, on ac-
count of certain Yexahous restrictions
at Frankfort, to remove the central mart
from that place. AT the same time they
laid the basis of booksellers associa-
ton at Leipsic, which, not successful
for time, was afterward, in 1925, con-
sclidated and extended, and now num-
bers about LOCO members. The hand
some building called the Booksellers
Exchange, opened Ia 1886, is the finan-
cial headquarters of this association.
Here, at the time of the great fairs, es-
pecially of the Easter Fair, a lively spec
tacle may be Witnessed. Hundreds of
booksellers throng the great hall dis
cussing and disseminating literary in
telligence, while in the lesser hall coun-
ters are laid out displaying specimens
of new works in German and foreign
literature. The strictly financial busi=
ness, which used to be the chief motive
for the reunion, is now managed through
the medium of the commissioners"
and the principals themselves thereby
obtain more time for the cultivation of
social and other amuSementS on the oc-
casion of their periodical visits than in
former DAYS. The commissioners" in
the Leipsic book trade are an institution
of great importance. They are the gem
eral agents for distant firms. At the
great Easter Fair the commissioner re-
ceives or Gisburses the requisite sums
on behalf of his employers. 1t is stated
that in 1867 as many as 80, cwt. of
books were dispatched from Leipsic,
and probably as many came in. since
| then the number has considerably in
creased. e..
AS to the amount of actual publish
ing work done in Leipsig, we learn,
from the German statistical account be-
fore us, that it amounts to about one
sixth of that done in all Germany, in
Guiding Prussia and Austria. Thus, in
1868, 1000 works were published in
Germany, e. 800 was the number for
England in the same year,; of these
about 1900 would be the number ema-
mating from Leipsic. Berlin stands
\ next to Leipsic in publishing impor-
lance, and claims about one-eighth of
the annual contributions Of German lit
erature. In the number of newspapers
and journals published, Berlin exceeds
| Leipsic; this is natural, considering the
importance of the former as the Prus-
sian capital.
Ali the branches of industry auxil-
larry to the making of books flourish in
Leipsic. Forty-seEen printing estab-
| lishments now exist in Leipsic and its
| suburbs, employing LOCO journeyman,
800 apprentices, and AGO women. With
in the last ten years, too, there has been
a great Improvements IN the bookbind-
ing trade.
Leipsie is the principal center for mu-
steal publications, not only in Germany,
but throughout the civilized world.
There are twenty-nine publishers in
this department, of which the firm of
Breitkopt & Hartel stands highest. Ro-
ders, which is the greatest house for
musical note engraving, keeps 40 per-
| sons at work. The secondhand or IAN
| tiquarian" business is very important.
There are six leading secondhand firms,
| well known far beyond the limits of
Germany, to each of which appertain
immense warehouses, sheltering some
4 thing like a million volumes. The
classed catalogues issued by these six
firms form feature of great interest in
the literary world.
| Leipsic counts at the present time
about 25S bookselling firms, having
connection with $500 houses out of
Leipsic. The personal staff they en-
ploy~ amounts to from 500 to 800 per-
sons.
There are two other institutions con-
nected with the trade which deserve
mention, and which are localized in the
precincts of this Booksellers Exchange.
These are: l. The school for booksell-
ers' apprentices, which was attended by
seventy-nine scholars last year. 1t is
designed to give scientific and technical
training appropriate to the objects OF
! the trade 3. The business postoffice of
the Leipsic book trade; a chef Geucre
of practical organization and unremit-
ting activity.