The Republican journal., 1871-02-09
LETTER FROM HARTFORD.
Correspondence of the Journal.


Correspondence OF the Journal.
FEBRUARY A, 1871.
HARTFORD IN MIDwINrER
is lively, although business is not good The
seghing for two weeks has been excellent
and improved by all who can ride. Our
streets are merry enough with the pleasant
Jingle of the bells. and the city ordinance
forbidding faster driving than six miles per
hour is torn. iiguratvely, into tatters On
Washington street can be seen on any pleas
ant afternoon the high carnival of sleighing
This avenue is wide, level and straight, with
elegant residences and row of old elms on
either side. What Church street is to Belfast
this thoroughfare is to Hartford. Here the
gay sleigh-riders make their horses trot down
on the one side at a moderate pace. thus
forming brilliant cavalcade. but on the re-
turn the horses are made to show their high
est speed and those who rot indiherentIy are
whipped into q run. Fast is the word. y
and so there are many exciting and almost
neck breaking races. And Of the grades of
social status of the riders and Of the various
and astonishing "turn-outs" one sees there.
we could not pretend to tell. AS one drives
down leis'lrely sharp, nervous little trOttrr
with sheared coat flies by. driven by young.
regular jockey Next comes prancing up
well matched sleek span drawing livcried
driver and an aristocratic gentleman and
lady. Then passes fast nag driven by two
fast girls; then comes a great hacksleigh
filed with painted sirens who perhaps do not
own the finery they wear, but who at least
look as happy as they could if they were ''as
pure as the beautiful snow" And so moves
on the ever changing pageant. Everybody
there seems happy and bound to make the
most of the sleighing during its short dnra-
ton.
Dramatic and musical entertainments some
OF them of the highest class are frequent and
are as ever here well patronzed We have
heard Nilsson and recovered. although it
cost the audience five thousand dollars for
one night We are to have our purses (it
not our hearts) attacked again by the fair
Swede during this month when she is to sing
in Oratorio. Everybody regrets that she
cannot be heard in opera. But no manager
in this country can afford to hire a full opera
troupe suitable for the support of the oori
Gus young songstress.
OF BOOK PUBLISHING
on the subscription plan, Hartford is the
great centre. Here many strong publishing
companies flourish their ubiquitous and ia
detatigable agents are known to every busi
ness man and to almost every house wife in
the country. Their books go all over the
world, and from sales which are prodi@ous
they reap immense returns.
In this letter we will have space TO write
particularly of but one publishing house
which stands pre-eminent and successful,
namely, j. b. Burr 4 Co. We all admire
success in whatever field it may be Even
among our friends 'tia a human weakness to
be more devoted to a prosperous than 10 an
unfortunate man. And outside of our init
mate circle the fortunate career OF 4 promi-
nent publisher is only second in interest to
that of the popular author, Mr.. }. B. Burr,
the senior partner of this publishing com
pany, is yet young man, though he has
seen more Of the world and had more aston
ishing experiences than hundreds OF old
gents who have long passed their three score
years and ten. and who will at last die only
because they are ashamed to live any Iongal'.
In 1855, at the age of twenty, Mr.. Burr COM
menced active business life as soliciting
agent for subscription books. lie canvassed
this continent from newfoundland to Texas
from Maine to California, he visited the
very ends OF the earth, and set foot in Ans
tralia, South America, New Zealand and
many other far distant lands. He At last re
turned to Hartford, and established the firm
of Burr & Co. Their first book was publish
ed in 1868, and since then their success has
been astonishing. We will. not enumerate
the names of the many works which have
come from this house. That book which
sold best and from which We're realized the
the largest profits was Sunshine and Shad-
ow in New York" On the Main street OF
this city, stands a large hotel named appro-
priately for Hartford poet-the Sgourncy
House; this was built by the share OF the
profits from that book, which fell to the
junior member Of the firm. liow this book
came into existence is interesting The idea
was conceived by Mr. Burr and his collahora-
teurs that a work describing life in the great
metropolis would take SO Mr.. T. went to
New York, and laid his project before well
known author. who from illness being una
ble 10 write recommended Rev Mathew
Hale Smith. Mr.. S. agreed to write the
book, and the whole business of the engage
ment was completed in less than two hours,
and The foundation OF a fortune laid
When issued the sale of the book was rapid
and the result the substantial one mentioned
The cost of advertising this book alone was
ten thousand dollars
Now the publishing company has sent forth
a work which is q rich contribution to ltera-
ture and science, while it possesses great
interest. 1t is volume of 1900 pages
finely illustrated with 500 engravings, and
is entitled The Uncivilized Races of Men