The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1875-11-25
THE BOOK TRADE OF CHICAGO.
Janst n, HeClury & Co.


ment, whether customers Or not:
The who saunters along State
street will cast many an gdIririBg glance
at the magnificent facades THAT adorn
either side of this prominent thorough
fare but his eye is likely to linger long
est upon those of our superb Booksellers
Row. 1t is difficult even in this city Of
palaces to find a structure that captivates
the fancy quite like this. 1t has a beauty
and originality Of its own, the charm of
which is not lessened by the contrast Of
fered by the dark stone frort or the sonth
That Nos. III and 119State St. is the home
of the great house Of Jansen, McClurg &
Co., few need be informed, for it has a
national reputation and the press all
through the west have combined to make
their readers acquainted with it. Long
ago-as far back as 1SlS-there was start
ed the book house of S. &. Griggs 6 Co.
Chicago then was not eveRa suggestion
of Chicago of to day, but simply a frontier
town. That the business th7ired from
the start is a matter of history, for the
men that were connected with it had the
ability to succeed. When twenty years
later a large fire on Lake street blotted out
of existence the magnificent premises Of
the concern and the result of al their
years Of labor, it was by all means the
leading house in the city. Their establish
ment in the old Booksellers Row-the
finest row of stores in the world devoted
to the purpose-is still fresh in the minds
of our readers. When the cruel fire of
1871 swept over the city greater sorrow
was not felt over any one triumph of the
architects skill than ttis row
But in 4 week til, house was doing bust
ness on Wabash Avenue at the private
premises of Mr.. Jansen, and the great
publishing houses ali over the world sent
words of encouragement. This is the
history of 5. G Griggs & Co. When
Book sellers Row rose again in all its glory,
and this firm occupied its old quartcrs, the
name was changed Mr.. Griggs retired,
and the new firm was entitled Jansen,
MsClurg s. TO-. The partners are E. l..
Jansen, A. c. McCIu Z, and It. b. Smith.
A change Of name 81 nitied very little, for
these gentlemen had ong been connected
with the rrm Just dissolved. MI. jansen
Joined the old firm in 1854 General
McClurg and Mr.. Smith in 1866. This
brings US down 10 the present time, and
il can readily be seen that if long expert
ence and complete attention to the wants
of trade, and a liberal and energetic policy
from the start are productive of great re-
suits, Messrs. Jansen, McClurg & Co., are
honorably entitled TO their high position
in the mercantile world.
What a busy scene is apTead out before
you as you enter the great doors. Here
is a vast room 60 by $50 feet is size with
lofty ceiling literally filed with books,
books, books. Great foods of light that
pour in from the great plate-glass windows
penetrate far down the store and light up
the faces of the busy clerks, tie throng-
ing customers, the great piles of rich and
many COloTed wares on the counters, and
along the Overburdened shelves
and the galleries above. Directly facing
you, as you enter, is very inviting little
reading room, rallied off from. the store,
carpcted, furnished with sofas, easy
chairs and tables, SO that ladies can eX-
at their leisure, books and articles
hey intend buying. y little to the right
Of this, is a show case OF albums. Ii i.
believed that 0 in this or any other
country, can be shown a line OF similar
goods surprising this in richness. From
he quality Of the articles that meet your
aye on every hand, you al once divine
hat fine, rare and costly goods occupy a
prominent place in the transactiGns,o OF this
irm and it is SO. The following are
as specimen prices:
A copy Of the Bible, Illustrated by Gus
lave DOrc, Ietails for Sl2J; another print
I'd in six or eight different languages, sells
Tor $145. A collection of Dore's engrav-
ngs illustrating a wide variety of subjects
the text they Illustrate, in morocco
and gilt, brings $50. The British Poets in
10 vols. Sll2. Many more costly and ele-
CANT works might be named, but these
will suffice. At thi. season of the year,
Wen the Holidays are drawing near
extra preparation is made to meet
he demands OF this necessarily fine trade.
lift books innumcrable in number and
and price-all elegant enough to
atisfy the most fustidious :; Bibles and
idSc b'Ohsil Ill pam anu uiihIlcIldl NV
rs a great assortment of albums, vary
ng in size from the little ore that holds
,niy IA few pictures, to the ponderous and
magnificent one capable of containing
hundreds numerous editions of the En-
,lish and American poets and authors,
inc stationery, etc. That muster-mind of |
he English language, William Shakes
,earc, is represented by some twenty-five
~ thip,, - aHitippS Dngb ,irltlr b,D,l with |
e~tter-press of great beauty to correspond; !
from $40 to $50. Ali the stand
I'D English and American histories, are
N the shelves, gotten up in the different
tyles-suCh as library half and full calf.
The works OF dickens, T~hackeray, Scott,
Irving, Hawthorne, Ruskin, with
Re .nyson Mathew Arnold, Browning, |
Whittier, Burns, and all the
sons and daughters of song; in
hort the great writer's of both countries
Irst to last, appear in forms that appeal
o the cultivated and learned. OF the
most popular authors, such as Dickens, !
etc, as many as twenty-five ed
ions are in stock, with prices as varied as
lie editions
In the east end of the store, Messrs.
and Appleton have agencies for
lCll SlCdI lIStS vi CClIJDi dIll LlutilLOuti |
Text Books. Experienced gentlemen
reside over these depurtments-abund-
able 10 attend to all correspondence
to these books or the introduce
ion of the same. In this part of the
Dom, are the offices of the house, the
iesk of the book-keepers, cashier, cor
e%sponding, and leading salesman. And
o, having looked hastily over the frs,
loor, we dcccndcd to the basement. It's
dimensions are greater than the room
Ibove being 300 feet in length, while its
width is the same. This increase in gain
ID by running under the State street pave
nent and. the alley in. the rear. Here the
'ulk of tn: stock is carried, and vast are
is proportions. This room is absolutely
lied with, p!lss OF books and paper hat
each from foo. to ceiling. 70 show with
what rapidity this vast stock is ever