The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-06-26
THE APPLEroNy GREAT WORK.
The Men. Women, and Children ENGAGED in
Making the American Cyciepedia.
yo.f


A literary work, In sixteen royal octave
volumes, which has engaged the services Of two
editors In chief, six associate editors, twenty
tributOrs. has occupied three years In prepara-
ton, has even before completion secured forty
five thousand Subscribers, and returned TO its
publishers more than tlOOO,OOO while the last
volume is still In press, lie an object OF more
The purpose Of the editors Of the new edition
OF AppletOns' American Cyclopedia has been to
put the work published in 1878 fully abreast
OF the times. and thus to present a panoramic
view Of all human knowledge.
The work Of the editors begins by selecting q
stan " essls ants and revisers, fifteen or twenty
OF whom work regularly day after dav In the
publishing house on broadway. To each writer,
whether Ia New York or out of IT, his subject or
subjects arc assigned, aud In n short time the
manuscrints begin 20 come in; but no article
contrlouted t. the Oyclopedia, appears there as
al hrst written. Each pa SEES successfully through
the hands OF three or four schOiUrs who exer-
else their skill and learning IA examining,
amending aud siftinx Its conten's. Accuracy Is
the very nfst consideration, aud no pains
spared to secure II. After the srticle has been
set up In type, the proof Is subjected to several
additional revisions and those contributions
which deal With biographical and gee graphical
matters receive no less than ten distinct ana
on coDtroverted points of science, politics or
theology are cut out forthwith; the very latest
information on esubJect In hand Is appended |;
an American point Of view In distinction from
an English, French or German one is steadfast-
ly maintained and where The style OF writing
h heavy or obscure IL Is made simple forcibe
and at ractive. When the facts are Incomplete
they IRE supplemen,ed when partially or mac
cufately stated tbev are amended and correct
go when out Of da'e they are discarded; when
badly EXPRESSED tn-y are e1, ressed well,
After the autoor aud editor come the com
potitor, the stereotyper, the FRESHMAN, aud the
hinder. The large factory III brooklyn would
teach most persons more thugs in an hour than
they could forget In a lifetime, There are the
clever little folding machines, each Of which
can fold daily twelve thou and large sheets
three times, while even the most active and ex-
perenced young woman thinks herself smart
aud wins for herself credit II sue can dispose Of
four hundred sheets In an hour. There Is the
close aud dat, after they have been collected
into volume from tho gathering table COM
pressing their contents into third their former
size. There II the saving machine, which saws
across III, backs Of these volumes nve openings
large euouyh to admit the Irvine with which
they are fastened aud the peculiarly construct
! ed rev ing mhchiDe-a recent American inyen-
uon, by which half the cost OF hand sewing is
4 slyed-whch sews each leaf securely IN It's
/ place. Ii operate as eHsilN ana n iaptdiy al
most ss Il loom, aud sends rs snuttle between
every two sheets a re -uarly and def u IA could
/ be wished There Is the cutting machine, which
trims nrst the tore edges, and then, when the
backs have been glued and rounued, cuts on
the ends OF the volumes also. There IL the b OK
| lug machine, which spreads out the backs with
boards Of the covers. There H. The STAINING
| machine. which stamps the covers according to
any desired pattern, and the hydraulic press,
which squcezes the finished books, Us they lie
on their sides. until they are dry.
II the returns from such work are large the
ter means from siO to s56 to tue writer Of IT; so
I that the average cost II preparing the manu-
SCRIPT Of each volume T. no lie S than S2i,00J 10
/ this must be added 5000 as tue average cost OF
tue Illustrations. Before the printer sees tue
! book IL has cost the publishers $4,000. The
cost Of tyne setting and of stereotype aud cleo
! trotype platss l. about $6,OOJ per volume that
OF printing, &c, SllUJU per volume. The cost
/ of binding depends, OF course. upon the KIND
/ Uf material used about oue.eignth OF the CO.
pies sold are bound In cloth. ABOUT two-eightfis
] In leather, aud ABOUT hve-ei9htns In half mo
rocco. In filling the otders already received
! neAriy three million bounds Of paUer have been
used aud IN type setting. printing and binding,
m II than seven INJURED men, women, boys
| and Kris IRE employed.