New-York tribune., 1877-05-30

ever he had TO coax them into undarRAingtO publish
eclectic magazine ~ selections from English periodicals.
without Illustrations tsueh was the scope OF HmPrs
hagd-iae as 1r ginay panned), and then c0ud mihce
them to consent to an Issue Of only 5000 ue yenurtd
on his own responsibility TO add $500 more to the
edition of the first number. All sod. or the third
number. into which few illustrations had eFept 10000
copies we're Sold and the present circulation Is about
10000 OF monthly book OF about 175 PAGES Gled
with the costIest wood engravings made tie world
Seven years later Fletcher had similar struggle IN in
ducng his brothers enter into the publication Of the
Weekly Tho magazine had ceased to be in any
measure eclectic; most OF the matter and
cravings then used were original; and the
Fcey designed to absorb the best material Of the
foreign weekly press. It's character changed the
paper grew 10 be original illustrated record OF the
weekly news OF the country and IN brief time became
strong ardent political Journal None these
acfersties hai been contemplated at te start by NJ
the rm. with the possible pton Of Fletcher. HdpCs
BGzdr was his pet project also. The design was sug-
gcsted 20 him by the interest wnch his large family
daughters and his many neces took in tine engrayins
and patterns s The BeB Bd-ur, which OF his house
servants occasionally received from Germany. Orgi-
nnlly The Ba-ar largely reprint OF the plates of
the Berlin paper. but latterly the designs have been
made from original plates or the first number OF this
weekly, $4,000 copies sold, and the present crcu
laton is much arger.
For long time afer the starting OF each OF these
vision them. He selected most Of the cn,raymgs
from foreign papers which used in the Wecky and
late as 1870 ne clipped Punch for The benefit 0f both
the weekly papers. He took great delight in making
those comic selections and in ordering serial stories 10
be reprinted after a hasy glance at the first chapter
printe abroad and utter ignorance OF what to
follow. This was not 50 risky thing to do as it may
at nrst appear FOR the peculiar character OF each
Of the journals frcm which he selected thor
oughy wel known to Mr. Harper, as were also the
regulations " most Of the writer's He used 70 call this
"prating" ave have the OF pirttes," lac used to
say laughngly in ausion 70 the abuse the firm received
as LITERARY pirates" for their many repnts and
might as well have the game" Although he frequently
joked about this abuse from foreign publications and
authors for disregard Of authors rights, the Major
was easily annoyed by 10 than his
more phegmatc brOtaers; and whenever 0ppor
tunty offered made publication Of the fact that
Harper Brothers had made larger voluntary payments
to fTcian authors than any other house IN America.
About s67 Charles Dickens sold the right 10 publish his
books in this country Osgood OF Boston. aud IN the
course of the pondence used language which
led readers to infer that other publishers in
this country had paid him FOR repriNing
MS novels Fletcher Harper Immediately caused
TO be published statement showing that
Harper & Brothers had paid Dickens S2OO 900 with
out otner moral obligation to do and this too,
before he had become famous. feeling OF bitterness
,prang up when Dickens visited this country
ond time Of the firm consented 10 meet him. After
the dinner To him at which George william Curtis, the
editor of HnpG's Weekly made 40 genial and hearty
seech of welcome to Dickens hat the latter character
tied "a the bes atenner speech he had ever heard,
Dickens sent wo 20 Harpcr that be should call the
next day pay bis respects But the Brothers avoided
the interview, and they never aferwai met tine auhor
Fletcher Harper jumped 10 conclusions rs to char
acter and abilities OF men, and otten from the
most singular OF reasons. In 1867 an illustration
Latin. There was dispute as to the
correctness of the phrase aud long discus between
the artist Mr. Guernsey, tnen editor OF the MdQ,,Hc
Henry VI. Alden the present editor anu Mr. Hape hin-
self AZ 10 the proper form. ensued. Wnie tile dispute
WIS ril going On Prof Henry Dr!ser OF Columbia Col
e entered The room. and Fletcher Harper handed tie
l-tr, on 10 him. asking II the Latin title was correct
The Professor chan gcd 10 in minor respect and re-
turned il as THAT viii do" said the Major
some one vrnufcd question tine correctness OF the
correction. "OI," said the Major. PROT Drisier
knows WHY" ne added with the ar Of one sencins all
uos,ihe olj.ctIous "wnen were burned out in lSj2
Drslcr came IN xt day ard handed The Colonel $1,000
20 help ~ through. ana asked no security"
In his illness OF the past fortn ght Mr Harper became
ieicn ernaeiated. Those who knew him previously Will
remember him as considerably above average hight
strongly built but nos over stou, with ruddy COM
neyion, ard sandy hair tngd with gray Tie looked
on the street. much younger than he really was Ihe
a
aed face from the brightness o. his e es ana the
5,,r,.ng smile ~ good natur which forever urkcd
about tine corner 90 his mouth.
The new arm OF Hlrper S Brothers (pf which any one
IS the Haruer and a the rest brothers, COUSINS and
.os-j i composed Of tsr persons The silc law Is ID
h force 10 tho family. and ,he 'nnumcraoe daughters
d neces and g-audIaughters ~ the original four nave
no voice IA the mana cement o tae house The interest
of James Harper family represented by Philip j. A.
U,rler who l. the eldest Of the new firm; by james
Thnrne Harper the OF james by MS second wife,
who Is "a young still in apprenticeship IN
mo conpos ine-oorn aud by james Harper, grandson
NJ the or-,ual lanes aud SON Of Philip. Both Phlip
and his have gone through the apprenticeship ana
borne he dlsery Of the stock room, ana are as familiar
,slth the contents Of each OF the thousands Of
bins nleI with books any one Oi the en-
ploves. John Harqers interest IS represented ny
three ~ his d,scendnt John W., the elder ot hs sos
Is the present dnancrer of the concern Joseph Ahner
his brother and John Harper who Joseph ADncrs SON.
are associated with him in Office and M the keeping
~ the accounts. The Interest OF tine family OF Joseph
Wesley Harper the third Of the four brothers is repre-
uil by Joseph W Harper jr. commonly called Brook
iyu Hoe" who has succeeded O. tue general manage
urnt which his uncle Fletcher has held for wears past
The interest Fletcher Harper is Represented pv MS
second son. Fletcher Harper jr and by two srandsons
Fletcher Urliug aud J. Henry Harper, both sons OF
r,.etl Harper the elder OF Fletcher Harper the
.o-ior The same spirit Of concord which was such
characteristic Of the old firm appears TO actuaie the
new one and ony the greater disparity o ages renders
tic personal intercourse Of the present Harper Brothers
less cordial and happy and hilarious than that OF Their
predecessors.
Tin, magnitude OF the business Of Harper Brothers
.,,not he understood by those not IN some degree
familiar with the operations Of the concern Unques
orably il is the largest publishing house IN the world
II probably does twice the business Of any other house IN
Ais city and more than all the publishing houses ol any
other city IN the country combined. few years ago
.,.ful estimate showed an annual manufacturing bus
=. ~ ..nn 100 nth rul- nnr cont nl nrOhL