, 1880-04-25
LITERATURE.

Chat with the Senior Partner Of an Old
Publishing House-Some Astonishing
Figures in Bookmakiu..
| Netu York Herald.
"My recollections as q publishers sai9
Mr. William II. Appleton, the senior member
OF the firm Of D. Appleton s. Co., 'extenG
over period of fifty years. can remember
when any father kept a bookstore on Ex
change place. It stood just back Of the Gus
tom-liouse, but the street was not the resor,
Of brokers and bankers that it is to-day
Ladies promenaded that narrow thorough.
fare and fashionable life was found down
around the Battery and Bowling Green. NY
father was retail dealer then, and made
quite little fame in the trade as an importer
OF foreign books. He opened restore in Ex-
change place III 1925 and published his first
book in 1881. This book was about three
inches square and half an inch thick, but its
publication caused the firm of D. Appleton &
Co. more anxiety than the American Cyclic
Psedla,' undertaken some thirty, years later.
ihis little book was called Crumbs from
the Masters Table, and consisted of selec-
tions from Bible texts. We sold about 1,0O0
! 'Cruinbs,' and were very well satisfied, so
vel! indeed that we followed it by a similar
book, which was equally successful. The
third book we published was called "A Ref.
nEe In Time Of Plague and Pestilence,' and
It had an enormous sale, for it appeared in
ls5s, the terrible cholera year, and the public
mlstook it for treatise OF, that disease,
whereas It was religious volume, pointing
out Christ as the refuge. Some twenty-five
| years ago paragraph appeared in the
| papers saying that we would give a
copy Of the largest book we published to any
one who would give us a copy OF Crumbs
| ThlS announcement was seen by an old lady
in Maryland, who sent us the little book, and
we sent her one twenty times Its size in re-
turn. had the old and worn covers taken
off, and paid $s5 to have. it handsomely
bound, and keep it in a yelvet-lined silver
box at my house. Ny father gave more at
tention to importing than to making books,
! and sent me over to England to establish an
| agency IN London. I was Il years OF age
then, and very well remember meeting Tom
Moore ut a dinner given by the well-known
publisher, Longnans. In those days Mr..
L0ngmans gave Ills dinners in room over
| the shop, and it was a great gathering place
for the literary lights Of the day. No, I
! didn't hear Moore sing, but heard him talk.
| very much impressed"
You have been abroad number Of times
| since?"
"Yes, a great many times, and have met
directly with most Of our foreign. authors,
| aud pay them the same copyright that we do
! American authors As rule We publish
from the English plates, though we have
very nartcar i wriicr an ,I,iseR ain9} ent;rs ie Is
rewrftes I his l articies from mt tie pso nroofsIeets
Huxley reads his proof i'll the manuscript;
that tIat tr =. no ~a vnr itt tsly Gre At nfst 80 SO
naac ~ r1, nie ~ ue
@ + +oI.aa hi,n ioro ;a p. W r,r m,aet.
no for ff,e nr4.s IL. is ~ or no1, aI,
new volume Of his history, but it Is impossi-
bic to say when it will be ready"
nscrnt .; 10 A11' 80 ID tn'1fN'A ~ u'1'i-
- ~ p-,-,,+ d;a al, bic r,h,r;,,,r ,,,, t,,.,
~. - - - ~ ~ w a. Hls latoans user !ae
unsS mow do I. ms w9[KS fi .!!;~ seH IT. x,..,
than hefcr, my for @ sn,n ro'enn or ate s oe
''ts Wt ppae' -, th hnt It;r,,. - osAe.. h
l'sn; I'LL l. lpo et eoo ,'HpefetmGlt h ia autlo i ~
Lne o9n.eea!s oIoh @ " ~, p1pisli - Meu
ster n e tt u Will II 1S ,at v t aseSt , salG a.
,I f 1.f,;,',' m t,o,';. ,oas %4o o1oAe' VIC
SUI ], 4tiT milIinn 1yp,Ss conies = venr,n
,o oo, 81 ~ 'a oF iHg Her ioI io5 seaiS TN ahns @
s:c fro VI or ngsss ogS,ers rh y.r i1 'i Mave
!Ssueu aIoi ~ pafsSes' ~, ae yer lni'1Wais sMs
IN, dne gnamcpaIion ol t stSs l; VS. w; spa
~, pccause esery iltfo III t4Gooutn tliousm1
to nr;s;i ,i!;n, ',s n, a >. . s o1h ,'.;o -
{!n 1e VI iil'loa ateu !..ts ne.el s,ti.ct'
W.; sGt sta el I ht .n c:se u wy oze
au ules ,'ie W .I' tllu
!nu!:' !iouses y a... % sups sauiIs au iuleu py
.noli, " e'cls closs-1oatas stole III Iie cout7
try. ro WI, o,,,o,., tail ,,,...ho hoo,- viii,
:, ,a9 Eam y9u u, a5"ass ~, eeA "he'nel pooA Will
oe sHccesslul W. A.,
success Of a play. For example, When Lo-
i "2 ~, haid vs. .,,t,, ~ ,, oon
II: Ine lrliI ne1u u censnltatiol!, anu SuIlle
~ " ~ ~ ..,l,ia ther tat,t ~ H. 81 a. to
Dlal.y NJ @ and T doubted % we;beF ooo s Would i'd SELL M
Fl1ally wy aSIctsA 10 scllluEc Will .1VVV. Lou