The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-10-29
CHICAGO BOOK TRADE,
The Old and Representative House of Jan
sen, McClurg & Co.

{ publishing house of Jansen McClurg Il Co.
Of Chicago; and though its length is such a
r, to preclude our copying tim full, we shall at
y tempt to embody It's leading points IN such
brief form a. shall we are confident, make i
= not unacceptable to our readers
/, The seed from which the present splcndlC
establishment grew was first planted in Chi
y cago in about 1874 by the New York publish
5 ing house OF Mark II. Newman d Co.. rs
t western branch under the management of W
i w. Barlow. In two years Mr.. b. 'peteret
out" at a loss to his principals OF Sl5OOO
when Deacon" Bross, his brother.in.law, took
hold of it, In partnership with s. C. Griggs
Bross in lS4S retired and the firm thencefortl
bore the well known name of 5, G. Griggs X
y Co. Egbert l.. Jansen, then lad of ID, en-
tered the store about the same time rs errand
, boy, &c, but rose so rapidly in the estimation
OF his employers that in 1854, having just at
tanned his majority, he was admitted as part
ner Other partners were subsequently ad
United, including Mr.. A. G. McClurg IN 1859
Mr.. Edward Cook in 1862, and Others but the
firm name remained unchanged until after
! 1872. This was after the great fire." and
upon the rebuilding of the famous "Booksell
er's Row" on state street. when, the old firm
having expired by Limitation, 1t was re.organ
lied under the present name of Jansen, Nc
Clurg e. Co. The building they occupy is
thus described
The first floor Is 50x150 feet deep, with cell.
j ing II feet high, always packed with stock
of general literature and fine stationery, not
only on shelves which extend to the ceiling,
with galleries running along each side, 10
: make them accessible, but also on counters
and tables covering the floor OF the store room
its entire length. The first thing that catches
4 ones eye, on entering, is magnificent glass
case, resting on very unique stand, filled with
the most valuable antique and modern books
} in costly bindings, the most precious OF which
! is a complete set of Dibdins' works, bound in
full Levant morocco, uncut edges, and valued
at s., 200. Just behind this case is a coy lit
4 tie apartment set aside for the comfort Of the
patrons OF the house; it is enclosed in an iron
railing, and richly furnished with brussels
carpet, sofas and easy chairs, and tables on
which are strewn the leading periodicals.
There, persons having an extra hour to spare,
can take solid comfort IN perusing any book
II
backward, In the center, is a square, formed
by six glass cases filled with fine books, pho
tograph albums and fine leather goods, and In.
side OF which is the retail cashiers desk and
table used tor wrapping parcels. The rest OF
| the distance down, three-tourths the length OF
the room, are tables loaded with juvenile and
toy books. On the lett hand is large case of
Oxford Bibles and Hymnals, two square Ia
bles used for the recent additions in literature
and two very long and large tables piled high
with imported books in fine bindings, most of
which, in booksellers parlance, are "out of
print" On the right is the retail department
for the sale of fine stationery. In the shelving
ON the right are the medical, scientific and re-
ligious books, and Bibles; on the left are the
miscellaneous books, arranged according to
publishers At the extreme rear of the first
floor are the Offices In which are the desks of
the firm cashiers and book keepers, and vari.
Gus heads of departments.
The basement, accessible from either end Of
the first floor, has a depth of 205 feet with Il
IA feet ceiling. Here ure packed school and
college text books by the cord, photograph al
buns envelopes, INKS, states and slate-pencils,
etc. All goods tor the retail department are
received and opened in the front of the base
ments including all books At the rear are
the packing tables, where six men are kept
constantly busy preparing goods for shipment;
it seems almost as if they labored III vain
Though the amount OF freight being constant.
ly carried away would prove otherwise, for
as fast rs an order is packed another Is lad in
Its place by the score Of statesmen and order
boys. In the rear are also the engine room
and elevators leading to the floors above.
The second floor is of the same dimensions
as the first and IS devoted to the stock of
wholesale stationery. The Office OF the manu-
featuring department is in the rear of this
floor, where estimates are given and orders re-
Ceived for the manufacture OF all kinds of
blank books printing, lthographing, engrav
ing, etc. The third floor contains the sample
rooms of the travelling statesmen, and the stock
of desks, and bulky imported fancy goods; the
upper stories are used for storing surplus stock,
in cases, of paper, envelopes States, inks and
paperteries, and empty packing cases
Jansen, McCiurg Il Co are not only book
sellers, but are engaged quite largely in the
publishing business:
Hitherto the book publishing business has
been confined almost exclusively to the east,
Boston, New York and Philadelphia being
the great Centers of book manufacture, and IA
western imprint on IA standard or classical pub
LEGATION has been, until within the last few
years, rare sight Before the fire 5. G. Griggs
l. Co. mad published two or three books, with
fair degree of success, but had never PAID
especial attention to that branch Of the bust
ness The first volume from the press OF Jan
sen, McClurg Il Co. was Truths for To-day"
first series, by Professor David Swing, followed
almost Immediately by large octave volume
containing the official account of Professor
Swings Famous Trial for Heresy. Others
were issued in rapid succession, until now
their list numbers over fifty books, of high lit
erary character, and five more are in press for
this fall The selections, for the most part,
have been happy ones, and many have passed
through several editions. "The jericho Boad,"
| by John Habberton, author of "Helens Ba-
bies" had very large sale,-over 10000
copies; the other successes were "A Short
History of France" "Six Little Cooks" and
"Dora's Housekeeping" all from the pen OF
] Miss L. S. Kirkland; Mason and LalOL's