San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1881-08-18
FACTS AND FIGURES.

nOS propose ~ III, considrr-
| l,t-We published our first bOOi
only 10 ioug ago as.Jauuary, lo'0. Pre-
yiVus ~ That uuie W. were vutuely with
Vut experienced 10 BOOK publishing. VIA
kuowituge VIZ had VI INC business wa
gained Ia newspaper publishing, aud ~
book selling.
Awe were also at that time almost
eutlrcly without capital, aud until ~ late
ss February, 1881. We iaUoied under
the diihiui,y u DO ug without cnpitai
vven approximately adequate Tor the
msgulI uue VI Tue enterprise We were uu
u.riaklus,
3i--Our entire scheme was in cppo
siliou To all previous methods OF pub.
fishing aud book selling Aud from
the beginning 10 the present, We hav,
had the cOmbiucJ bitter opposition oi
almost he euIire ok'pubishing bud
book selling uiassGs OF the United
States,
i,h-Starting thus. with .minimuu
Of know euRe, aud less capital. and with
such imiuense opposition, VIZ thought u
best, ~ the Interest Ot UOili the reading
public aud ourselves, that we undertake
TOO liilc, rather tan too much; par.
lial euucc,s woald DO better than total
failure.
9th In spite Of our want u resources
aud oi experience, aud 10 spIie OF 0ppo-
sitiOn. aui win the necessity OF 0reanN
izlus aud training our neio JOrccs, aud
nrces.nrlly trying many experiments,
all oi whirh no Que could exp, ct would
ne uulform successful, we have from
January |, 1890. 10 June 81, 1881, man
uiurturld and sold ncnr'y 2OW,OOO
volumes pf standard books Tor which
sc have received the consider BILE sum
Of 800 52l -.
Glh-ln n circular issued in January
Of tie present year we made the follow "
ing statement: The public have 30
| long been taught to believe books tn be
Expensive Injuries and low prices ms
possible, that incredibly has from The
first been the greatest obstacle to the
progress OF the Literary ReyoluIlon. 1t
was easier ~ make good books cheap
than it was 20 make people believe II
could he dope. We could readily have
made pric,s even lover than they have
been, but tor the terrible tax We have
been compelled to pay To this lncreduliIy,
We have during this period, from
January l., 1851, to June ~, loSl, pad
iur advertising. the large sum .. 1llO,-
S7S.93 This immense item ne G sar,ly
mas To come omt If The DrDtts zoe make
on the JOokS sud.
7th-Allnuu-t Il our scheme originally
rmboiicI til principle vi selling dirtct'
| Is t. the Cuil uiuur, aud doing away with
the exolbirant cost vi midd!c,nen. We
have not un icrihkcn To pa ASIDE thc
| book seller nul the book asGnl "lio-
rethrr, because u large portion oi me
book buyer "i the county have got luto
the habit of looking 10 them TOR their
| supplies. aud II We were TO supp'y the
wants ut such Gus umers ut all, We Hert
compelled to do it through these Ordi
harry channels: But we have cndoav-
orcd to induce or compel these middle
meu to work. as We have been dol; X, on
n.ure rea Onahly small percentage OF
profit the immensely Increased sales at
the reduced prices, even with the small
or commits ions, really give the book
seller larger net pr' ii than he formerly
had). Accordingly, We have during
tins period, from January |, 1880, to
June 30, 1881, allowed to the BOOKSELLER
aud agents commissions averaging
about % per cent. OF our total receipts
IN otn-r words, in addition to the
.7Uo. 52l 32 we have received from the
pubic f,I our books, the public has
also p,id TO the middlemen The large
sum OF $l77,3S0 33. simply for handling
the b oks. making the total cost ct the
book. to the consumer $3.50 9i'l 10.
Stl,-From these statements you ccn
read " see that il
From the total amount
which the public has
paid for our books $SS6, "Ol,ho
We debut the amount
we have paid for nd
vertising thess books $40, SIS 90
And the amount pad
to mid0llemen for hal-
ding the books 1880. So
We have total deduction Of. Sls, $50. &c
And remainder Of $56s,Gi2 80
Thus it is evident that If the public
~ H. ~ J:a,,J,, fo,,
hea oou"ht 'hefe pooks o"ect'9 J'""
as, the unnecessary expenses Vi auVSr
u-inH, AMI OF paying m'"u'e'"en I"l
handing tnrh, peing a'o'ueu: 20 ,ne
hooks would nave cost ,ne'h on'y *''o'
oiz' ~ hcins aimo.t DO per cei'' Jess
Than the sooo'9ol'oo ""'ch 'h'y n'Ie
paid for then. and our net proretd Dis
would have been none the less.
BETTER ILLUSTRATION.
Tho ohoro 6,,ros shaw CLEARLY the
os,:S;,;,,. ~ 80, >, Jro,;on tram cur