The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-09-20
Fashion in Bibles.

cipal English Bible publication houses
now on one of his tri-yearly tours from
New York through the largest Western
cities, said, as he pointed to room full of
samples of Bibles and prayer-books:
"Fashion enters into the Bible business
and the styles have never been so nu-
merous as now. When Moody ard
Sankev were in the zenith of their fame
in this country, it was observed that
Mr.. Moody used a Bible bound in limp
covers, the leather of which projected
and turned down over the edges. It
was Bible published by compare
lively small London house, and had as
an appendix concordance, and much
chronological and general Bible infor-
nation, such as description of all ami
mails, mountains, etc, mentioned in the
Bible. Although this Bible retailed as
high as Sl4, every Bible student was
bound to have one as soon as it was
found that Mr.. Moody used one, and
the publishers made fortune and
scornfully rejected overtures from one
of the richest Bible publishing houses
in London. Then the latter company,
who enjoy the title of the Queens pub
fishers, employed Bible students, who
wrote matter for an appendix as exhaust
i've as that of the Bible used by Mr..
Moody, and we have sold million and
a quarter of them. This immense sale
was largely due to the interest in Bible
study melted by Moody and Sankey.
The revised New Testament had an inn
mense sale for awhile, and then fell fiat,
and very few are sold now, the old YER
sion being demanded 1t took fifty years
to introduce the King James version,
and the people will be Just as slow in
accepting the latest translation.
"The English can undersell the Amer
cans in small Bibles and PRAYER books,
but the Americans have monopoly
in the sale of large family and pulpit
Bibles. Very few illustrated Bibles are
demanded, the DOre Bible being the
| most popular of these. Limp Turkey
morocco bindingis all the 90 now. The
Turkey morocco that is used in these
bindings is technically called Persian
leather and is goat skin tanned in Per-
STA. 1t is easily worked and embossed
| in over hundred different STYLES.
Here is an imitation of leopard skin,
here of armadillo shell, and here of
| ivory. Then there are the renaissance
calf, the Nile Persian, the India Per-
sian and the genuine antique croco-
die bindings. small Bible bound in
the latter selling for SIS. Episco-
pal prayer-books and hymn-books
are bound separately and enclosed to-
! gether in "a sort of portfolio with an in
geniously arranged handle. We are
compelled, by the rules of the church,
to bind them in two distinct volumes,
| because we have to pay a royalty of ten
| per cent. on the hymnal, which money
goes to the fund for the support of in
| digent pastors. Catholic prayer-books
are a profitable branch of trade. be-
cause there are 50 many versions. They
are all the same in substance and vet
differ in words and titles, such as The
Key of Heaven, etc. There are three
great Bible publishing houses in Lon
don. The limited number is due to the
fact that large capital is required to
successfully conduct the business. My
firm is one of these extensive houses.
| They call themselves the Queens
| printers, and their right to do so arises
from patent centuries old.
| It'll 1906 the printing of the English
Bible was open to any one who could
obtain the royal license, but few were
able to do so. Wilkes, Queen Eliza
beth's Ambassador to France, Holland
and Germany, was for some time priv
LEGGED as Her Maiesty's printer in the
English language. This patent was
sold in part to John Jugge, son of the
printer of the Bishops Bible, but a
great cutlery was raised against the
monopoly and number of people on
one occasion openly denounced it. An
other and more extensive patent was
sold by Wilkes to Christopher Barker
for great sum. In 1889 Barker OBJ
tanned direct patent for himself and
his son Robert. Robert extended his
patents to 1917. The patent was for
time assigned to Bonham Norton and
John Bile, but in 1885 Robert Barker
paid f600 for another extension. The
Barker's interest lasted 1870 years, ex-
piring in 1909, when it became the
property of the Baskets, who sold it
for 100000 to the ancestors of our
house. The first Bible ever printed in
this country is now owned by Mr.. f.
Hooker away up in the Pocono Noun
tains, Pennsylvania, who has refused
$4,000 for it. Some wretched vandal
tore out the title page, but forgot to
remove the title page of the New Tesla
ment, which bears the imprint of Chris
topher Barker, whom | have just men
toned. - Cleveland Herald.