The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1884-12-03
For the Farmer and Mechanic.
A Noteworthy Book.

noteworthy BOOK.
Among the books that have been is
sued this season, one of the most read
able, and noteworthy, is Fifty Years
Among Authors, Books and Publish
ers," by James G. Derby, of New Y ork
The maiden venture in authorship of 6
| distinguished veteran publisher.
Perhaps no man in the book trade
was ever better, or more favorably
| known, either to authors or the reading
public than Mr.. Derby, who for years
was one of the most enterprising anG
| liberal publishers in the country. In
the course of fifty busy years among
books and authors, Mr. Derby has been
brought into intimate business, and so.
cial relations with the most noted men
and women in the American world OF
letters. and in the large handsome vol
ume just issued by that prince of pub
fishers, G.. Is. Carleton, he tells us some
of what he knows about them in an ex-
ceptionally agreeable style, for in book
of something over 700 pages there is not
one i'll chosen sentence, or a single heavy
page.
l have read Mr.. Derby's book with
unalloyed pleasure and interest from
the first page to the last; and the read
ing has been accompanied by steadily
increasing respect and admiration for
the author, whose modesty, and sound
sweet nature are iLdexed by every page
he has written.
The only fault find with the work is
the rarest one ever charged upon an au-
photography, viz, too little OF the au-
thors personal history.
| doubt if so conspicuous an absence
of egotism can be found in any other
700 pages of autobiographicai literature
IN the whole world.
And. certes. in these DAYS of cheeky
self assertion the fault | find is really a
virtue, if not in the work, certainly in
the man who wrote il.
In marked contrast to our authors per-
sonal modestv, is the hearty. generous
and yet discriminating praise that he give
to the wide range of authors, publishers.
and noted public men with whom the
busy current of his life brought him in
contact And while the absence of ad-
verse criticism and censure is notewor
thy, still the commentator given, is
from the authors standpoint, never over
partial, or unwarrantably bestowed.
OF the many hundred people who are
mentioned. there has not been written
one unkind, or ungenerous word.
In style the writing is concise, vet
elastic and delightfully."- easy and nat
ural, and the frequent evidence ol
thorough culture, critical analysis, and
scholarly taste lift the writer into the
higher atmosphere Of intellectual and
| literary ability. The anecdotes are apt
| illustrations, and enterta ming, and the
selections made from the writer's under
discussion singularly felicitous. AnC
| .'the net result" is one of the most
readable, we'll written and apparently
reliable books ever issued by the Amer
lean press.
| The publishers have done their part
equally well. The book is handsomely
bound, the type beautifully clear anC
readable, and twelve superb steel en-
cravings of leading publishers make us
familiar with the faces of some of the
kings of the book trade, now grown to
be one Of the fine arts.
During his career as a publisher Mr.
| Derby issued books for all the leading
Southern writer's. Miss Augusta Evans
"Beublah," scored a literary success.
under the imprint of his house, as die
Mrs Catherine A. Warfeld's House o
Bouyerie,' while John Esten Cooke
Richard NJ. Johnston, Marion Harland
Gilmore Simms, Mary Ashley Town
send, Joel Chandler Harris, Mrs. Mar,
E. Bryan, John r. Thompson, Madam
LeVert, Madame de Chandron, Mrs II
Z. Lee, Gen. Beauregard, Pres iden
Davis, Mrs. Darlington Deslonde and
score of other Southern authors found il
him, or through his kind auspices thei
publisher, and SO royal road to fame
May he live another fifty years. @
life among books and craftsmen if h
will tell us all about experiences a
pleasantly as he has done in the volum
now under review.
, REBECCA CAMERON.
ESCORTED THROUGH THE STREETS o
NEW YORK BY ToRCH-BEARERs AND
BAND. New York, November &c. -Thi
was gala nj ght at the Academy Q
Music, it being the 25th anniversary c
Nine. PATHS first appearance on tn
stage. The house was packed. Tn
opera was Martha Nine. Patti az
pearing for the first time in the title-role
She received a great ovation. After th
opera the Seventh Regiment Band SCI
enaded Nine. Patti with march tina
was written by her ten years ago, an
dedicated 10 he regiment. Nine Pat
vas then escorted TO the Windsor Hott
by procession led by mounted and foe
police. After them came torch bearer
and the band and drum corps. The
came the songstress in coach drawn b
four gray horses. Arriving at the hote
the band played the following serenade
''Traviata' potpourri; waltz, 'Flord
Prima Vera" composed by Nine. Pat
ton wars ann. the seytet from "I.ncla