The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-09-22
AN OLD BOOK WORM.
WHAT HE FINDS IN A BOOK BE-
SIDE THE LETTER PRESS.

SIDE THE LETTER PRESS.
Fortunes In Fine Books-Lavish Expend-
itures to illustrate Modern Literature.
What New York Publishers Pay for
Engravinss and Printing.
He was such queer-looking old gentleman
that the writer paused in his walk to examine
him more closely. He was standing in the
doorway of one of those dimly lighted book
stores which line Nassau street, between Full
ton and Ann, eagerly scanning the pages of O
hoary volume through his old-fashioned gold
spectacles. His wide-awake straw hat bad
drifted back to the apex Of his crown, and
had anchored itself permanently among the
struggling strands of snowy hair which
caressed the frayed collar Of his alpaca coat.
His white waistcoat was unbuttoned, and the
ends Of the black silk handkerchief which
served him in lieu of q necktie briStled de-
family.
II have just made an astounding discovery
sir, r,"remarkcd the old gentleman. "Have the
kindness to look at this book and tell me what
you think Of it."
1t was ono nf q set of four volumes Of the
works of Pliny the Younger, published in
Strasbourg in 1910. The type was good and
the book was in fair condition. The binding
was vellrm, and four tiny strings of sheepskir
hung from the corners, in order that tho
reader might tie the volume up securely when
he was done with it. Thousands of just sucE
books may be seen any day exposed for sale
on the quays at Paris. They are the out
scourings of the early French and German
printing houses, and can be purchased for 6
few francs The writer did not see anything
extraordinary about the book, and be said Sc
frankly.
BESIDE THE LETTER PRESS.
Then the old gentleman chuckled. "Thert
IS something i'll a book beside the letter press
the printers name and the date" he said
"See herel" and with that he gingerly lifted
up the edge of tho vellum binding and ex
posed the fragments of two or three sentences
Inscribed upon it in black letter, with herr
and there an illuminated capital rich in ara
bcsque and gliding
"rhat," declared the old gentleman, will
an air of triumph, after surveying the grabbed
scrawl critically for few moments, "wa!
originally missal transcribed with laboriou
care by some Twelfth century monk in th'
secl,lsion of the scriptorium Of mediava
cloister The old fellow probably took fou
or five years to complete it.
II tell you there was some chance OF mai
writing q book that was fit to read when b
knew beforehand that it would take four O.
n
that was exposed for sale.
"Thcrc have been great changes in the pub
fishing bu:ness since I gave it up" he re
marked with quaver in his voice, changes
to my mind, for the better. One of my chic
objections to printing used to be that it di(
away with all that was beautiful in books
What can compare in beauty with the Tent
century missal. The gospels inscribed in sil
ver ana gold letters OH purple vellum; ever,
capital flower garden, and the very margin
glorious with parti-colored figures of men
birds, beasts and fishes Still, this objection
of mine is slowly melting away You see, il
my day the hooks we printed never had an.
illustrations to speak of. A few wood cuts
perhaps, and more rarely steel limo engrar
ing, and that was all"
CHANGE IN BOOkMAklSG.
The old gentleman was right; thirty year
has wrought n marvellous change in book
making. Photogravure and the wonderful
Ives process, by which a fac-simile plate
produced directly from the object, have com
to the publishers aid. Etching has taken th
place of the old steel line engraving to Ger
| tain extent, and probably there arc not one
| tenth as many steel engravings produced an
nually now Us there were ten years ago. Onl.
last year an art critic wrote that tho peopl
! who prefer line engravings to etchings ar
the same people who prefer white marbl
mantcls and hor1chair furniture to carve'
oak and velvet plush. Fifty processes exis
| to-day where there were but one or two be
fore, and if their development equals thei
promise the book of the future will indeed b
| q marvellous production.
One would naturally suppose that the in
creased facilities afforded by these multitude
nous processes would minimize the cost o
preparing book for the market; but such
not the case Each publisher vies with hi
competitors in making the work upon whicl
he is for the moment engaged as elaborate
pos:ible. Where formerly q few simple woo'
cuts were deemed all that were necessary b
now presents the reader with half dozel
etchings or cngravings, and thus he is calle'
upon to cxpcnd an almost incredible sum be
fore any return is obtained. George p. Put
nam, the father of the present publisher, Is
sucd an artists edition of Washington Irving
"Sketch Book" in 1861. It contained 132 illus
trations, all wool cuts, and Mr. Putnam pai'
out $25, ,GO0 before he got back one cent. Ii
those days this was considered fabulous srn
to invest in one work, and the number of en-
cravings contained within the covers of th
! sketch book were the wonder and admiration
of the other boohmakers.
The labor of preparing these volumes TO
publication extended over two entire years
1t WI; begun in the latter part OF 1854, ant
the first copies were not isS;lad from the pres
until l',G1. This work paits into insiGnlfi
calc2 before the p-inccly fortunes investet
each YEAR i'll n2w books b. the publishers
! to-lay.-Nrw York Star.
City Mail Delivery In 1896.
HTn 1ns;; s11.h n thinr rs q DOStnau or