The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-11-01
HOW WE SELL OUR BOOKS.


An honorable business career of fifty years
warrants US in making a statement concerning
the methods of our business and the manner IN
which we come before the general public for
their PATRONAGE
In 1882 Mr.. Winthrop B. Smith saw the oppor-
tunity for the building up of great publishing
business in the West, and called upon two of the
most distinguished Western educators to make
for him a series Of readers and arithmetics Dr.
William II. McGuffey of the Miami University,
began the compilation of series of readers,
and in 1884 the first of the McGuffey readers
was published. About the same time Dr.
Joseph Ray, of Woodward College, began the
preparation OF his series of Rays arithmetics
which was first issued in the same year with
McGuffey's readers. These two series Of read
ers and arithmetics are the nucleus about which
has grown the Electric Educational series,
which now numbers over two hundred volumes,
and has an annual sale of more than four mill
ion copies
These books are now used in the schools OF
every State and Territory in the Union. Parts
of the series have at various times been adopted
for exclusive use by several States. They have
been adopted in competition with many other Sc
res of like books, and they have gained their
present extensive circulation solely through the
intrinsic merits of the books and their low price
The original intent of the publishers to have
Western series prepared by Western educators
has always been kept in mind, and the names of
the authors comprise some of the most dstin-
guished of American educators; amongst these
may be named William H. McGufey, D. D.; Dr.
Joseph Ray, A. M. DR.. T. S. Pnneo, Hon. Thos.
W. Harvey, Hon. Emerson E. White, LII D.;
VIM. J. Milne, Phi D., LII. D.. S. A. Norton,
Phi D.; l. w. Andrews, LII. D.; Hon. John NJ
Gregory, LII. D.. A. Schuyler, D. D., LII d.;
President E. c. Hewett, Alfred Holbrook. John
Clark Ridpath, S. H. Peabody, A. NJ. Hon. Eli
T. Tappan. j. B. Peaslee. Phi. D.. A. d. Hep
burn, A. NJ; w. d. Hepkle, Prof JAS E. Muir
doch, and many others, whose books have given
to many thousands of the youth of America a
common school education, and preparation for
their after career.
TO the publication of these books and their
success and introduction in the schools of the
United States, the firm of Van Antwerp. Bragg
| q Co.. and their predecessors have devoted their
capital, their time and energy.
The publishing business of the United States
is in the hands of not less than seventy five firms
who issue each a series of competing school
books. Among so many houses competition Is
most active, and the only monopoly IN any DOCK
is the monopoly OF brains that makes one publ
cation better than another, and thus insures its
preference over any other like publication. Any
American citizen has the privilege of compiling
any school-book that he may desire, and he may
secure the exclusive right of it's publication by
complying with the copyright laws of the coun-
try.
All school book publishers offer their books
for sale at list price, each firm making such
prices as they think proper on each of their pub
LEGATIONS.
The principal books of the Eclectic Educa-
tional Series are as follows, to which is annexed
the list price at which any book may be pur-
chased from us by any one. If the marty desir-
ing to purchase does not live in Cincinnati the
cost of mailing, or postage, and transportation
must be- addad