Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-09-14

By Il, RTDUR uAGGARD.
CHAPTER |.
VIIHI IIt 7.
AUGUSTA AND HER Publisher.

Every DVVN WIZ HIS uIlN NnIiltNtip
with Birmingham will be acquainted with
the vast publishing establishment still
known by the short title of "Meeson's,"
which is perhaps the most remarkable
institution of the sort in Europe. There
are-or rather there were, mt the date of
the beginning of this history-three part
ners in Meeson's-NIeeson himself, the
managing partner; Mr.. Addison and Mr..
Roscoe-and people in Birmingham used
to say that there were others interested
in the affair, for Nelson's was a Com
pany" Qimited).
However this may be, Meeson & Co.
was undoubtedly commercial marvel
1t employed moro than 1900 hands; and
it's works, lighted throughout with the
electric light, cover two acres and quar-
ter of land. One hundred commercial
travellers, at 60 a week and commits
sion, went forth east and west, and north
and south, to sell the books of Meeson
(Which were largely religious in their nat
ure) in all lands; and five-and-twenty
tame authors (who were illustrated by thir-
teen tame artists sat-at salaries rang
ing from 600 to $500 year-in vault
like hutches in the basement, and week
by week poured out that hat work for
which Nelson's was justly famous. Then
there were editors and vice editors and
heads of the various departments, and
sub heads, and financial secretaries, and
readers, and many managers; but what
their names were no man knew, because
at Nelson's all the employees of the
great house were known by numbers,
personalities and personal responsibility
being the abomination of the firm. Nor
was it allowed to any one having deal
ings with these items ever to see the
III,
lest the number should remember that he
was man and brother, and his heart
should melt toward the unfortunate, and
the financial interests of Nelson's should
suffer In short Nelson's was an estab-
lishment created for and devoted to
money making, and the fact was kept
studiously and even insolently before the
eyes of every body connected with it
which was, of course, as it should be, in
this happy land of commerce. After all
that has been written, the reader will not
be surprised to learn that the partners in
Nelson's were rich beyond the dreams of
avcTice. Their palaces would have been
wonder even IN ancient Babylon, and
would have excited admiration in the cor
ruptest and most luxurious days of Rome.
Where could one see such horses, such
carriages, such galleries of sculpture, or
sucn cOlIcCllouo VI coSIly gems do az Vno
palatial halls OF Messrs Meeson, Addison
d Roscoel
One day King Meeson sat in his count
ing house counting out his money, OF, at
least, looking over the books of the firm.
He was in very bad temper, and his
heavy brows were wrinkled up in way
calculated to make the counting house
clerks shake on their stools, Nelson's
had branch establishment at Sydney, in
Australia, which establishment had, until
lately, been paying-it is true not as well
as the English one, but still ID or 20 per
cent But now wonder had come to
pass. a great London publishing com
pany had started an opposition house in
Melbourne, and their 'cuteness was
more than the ''cutcncss" OF Mceson
Did Nelson's publish m edition of the
works Of any standard author ut three
pence per volume, the opposition company
brought out the same work at tWopcnce
halfpenny; did Meesons subsidize news
paper to pun their undertakings, the
opposition firm subsidized two to cry them
down, ana so on ana now the results OF
all this were becoming apparent; for The
financial year just ended the Australian
branch hod barely earned a peggaIly net
dividend OF per cent.
NO wonder MI Meeson was FURIOUS ana
no wonder lhat lhe CLERKS SHOOK upon
Their err, stools, :. ia. ~, opt,
"Ihls must be seen INTO, NO. ., sad
Mr. Meeson' bringing his list down with
bang ON to the balance sheet -,
NO; was one OF the edltors--a mild
eyed little man with Dlue spectaclcs. lie
had once 9een writer OF promise out
somehow Meesons had got HIM Tor its
own and turned him INTO publishers
mack.
Quito so, sir, he said, humbly. 1T
is very bad-it is dreadful to think OF
Nelson's coming down to per cent
per cent? and he held up his hands.
Don't stand there like stuck pig,
No. 3, said Mr., Meeson, fiercely, "but
suggest something"
"Well, sir, said No. 3, more humbly
than ever, for he was terribly afraid Of
his employer, Il think, perhaps, that
somebody had better go to Australia, and
see what can be done
Il know one thing that can be done,
Mason al