The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-07-03
LAST OF THE BOOK TRUST.
IT'S POWER IN INDIANA 10 BROKEN.
The Work Begun BY The Legislature Is
Completed BY The Bid For Furnish
ing All The Required Books
At Statutory Prices.

tutn grip on tue budkeu by lcsloid-
rure. was to be tightened through the lack of
satisfactory bids for furnishing text books.
Until that time, in fact, almost up to the assem-
bling of the state board of education, they had
been loudly proelaiming that no responsible
firm would undertake to furnish hooks at the
statutory prices. They claimed to be pretty well
informed as to the bids already fled and to know
that they were only for single books, and not
likely 70 be accepted. The trust also
aware that if no bid was accepted at this time
none could be until the next meeting of the
legislature, for the advertising appropriation
had been exhausted, and no new bids could be
legally received
But big surprise was in store for the trust
people Shortly before o'clock Mr.. Ed Hawk
ins, ext. S. marshal, now secretary of the In
diana school book company. appeared on the
scene and presented a bid which, when opened,
was found to be for nearly the entire series of
hooks named in the law. This some
thing entirely unlocked for by the book trust.
The company was in every way reliable; its
bond was gilt-edged; the books it offered were
guaranteed to be not only equal to, but far su-
perior to those furnished by Van An twerp
Bragg & Co, and the prices were within the
limit fixed by statute.
The trust people lost that buoyancy of de-
meanor which had previously characterized
them, their faces heightened, and they held
hurried and excited consultations. When the
members of the board showed BY their actions
and remarks that they considered the sample
books submitted superior to those of the trust,
the most sbject detection was pictured on the
faces Of the monopoly representatives They
saw there was no way OF strengthening their
cause, and that their reign in Indiana was over.
President Smart of Purdue was the only
member Of the board absent After reading
rhe minutes of the past meeting the board at
once proceeded 10 open bids for books-the
prime object of the meeting; Prof. Jones'
secretary of the board officiating. These bids
we're opened and numbered. The first was
from ". F. A. Sanders of Cambridge City,
offering 10 furnish an advanced English gram
mar, known as The English Sentence" He
claimed Tor 1t superior merits. II is his own
work.
The second bid was from Dr. Ralph ST John
Perry OF Indianapolis proposing to furnish
manuscript for a physiology, pTOfering there.
with certain electro plates suitable for appro-
pirate cuts for the work. All be asked was a
reasonable" royalty. The book would be d.
pecially practical topics which other
thorities overlook.
John Carroll offered manuscript, copyrighted
for hve years for an English grammar in con-
siderauOn of royalty of cents per copy.
Mr. NJ. D. Mugand OF ST. Louis offered Ms.
Of Elementary grammar" royalty l cent.
The BOwen-Merrill company offered TO furnish
the Indiana Commercial copy.bo ocks" for
cents.
At this point Gov. Hovey demanded of Secy.
Jones that he ascertain whether bonds ap-
proved By the governor accompanied these
bids before the bids were read, and unless such
bonds be found the bids be thrown aside.
The next bid opened was from the Indiana
school-book company, as follows:
To the State Board Of School Book Commissioners Of
the State OF Indiana:
20 supply the following common school text books
specified in the act Of the general assembly OF In
diana house bill No. "a enacted March ? 1889, at
First reader Indiana educational series 10 cents
Second reader, Indiana educational series, l5
Third reader Indiana educational series, 25 cents
Fourth reader Indiana educational series, 80
cents.
Fifth reader Indiana educational series. 20 cents
Spelling book Indiana educational series, 10 cents
s-riss, 35 cents.
Arithmetic complete, Indiana educational series,
Hotzs's physiology, IS cents
Elementary geography, Indiana educational Sc
ries, 80 cents.
comolete geography. Indiana educational series.
Copy books, Indiana educational series cents.
said books o. be Of the size both az 10 form and
number q pages and quality as to matter, material
.syls OF oinding and meehsnosl execution, Of the
We further propose to furnish said books in ex-
change for books of corresponding grade in the
e Of f 1S,BBs R Bg ~ t 81 a RS 9soos Of the
to-wit:
First reader, Q cents
Third reader y cents
Fourth reader 26 cents.
Fifth reader IS cents
damp1ts dS@S1ssTy gyriahass ihihi5S@ste g % s.S os2''
Physiology, . cents.
Spelling book cents
Elementary geography, q cents.
Complete geography. - cents
And We hereby engage, should our bid be accepted,
- contract with your board az provided In the
so9ve named lsw, to supply them wi hin the time,
said books called for by lawful reausition and to
enter into and al other obligations entailed
by said proposed contract o the prescribed form Of
bond in the penal sum Of So ooo With resident rbod ,g SIf
surety 70 the acceptance aud satisfaction of the gov
ernOT OF this state conditioned that II this proposed
csntract be awarded in accordance with this bid
we viii enter into such contract, and give the bond
specified therein TO the acceptance and satisfction
oi said board Of commissioners.
We herewith hle our affidavit in the form pre-
sesd .%, n T, we are Rot in any way spnnseet with
c0mpeaIi0n are denied 10 the people OF this state
Not Il this bid Is accepted ID and a9d the complete
county map Of Indiana, showing the railroads OF the
state, and special Indiana text equivalent 10 like
mater ate in Eclectic geography No 2
Of each viii be made and put into the geography.
Wnen tne new census IS completed revised tables OF
population, etc, win be inserted as speedily rs
practicable.
ISDI4SA SCHOOL Book CoMPASY,
By JOsEPHUs COLLETT, President
Attest: EDWARD HAwKISs, Secretary
Indianapolis July I, fs59
Following this bid was read an explanatory
statement from the company, as follows:
The Indiana State Board of Education sitting a.
Board OF school Book Commissioners:
GENrLENES-We respectfully call attention 10
following explanatory statement:
1-sPELIISG BOOK.
NeGufey's spelling book, referred % in the law
n "a basis OF comparison, contains ~ pages The
speller Of the Indiana educational series slbmtted
herewith, contains the same number of pages.
The amount OF matter Is practically the same. The
books are bound alike, save that fac NJ Of muslin
is placed between the leaf and the cover in the
Indiana speller. N aking the back stronger
The books differ ia pan. The words Of the accom-
paDyng readers are used spelling lessons in the
last named spelier II is superior in plan 10 sicuf-
feyis- Two hrms Van AntySerp, Bragg & Co. and ID.
Appleton Coz have recently published since this
book vas Copyrighted spelling books on this plan.
Al the notes On pronunciation, special lists of
vords etc marked 70 correspond with the latest
edition of Webster's quartO dictionary.
2-FRsT READER
Appletou's first reader. referred 10 in the law
containing ninety pages. The FIRST reader. 1pdiana
series. submitted herewith, contains ninety-six
pages full page Of Applstons first reader contains
sixteen lines. See PAGE 81
a full page OF the Indians FIRST reader contains
nineteen lines. fSee page 50.)
Appleton's first reader IA faSfaned with fhree