New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-10-13
BOOKS WHICH HAVE SOLD
A PUBLISHING HOUSE WHICH DOES NO
PRINTING.


| OVER FORTY YEARS OF ACTIVE WORK.
In following the history Of publication in this
city in its many phases and along the many
qualifications which have shot out with its rapid
| growth and remarkable development, it is es-
pecially interesting and instructive to glance at
| the wellknown firm of Charles Scribner's Sons.
| Nos 743 and 745 Broadway This house Is an
example of a representative American Publishing
| establishment which has never done any printing.
And this fact has brought about result which
| young authors. and American authors In par
| ticular, have been quick to appreciate. The firm
has always been publisher Of contemporaneous
works. Naturally, therefore. it has had no small
share in bringing before the public the writings
| Of men Of the day, in stimulating the efforts OF
| these young authors, and at the same time, by
means of artistic and effective settings intro
ducing them in literary playhouse where their
merits might be seen TO the best advantage
1t is not odd however that this establishment
! is not q printing house. Charles Scr1bner, the
founder, not himself a printer. A college
graduate, tie son and grandson Of men Of educa-
ton and Of cultivation he began business life as
lawyer. Failing health drove him from his
studies to Europe, and upon his return to this
country his literary taste and attachments led
TO the public. Already the scope Of publication
was such that there was ample room for such
Judgment, an appreciation OF literary work and
an intimate knowledge of the taste and inclination
of the public essential 10 success. For pub
fishing new books involved an anticipation Of
demands rather than an acquaintance with present
needs, and herein lay q great deal Of risk and
danger.
THE BEGINNING OF SUCCESS.
But whatever rocks threatened the new Pnta
they were sEdlfully avoided for in s4e tho year
in which the enterprise was started was pub.
hshed Napoleon and His Marshals," by the Rev.
j. 7. Headley, the work which marked the first
% af,I hl{oati To
was soon followed by Washington and His
Generals and by " The Sacred Mountains both
by the same author. These works were also
warmly received With IL his finger on the pulse
Of the writings of Nathaniel P. Willis, Donald
G. Mitchell and DR.. j. G. Holland. Mr.. Willis
was was; favGraoly known by his Sketches Fen,
Pencil" His "People Have Met" was ushered
into favor by the house Of Scribner & Baker.
His prose works were subsequently published In
Mr.. Mitchell's Reveries Of a Bachelor at once
caught the publc's goodwill and this book to-
gethegS With bis Dream Life" afterward pub
annually sold standing at high figures from the time
Of the first appearance OF the two books. " Tx
Marvels" lasting popularity is shown IN a new
edition of these two books just issued by Charles
Scrbner's Sons In his preface TO Dream Life
Mr.. Mitchell has word TO say about Mr.. Scribner
which although incidentally thrown in illustrates
the kindly side of the publishers disposition
The author went to his office with his new story.
and throwing it down on the desk half defantly
for he had been subjected to SOM, some
% %Sas he f' %oaid give eu for ~ the man
uscript. Mr.. Scribner, after looking it over, an
swered that he would give him "a 900 for 1t, but
he advised him not TO take it. Dream Life as
soon as offered for sale was at once success
The house published for the same author weekly
s sso vs Fl E RRBdir' 1.-THE L0rsn't' which was
DR. HOLLANDS BOOKS.
nr Uol1and's TimothV Ttcombis Letters
Young People" after being rejected by two pub
fishers, was accepted by Mr.. Scribner and became
exceedingly popular. 1t soon ran through nine
editions and over 100, 900 copies were issued.
His Bitter Sweet" and Kathrina" both well
known, each went beyond the $4,000 mark.
great deal of attention has been paid by the
firm to religious and philosophical sub
jects, and among the eminent writers
and thinkers whose works have come
McCosh President WoolSev. DR.. Hodge Dr. Shedd,
President Porter, DR.. BUSHNELL DR.. Ii. b. Smith
and President Mark Hopkins.
publication of the Sange Commentary. This
was begun I'm 1857 The books Of the Bible were
treated by the most distinguished scholars. Dr.
Schaf was induced in 1859 to undertake the
English translation but the work was delayed for
a While by the unsettled condition of the country.
CARRYING OUT THE WORK.
The Civil War temporarily checked the work
in this country, but in England a part of the
Commentary on the Gospels appeared in 1868.
The success of the publication led Mr.. Scrbner
to take up the project with renewed vigor. DR..
Schaff was urged to begin an enlarged work for
the whole New Testament. The publication in
/ "a of the commentary on st. Matthew gave as
surance of the popularity of the work regardless
of sect and hencefOrth the work went forward
with yiCor The American work was accepted
in Great Britain as well as here possessing
greater merit than the English edition. and Mr..
Scrbner found his publication in no less favor
in England than in America An arrangement
was made by which the English house was able
to avail itself of the sheets OF the Scrbner edition
Other works edited by Dr. Schah are the - Inter
national Revision Commentary" and the Popular
Commentary
the works which have been factors IN making tne
reputatiou of the establishment. Among them
are Bavard Taylors Library of Travel the |
Short Stories and Bric-a-Brac' series, con |
fined almost wholly to eminent novelSts. poets;
Critics and other writers. Special attention should
be given to Campaigns OF the ClVil war,
Statistical Record of the Armies oil the C1lted |
States" and The Navy in the Civil War" |
These works which cover vast extent OF ter |
ritory all bear the imprint OF intimate aSsocislioh
not only with the subjects treated OF, put WITH |
the actual detafs Of events gained I'D Py persona
NAV bs noticed the Illustrated Library of Won |
ders.n Lmnier's delightful boys stories, Frols, |
sartn King Arthur" Nlabinoglon and Percy |
and the recent Little Lord Faunteroy,' winch |
has won a place for itself among popular books
with both little and big folk.
COPIES COUNTED BY THOUSANDS.
Most people, no doubt, are familiar WIN tne
fact that the authorized subscription edltlon OF
the Epcvclopaedia Britannica is sold by Charles
Scribner,s Sons. Few people however, it seems
.afo 70 sav. realize how much this right en-
braces The great work is now complete IN
twentv-four volumes with an additional index
volnme Over $4,000 sets of the Encyclopaedia
have Leen sold in this country, say about 1000
GOO volumes. 1t takes no erudite student OF the
tariff to discover that for years royal revenue
has been flowing into Uncle Sans capaeioSSs
Golfers from the ponderous wGrk WORK. OF Ile ugnt
si ySa monument for the Worlds Fair which would