New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-11-24
AN OLD AND A YOUNG FIRM.
/. HISTORY OF TWO PUBLISHING HOUSES.
THE ADMIRABLE WORK DONE BY HoUGHToN,


MIFFrIN co. AND WHITE & ALLEN.
The tendency toward the amalgamation Of busi-
ness houses into establishments of mammoth pro-
portions has had its effect on the publishing as
well as most other trades, and many large concerns
of to-day have several firms merged in Them
Among the houses that thus embody what IS best
in numerous preceding firms is Houghton, MUM
g. CO.. which, while it does its actual publishing
in Cambridge, Mass, has offices in Boston, New
York, Chicago and London. 1t had its origin
hack in 1911, being the successor TO Orochel
Brewster. firm which began business at 'naU
date Az various times accessions were made TO
the plant and franchises of the hrm '''iousn
successorship TO the business of j. D. oregory :"
Co and Albert Mason, Of New-lOrk, ana hrowh'
Tagqart g. Chase. of Boston, but the most I'M
nortant addition 10 the house was the lncorpora-
lion in il in 1873 of Fields, Osgoou " Oo'' d
err, that had established wide reputation Tor
the high class of its publications. ,,.
m. nnosort firm of Houghton, Miflin & Co.
=. 80 civ members-IIenry o. Houghton,
60 IT MiG1in Lawson Valentine, James Muir
-, Kav Tburlow Weed Barnes and Henry %.
Jouobton. ir. OF these Henry o. Houghton is
tho senior partner, and to his industry. practical
acouaintance with the mechanical part OF the
business. foresight and high literary and artistic
Tn ls49 when twenty-six years DID, he joined the
firm of Freeman & Bodies, in Cambridge, and
few years later the business removed TO its
present site on the banks of the Charles River,
and received the name Riverside Press. Its
history since then has been record of mechanical
and literary success that has placed the firms
name among the foremost Of its kind in this
country.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FIRM.
Houghton, Mifiin a. Co. arc representatives
If the most honora BILE, most nlightened and most
liberal class Of publishers. They have lifted
their business above mere trade, and have made
il the patron of art and literature. Their name
is most closely identified with the history or
letters in the United States large number
of the greatest writer's Of the land have not
only had their works brought out by this firm but
have had personal friendship with its members
that was far removed from mere financial relations
The house has never catered TO the class OIL
readers that demand sensational and trashy read
ing matter. To the imprint of the Riverside
Press and its well-Inown motto " DO II well OF
non AT alp on a book is q guarantee of literary
excellence.
The productions of the Riverside Press are OF
mechanical superiority that appeals most
strongly TO the lover Of books, who admlres
the outside Of a book a sportsman admlres
the slender grace of thoroughbred. There Is a
chara cteristic finish about every volume issued
by this firm which enables one who Is at All
familiar with books TO identify 1t as pro
duction of the Riverside Press. As much attention
is paid 10 having the printing clear, the bndlng
strong the paper of good quality, the decoration
artistic and in fact, the whole appearance OF the
volume a pleasure to the eye, as is devoted 10
having its contents of high literary merit. AL
n
stands most enviably high in the regard OF all
sincere and discriminating lovers Of books.
THE FIELD COVERED BY THE FIRM.
The firm is one of the half dozen IN the
country whose business includes the entire making
of a book from it's manuscript production until
H. is placed in the hands of the reader In the
fine large buildings at Cambridge are used the
highest type of machinery that has BEEN invented
for printing, binding, electroUpng anu AVio-
graphing IL may be that the tendency OF pup
fishing is toward a division of the work among
several different firms, each OF winch docs d
certain part of it. but the fact remains that under
their plan of personally supervising every step
in the making of a volume, Houghton, Mithm
a. Co. have succeeded in placing their produc-
rions in the front ranks, not only III THIS country
but in England and France as we'll
The publications Of the firm cover WIDE range
In fact from their works could be gathered
library which would need few additions 10 DC
sufficient for all the wants of a general reader
Here is an incomplete list of the authors whose
works they have placed before the readers OF the
Misunderstanding world: Loncfellow, Emerson
Hawthorne, Lowell, Holmes, Whittier, Mrs Harriet
Beecher Stowe, John Fiske, John Burroughs Loru
Tennvson. Blanche Willis Howard, E. p. Whippe,
Charles Dudley Warner, Bayard Taylor, Kcharu
Grant White, Edmund Clarence Stedman, James
np,o
Bret IIartc, Arthur Sherburne Hardy, James fenl-
more Cooper Hans Christian Andersen, James l.
Fields William Dean Iowes, Edgar FaWcett,
Rossiter Johnson, n s. Shaler, Mary y. Murtrec
and Arlo Bates 4 few books worthy OF SPECIAL
mention are Websters Unabridged Dictionary
OF which the firm has printed tons; Justin WIN
sor's monumental History of America Edward
Bcllamys Looking Backward which has rapidly
run through more than forty editions, and the
American Statesmen" American Common
wealths" and American Men of Letters series.
In addition editions of such standard authors
rs Shakespeare. Swift, Scott, Thackeray. Macauay,
Byron. Edwin Arnold, Robert Browning and many
others A number of law, medical and educa-
tional books of recognized merit are on the cata-
logue of the firm, but need not be mentioned
individually.
THE ATLANTIC MONTHLY
With all these varied nneS OF ACTIVITY, HOuSntOh
Minln & Co. still find opportunity to publish
The Atlantic Monthly which was founded in
ls57 TO represent what was best in American
thought and letters" It's first editor James
Russell Lowell, who was in turn succeeded by
James +. Fields, William Dean Howels and Thorn
as Bailey Aldrich. Among its contributors have
been number OF leading writer's, including
Holmes Motley, Whittier. Emerson Longfellow,
T. W. Higglnson, Horace T. Scudder, Charles
Eliot Norton and F. Marion Crawford
The New-YorlI Office of the firm of which AL.
bert F. Houghton is manager, is at No. ii East
Seventeenth-st, and is most coSey place II is
as much u reading room and club as a bookstore
ArmchaiIs invite customers TO sit and read
awhile and the cases have no doors on them