The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-11-13
FACTS ABOUT BOOKS.
The Biggest, Smallest and Most Widely
ReAi-volumes With Large Sales.

The Biggest, Smallest and Most Widely
ReAi-voIumes With Large Sales.
Two men, not authors nor yet publish
ers, nor even collectors, but plain ordinary
men, sat in the Authors Club night
or two ago and exchanged information
about books. 1t Is doubtful if the auth.
urs, publishers and collectors there a.
sembled would not have been surprised to
hear wha: those two said.
do you know" said one. "what II the
biggest hook in New York? MOI Well,
it's the 'Antiphonale.' the high service in
use at the great cathedral in Rouen. done
in Latin and BEAUTIFULLY illuminated. It is
three feet two inches long by two feet
thick, and 10 the biggest volume known
TO be in existence. Where is it? In the
Astor library, for which it was purchased
from the bookseller into whose hands it
came when i, got afoat during the excite
ment attending Charles KS abdieation.
"But l." said the other, have just seen
the smallest book in America at De
Vinne's. Dye know what it Is? 4 vol
ume two inches long by one and one-half
inches wide and q quarter OF an inch
thick, called 'DeVinne's Specimens of
Minute Type"
The oldest book in New York. perhaps
in the country. is the Sacred Book of
>.
beautifully bound and illustrated. 1t is in
the Aston library"
"Since you know so much-you who
have no right to know anything about
books being not even a critic, tell ME
what book is the mos. read III this city
and in the United States?"
Now you have me. TIE Bible is un-
doubtedly the most widely circulated book
in the word d. IL can't be said TO have had
the greatest sales. because 50 many hum
dreds of thousands of Bibles are given
away by the American and English B'o!e
societies More than million copies of
Uncle Toms Cabin have been sold in
this country. and rs many more abroad.
An American novel. in fact several OF
them. mas had the greatest known sale Of
any book in this country, believe. And
you'n be surprised 10 hear thai u is \. &.
Gunter's Mr.. Barnes Of New York
Haven't you forgotten tnat Gen. Grants
Memoirs. which ]. J. Little K Co. printed,
hal sale OF 325 0oQ?"
Il had for the moment. But that was
subscription no *. sold ~ agents. Mr..
Barnes OF New York also printed by Lit
tie, By the way. mas been sod from the
counter ike anv o,her merchandise, 10 the
tune of I91, 900. Little illla>e told me to-
day that the u-s' editions u. G0nters Mr..
Potter - Texas, That Frenchm an anu
Miss Nobody Of Nowhere oUlr:n any
known"
How abou' the sales Of Looking Back
ward and some OF Marx TNa,n's books ?"
We'll, happen - know tu1t the l.rst
edition q no one Of y * TWalp'S BOOKS
has been more thar 3o,o0. 'Uuckieae~-y
Finn which I believe Lite printed.
didn't exceed hat 81 GUntec's irst ell
lions. Why. man. they axe astouud NJ
Yet the crlsics-soWe - 'eIu at least
affect - lie disrlease0 by them. / grant
ven looking Backward mas had a sac of
over 20p 0 But its first eti,ion was only
5.DD1. Gunter sold hat e.! first &c ton
Of ,<ln0 II Miss Nobody OF Nowhere DC
fore Lit: & even finished printing IL. Il IS
absolutely without parallel.
What auout the sale OF Zo,a's books ?"
.'tn this y friend in Chr:Sscrn's tells
me tina, the total sales - da.e ct l. Assom-
moi-' axe only HOOD. and Of Mana only
100 l0. ! happen 10 know thar the sales
10 date ut 'Earnes Of NeN York have
been II. go; Of Potter Of Texas l5o,0oo
and ID! That Frencha,aa,' ilooc0 No
other living or dead author either. for the
matter o. that, ever saw $4,000 books of
his sold inside o: i've years
1t ! hasi ~ understand what IL means
- mn; 4 ..r.t edition Of 81 40 b0oks. On
q s;n-.e pres. - used then. SIR Walter
Scott ceu.d n5t nave gotten an edition of
t}.10 If C"c ( as Ewo-Yoiume novels
printed in less than 1000 days. Little
tu-uS uut sach az EDITION In thirty days
AMI delivers 5."o complete within TWO
weeks o. recelp; III MSi
Getting back 10 rare books snd odd
books. tae first book Gutenberg printed,
The MSzarsn Bible IS IN the Lenox IL
harry here, aud people make phi grimages
from al over the country 70 see IL.
JOHN PAUL BococK.