The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-01-23
SHAM LITERATURE.

Attention is beginning to he drawn to the
mischief wrought by Chicago publishers of
cheap literature in publishing mutllated
editions of standard works, which are sold
at reduced prices Within year or two con-
Germs have been established at the Worlds
Fair city which get out the novels of
Dickens, Tnackeray. Reade and other Eng
Iisb rovelists al prices which barely cover the
cost If tie white paper in the regular edi-
lions The way the thing is done is by cutting
down each work to two-thrds or onehalf
its real length and selling the mutilated YER
sion as complete and unabridged" Most
OF these raced editions are sold on the cars
at % cents each; but eonsigBments of them
are sent TO Western cities and are sold by
dealers in notions and fancy goods who
keep bookshelf as an outside branch Ct
their stock. They are 10 be found in cheap
bookstores In side streets in this city side
By side with volumes of pretended transla-
tions of French novels by ZOla and Mendes.
Neither tie French nor the English editions
are genuine. Tie former are expected to
sell on the strength OF nastiness which
they do not eoE<ain.
There are a few reputable publishing
houses in Chicago, such as the house to
hich General McCluTg has gwen his name.
But the fraudulent publications which
enanate from the Windy City so far out
number tie genuine that buyers VIII do
well 10 lock carefully into any book which
comes from there. 1t is not agreeable to
buy a copy Of Little Dorrlt" or Vanity
Fair" and to find that half The chapters in
tie original are omitted. \ reader who is
victimiZ=d by such a fraud has difficulty in
controlling his temper. He feels like the
housekeeper who has bought sauded sugar
or ground coffee made out of dried peas. He
is exaspeTated 18th himself for having been
duped by such an imposture, ana for not
having had sense enough to buy books
bearing the imprint Of houses that have a
reputation at stake, Ike the Harpers or tie
Appletons or Little & Brown, or Ser bDer
OF the Century Company.
Chicago is growing to be such big place,
and the Worlds Fair is going 10 throw such
a searehlight on it that il is time it got out
Of the pinchbeck stage. It's good people
Sh0uld sit down on fraudulent tricks which
bring discredt on its fair fame. 1t ought TO
learn that character is worth establishing.
and that no place can take rank among the
cities Of the world # it allows itself to be-
come a bazaar for sham goods. II took
Brussels many Years 10 overcome the bad
reputation it got as a place where people
lived by making knaYish limitations Of Paris
wares. Indeed. tie evil Tepute clings 20 it
stjn.
as to books experience Indicates that the
publishing trade eventually settles in one
center in each country, the center being the
place where there is the largest number Of
persons interested in letters French boo *
are rarely published ont Of Paris. L. Great
Britain Edinburgh made vigorous attempts
10 become the intellectual center, ard when
the Edinburgh Rerietg and BIdckUo0d S
were in their prime is chances were prom
ising. But Seotch writer's, with Carlyle at
their lead, gradually dTifted 10 London.
and Edin burgB has Withdrawn from tie
contest. AT one time the best books ia th s
country were written and published at Bus
ton, and tie surviving remains Of CONT
mental splendOrs kept s9Tt of literature
alive at Philadelphia. But tile business,
both Of authorship ard of bOOk-publishn
has grayitaled 10 the intellectual and CON-
mercial center, and now bright Americans
drift TO New York while they live, rs good
Americans when they die 60 to Paris.
ChicagO's attempt to set I'D a rival center is
ereditable to the ambition Of her people,
but she is struggling against Odds. Each
year tends TO effaee sectional characteristics
and to create a uniformity Of taste through
out the country. The city by the lakes will
not help herself in the effort she is making
by allowing unprineipled publishers to
brand the issues Of her presses with a sus-
picion of fraud.