Evening star., 1893-12-19
POETS ARE NUMEROUS.
Copyright Records Show Marvellous Lite
rary Activity.
Almost Everything fs Copyrtghtea
Nowadays-eo.oOO New Publications
-Historical Articles Increasing.

The copyright records in the Congressional
Library show that this has been the tpcct
prolific year I'm the history of the country
In the production OF copyrightable matter
Each year shows a slight increase In the
number of books and other publications over
the year before. This year the increase
since the LIST OF January last has been over
5000. Each year there are issued by L.
brarian Spofford between fifty and sixty
thousand copyrights. This department Of
the government service is one OF the most
Interesting of those In Washington. as In
dicating the trend OF public thought, and in
the addition of from $4,000 to 10000 publi-
cations of various classes to the literature.
art and music Of this country, there is dis
closed record Of a marvellous amount OF
work The records OF copyrights are most
interesting in indicating the development
OF literature and the change OF tastes and
mode of thought from year to year. The
popular idea that the holiday seasons pro-
duce Christmas and Thanksgiving stories
and that springtime starts the fountain OF
poetry is not verified an these records The
great deluge OF holiday stories which appear
at this season were probably copyrighted
In the spring or during the sultry month OF
August, when the contemplation of the cold
winds Of winter and the snow-clad hills pre-
sented a vision Of particular attractiveness
10 the perspiring and exhausted author And
as TO the poets IL is found that all seasons
are theirs. The capacity for poetry OF the
american men and women is something as
tonishlng. and there is no season. month
nor Week IN the year that the applications
ior copyrights don't come tumblng in.
International Copyright.
Librarian spofford says that the interna-
tional copyright law has operated very well
ana that large number Of the very best
class OF foreign works have been published
and copyrighted in this country under ,t.
provisions. IL has not. however been nearly
as widely availed of as was anticipated
Authors Of wide reputation producing works
Of merit were quick to avail themselves Of
the American copyright, but the great aver
age writers who produce most Of the foreign
ntersture OF the day have apparently not
found II profitable 10 have their books reset
ana republished I'm this country for the sake
OF the copyright. In this country the priyi-
lege OF the copyright is more and more
widely availed OF each year. and IL has come
about that there is scarcely anythine pro-
duced which is not patentable for which a
copyright is not sought
CoPyrightfng Everythfne.
The average American when he thinks he
has discovered a new idea hastens al once
TO secure the exclusive right TO It. and hum
dreds OF applications are received constantly
which have to be rejected on account OF
their peirg ridiculous or lacking in origin
ality. Copyright applications are received
for copyrights on methods of doing things
FERNS Of advertising on stamps impressions
and pastors. and "a thousan ana one uttls
trifies. The practice of copyrighting nevs-
paper articles has become almost universal
and few newspapers I'm the country have
lheir daily editions copyrighted throughout
he 90
run there is an immense amount of cow
rights secured on photographs and the in
crease OF copyrighted musical compositions
Is very large. In literature, fiction far sur
passes all other work I'm the number of
copyrights and the number Of short stories
produced is constantly on the increase Ths
tendency of the short stories produced n
largely toward phsychology and Character
study, mere adventure appearing less prom
inently In the productions. During the mast
year or two there has been a marked in
crease IN the number of historical and sci-
enthc publications. The increase In historf.
cal publications is especially marked They
range from short historical sketches and
pamphlets 10 the longer national histories
great number of copyrights are issued
for histories Of states, counties and towns
In the northern and eastern states every
county or town, or in fact everything that
has a history. seams to have invited the tal-
ents OF authors. In the south the attention
to these historical writings has been less
but the literary fad seems to be spreading
now In that direction.
Poets Numerous.
The pathos or really tear-starting part Of
the copyright records relates to poetry.
There are more books of poems In the H.
brary than the most careful and dilieent
student OF American literature can imag-
Inc, and the sad thing about IL is that by
all odds the greatest number of these books
are published by the authors themselves.
In every other class of literature the copy-
rtghted publications are mostly by large
publishing houses and the writers appear 10
have more or less the support Of the read
Ing public; but the poor poet, who appears to
be the most persistent of all producers ap-
pears TO have to feed upon his own fancies
ana pay his own bills. Be the publishers az
discriminating they may the copyright
law has no favorites and permits all who
produce to claim the right of exclusive pub
Dcation, and in the nsr,ssicnal Library
the volumes of the poetasters stand proudly
by the side Of the works OF genius Thous-
sands of volumes of Poems published by
the author, staui u.,n the shelves and IL
Is revelation how many men and women,
who would not attempt to write In prose-
think that their wild fancies in a regular
rhyme and stilted meter are worth presery-
ing In print for posterity. In this class is
found the very poorest example Of literary
effort The number of productions of truly
good poetry in this CC,nnfry is however IN