Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-27

The first volume of the first series was
issued in the early fall Of 1880, and since
then, as stated above, So other serial parts
have been published, coming up to volume
43, as originally plotted. The first vol
ume of the second series is now ready for
the public printer, and the remaining vol
umes will be in shape within few months
The atlas is also well advanced. 1t is is
sued in parts of five plates each, which are
engraved in New York under contract
Twenty-three of these parts are now pub
lished, and the remaining seven will be
ready soon. A force of clerical assistants
constituting an Independent bureau of the
War Department, and ranging from 30 to
20 in number at different times, has been
employed since the beginning upon the
mechanical features of the work of pre-
pairing text. The number now engaged is
80 all of whom are thoroughly trained and
familiar with the ramifcations of the sub
ject
or the whole 100 volumes. and of the ac-
companying atlas of 30 parts, so Maj. Davis
states, those now unfinished will be ready
for publication by the close of the next
fiscal year, ending June 3d. 1895, and the
task of printing these will then receive the
concentrated attention of the board, who
will. as heretofore, directly oversee the pro-
cess as 1t goes forward at the government
printing office. The conclusion of the his
tory will doubtless be great event in the
book world.
The distribution of the printed volumes as
eaey SOHie out Is conducted on an unusual
pIan,ln accordance with law of the Forty
seventh Congress, passed in 1882 OF the
llOOO copies ordered to be printed, 900 are
set aside for the various executive depart
ments, loo are reserved for distribution by
the Secretary Of War among army officers
and contributors to the work, $500 copies
are being sent to such libraries, posts, or
CARNATIONS and individuals as were desig-
mated to receive them by Senator's, Repre-
sentatives and delegates. of the Forty-sev-
enth Congress. and the 700 copies over are
for sale at the War Department at 10 per
cent above the bare cost of printing the
proceeds to be covered into the treasury.
Eacn Senator was permitted to designate
twenty-stX addresses for the reception of
the forthcoming volumes and each Repre-
sentative and delegate twenty-one, the ad-
dresses holding good for the entire set, until
the publication is complete.
An interesting fact concerning the dis
tributes was developed by an inquiry re-
Gently Instituted by the war records office
from which 1t was learned that of the orig
inal beneficiaries 800 have, by reason of
death or removal, ceased to receive the sets
intended for them. As result, there are
on hand 500 sets, beginning with Vol XXX.
which are not available for distribution on
account of the lack of earlier volumes As
the stereotyped plates have been preserved
IL will be easy to issue reprint at slight
cost. The department, therefore, recon-
mends that authority be given to reprint
800 copies of volumes / to Xxx with a
view 10 their new distribution
Popular interest in the work all over the
country is reported to be steadily increas-
ing, and the war records office is now suf-
fering from deluge OF inquiries respecting
the cost ard means of obtaining copies The
books can be had at the department by pur-
chase al from ~ to % cents per volume, il