The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-10-09
SCRAPBOOKs TO ORDER.
One Was Made for the Russian Gar That
Cost 81 900.


New YORK, Oct. SIT is by no
means new idea to make up a scrap
book on some one particular subject. 1t
is the only way to preserve much that is
Of value or of interest, and people found
this out almost as soon as periodical
publications grew too bulky to keep en-
tire. Still later, however, periodicals
multiplied to such an extent that it be-
came an absolute impossibility for any
single individual to keep track Of all of
them, much less to read them all or
even to learn what all of them published
on any given subject.
Manifestly, then, nobody could hope
to make complete scrapbook for him
self-that is, one that should contain
anywhere near all that might appear in
the periodical press of the world in rela-
ton to the subject in which he was in
terested. 1t was this impossibility of
reading all that is published which led
to the establishment of the various
"press clipping bureaus SO called,
where all the more important papers Of
the world may be read by proxy and ex-
tracts cut out to order.
This business, which is in itself a
curious development of modern civiliza-
ton, the more interesting the more it is
considered, has developed a still more
interesting branch of industry-name-
ly, the making of scrapbooks to order,
in which books is contained the cream
of all that is printed concerning the
matter IN hand. They are usually made
up of the announcements and comments
upon some given event-as, for example,
a public celebration, political crisis, a
wedding or the death of some prominent
person.
Probably the most expensive as we'll
as the most conspicuous example Of this
fin de steele business were four volumes
prepared by Henry Romeike of New
York on an order given by Prince Can
tacuzene, minister of Russia to the
United States. He directed that three
volumes be filled with clippings from
the American newspapers and maya
zines relating to the last illness, death
and funeral ceremonies Of the late car
of the Russias, Alexander Ill The
fourth was to relate to the wedding of
the present czar, Nicholas II.
The books were made with an abso-
lutte disregard of cost The bill for bind
ing was $3.50; for the silver and gold
clasps that were put on it, 1920; for the
painting in colors of the imperial arms
of Russia on the title pages it was 800
more, and the labor and material in
volved increased the total cost to 81 900.
When the volumes were delivered, the
Russian minister wrote the following
letter in acknowledgement
RTrssTAeT TNrPFRI I. rc ALTON
WASHINGTON, Feb. p.
Dear Mr.. Romeike:
have exactly received the memorial scrap
books prepared by you for his majesty the
peror of Russia In binding, ornanentation
and completeness of detail these volumes are
very satisfactory. Containing they do the
expression of kindly feeling which the Amer
lean people have manifested through the news
papers for the late and fer the present e1nper-
ors, the books represent testimonial of good
viii between the two largest countries of the
( civilized world. Truly yours,
PRINCE CANTACUzENE.
/ There have been other books, similar
in scope, some Of which are notable to
degree, manufactured within the past
few years, but none has been quite as
superbly put up as these, which were
made Of imported plate paper, bound in
sealskin and clasped with gold and sill
YER
A specially notable set Of such books
was made fer Senator Matthew Quay
covering the years from 1889 to 1899
and including nothing but the libelous
matter that was printed about him in
various newspapers during the campaign
which resulted in Cleveland's last cleo
ton There were SO bulky volumes in
the set and the idea Of making the col
lection was to accumulate evidence for
libel suits Only q few of these suits
were brought, but the very first one that
was tried brought the senator a verdict
that reimbursed him for all the money
he had spent for lawyers and for the
scrapbooks.
Another series of books has been made
for Cra1np & Sons, containing notices
of the steamships st. Louis. St. Paul
and New York. Others will doubtless
follow as new ships are built.
Mr.. James ". Scott's memorial vol
ume was a particularly handsome one.
Mr. Scott, as will be remembered, was
a Chicago publisher, and the American
Newspaper Publishers association Or
dered it to be made regardless of cost,
and having had engrossed on the title
page the resolutions they adopted they
presented the volume to Mrs. Scott.
An early volume, which, however,
was made as a speculation and remains
unsold, was one containing notices OF
Jefferson Davis death.
OF wedding scrapbooks some of the
most interesting are those of the Gould
Castellane wedding. One of these was
prepared for Mr.. James Gordon Bennett
by his order. Another was made for
Miss Helen Gould, and one each went
to Frank Gould, Edwin Gould and A.
Frank Richardson, whose daughter was
a bridesmaid at the wedding.
A set of four huge books containing
some 2, 900 newspaper accounts of the
great railroad strike in Brooklyn was
made fer Benjamin Norton of that city.
When the Princess Eulalia of Spain
was in this country, she had seven