The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-30

music. Immediately hundred voices are
raised in protest, although the proofs to
substantiate their arguments are few. A
Baxter turns away from our gallery OF art
in disdain, for he remembers the great
storehouses of collected works of genius in
Europe. His words fall CT an impervious
armSr of dissatisfaction, and 1t is set
down to his English conceit and perverslty.
San Francisco public schools are not up to
Eastern standard, and Kansas can show
better rank and file.
Could she behold herself as others see
her; could she look with true and honest
eyes, her illusions of the efficacy Of her
educational methods, her art development
and musical status, leaving apart some
notable exceptions, must dim.
But there is one thing on which no finger
of scorn can be laid: San. Francisco's pub
lie and private libraries and book vendors.
Libraries make, and mark the mental de-
velopment of a people, and are the bar
ometer of the intellectual atmosphere,
and her mercury stands high.
An intelligent people demand good
bookstores, and good bookstores develop
an intelligent people. There are number
of good and large bookstores in San Fran
cisco, and it is a significant fact that while
there are in the United States bookstores
surprising in size there is not one which.
in greatness of variety and choiceness of
selection can equal Doxey's and this in the
judgment of Fasteners. In the volumes
of many rare and beautiful editions on the
shelves of wealthy and cultured New York
ers could be found the little pink label
bearing this name, and their mates repose
unpretentiously on the back cover of
books which grace the shelves of such as
Nine. Modjeska, John Drew and John
Fiske, and some have crossed the waters
and found their way to the libraries of
Irving and Ellen Terry, and have invaded
ell
And so the well-sustained bookstores
of San Francisco bespeak reading public,
and it is interesting TO know that the best
works of the best authors meet the readiest
sale. Recently Handy Volume Series"
of choice and standard literature was
brought out at a very moderate price.
They were shipped in large quantities to
this coast, yet the demand could scarcely
be supplied, and the piles of Emerson,
Hawthorne, Poe and the like decreased
most rapidly. There is ever hue and cry
against the perversity of taste and lack Of
appreciation of what is good by the masses,
and the select few draw their robes of
righteousness about them and disclaim the
feeble mentality of the world. But what
say they to the fact that "Marcella," ''The
Manxman," "Ebb Tide" and "Trilby'
could scarce be turned out from the press
fast enough to meet the great demand, and
vanished from the vendors tables, taken
up DY the IuIISby puDllC dS rapidly as
the sands drink up the waters of a
river, and the sensational and third-rate
novels stagnated upon the dust-gathering
shelves. And San Francisco's reading
public is not all for novels and books of
poems: essays and histories are not neg
lected. No less is the appreciation of the
majority for the illustrating of the best pen
draughtsmen, as Pennell, Thompson,
Abbey and Gibson.
Art in boook-making as well as weighty
contents find response in this people. The
publishers of the tasty, unique and artistic
books in the East count San Francisco
merchants among their best buyers and
editions de luxe and limited numbered
editions come to this coast in proportion
ately large numbers. That beautiful new
Edinburgh edition of Stevenson" is SUBJ
scribed for by several San Franciscans. 1t
is good library size. but light of weight;
printed on handmade paper in type after
the style OF the first edition of the "Waver-
ley Novels" The illustrations are choice
and the binding plain suitable cloth, and
the whole presents as beautiful set of
books as has been published of late.
No more handsome books are made than
two sets lately received by a San Francisco
bibliophie: One, the scarce and beautiful
edition OF Burton's Arabian Nights, for
which binding was specially designed and
done in London, in full levant, dark blue
like the Arabian skies at midnight, and
tnlaid with stars in gold; and the more
magnificent set of books, owned by the
same, is Members Paul ct Virginie, Paris.
1887, illustrated by Leloir, large Svo, full
blue levant, and the inside covers lined
With sky blue morocco. The outside and