The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-27
ONE THOUSAND FINE SETS.
Century Company's Novel scheme for
Indianapolis.

The intellectual activity OF Indianapolis,
which has come to be known as the City
OF Clubs" has attracted the attention Of
the Century Company, Of New York, and
this city Is to be made the theater of the
greatest enterprise in book advertising ever
known--an enterprise that, by reason of its
novelty and daring, no less than by the
sum OF money which 1t represents to the
publishers, will probably stand alone for
many years to come. The Century Com
pany has determined to establish what
might be correctly styled migratory col
iege of investigation, and Indianapolis has
been chosen as the first city in which this
project is to be set on foot.
For several days Messrs r. w. Schu-
maker, ]. d. Harris and RI. d. Tracy, of
the Century Company, have been in the city
making preliminary arrangements 1t is
the plan of the Century Company to loan
TO the city of Indianapolis, for a period of
Thirty days, one thousand sets of their
newly completed library of universal refer
ence, the Century Dictionary and Cyclic
pedia. These one thousand sets represent a
value of $4,000, and are to be placed In one
Thousand OF the bets homes of this city,
free Of charge. The only obligation as
sumed BY the recipients VIII be that they
viii make the best possible use of the
books while left in their possession, and
init tney VIII make an honest effort to an
SWEr series of questions. forty in all,
which will be furnished by the Century
company. The entire family is invited to
participate in answering the questions and
series of prizes will be given to those
families who furnish the best papers The
liTEt prize will be a set of the Century Die
tlonary and Cyclopedia, bound In three
quarters morocco, worth $40. The second
nTlze viii be SIS in gold The third prize,
English Cathedrals,' by Mrs. Schuyler
Van Rensselaer, illustrated by PennelD,
edition de luxe, worth $25 The other prizes
are of less value.
In the selection of the one thousand fam
lies who are to receive these Century sets
committee Will assist the publishers. This
committee Is composed of James Whit
comb Riley, Prof. David K. Goss, John r.
wilson, Mrs. May Wright Sewal and Miss
N Cropsey, who are now preparing lists
from which to select the one Thousand fam
lilies.
The questions to be furnished Mr. Tracy
says, will not be merely a test of learning
Tor no knowledge of ancient languages, nor
or the sciences is required. The questions
Will deal with interesting subjects and
when one searches for the answers he will
get that sort of general knowledge which
will be valuable as information and will be
or interest to conversation. The forty
questions will deal with topics which come
TO ones mind in reading the daily papers
the magazines, popular books of the day
all of the topics that naturally arise In
business life In the makeup of the advis-
DRY committee there IS good representa-
ton of those who are interested in the
public schools-David K. Gosse and Miss N
Clopsey-and 1t is understood. that the
teachers OF this city will come in for a fair
SHARE of the one thousand sets that are to
be distributed.