New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-02-26
vurDIE'S AND SMITH )
,.c,,Su SUBSCRIPTION LIBRARIES
THE RAILWAY BOOK STALLS~A
,>sopS1IIP OF LITERATURE.
LITERATURE.
London. February y.

- ,aea Of the magnitude OF It's operations
y. son,n,vinc with this request. shaI connect
49, :, oro,her English institution closely aSSo-
-, nth q in origin and purpose-the Shnlth
.D.,,-s,au system These two enterprises "Hlch
- ..,,,,,,,ori1e5 literature in England and pro-
,,u,ational progress. were founded ABOUT
-, tim. bv two young clerks working IN
..,,,l, M each other and in the course OF
49,. ,.,ors tbov have become the largest circu-
49,, ,;nrs-i,s I'm the world. As enormous busi-
.,,,.or,s highly organized from top to
-, ,bev answer the requirements OF me-
...,,u,aris or the love ~ big things simply pc
81. ,,o, are big. which is a conspicuous pas
- -, tho times. As unriyaled agencies for
a.. ,i.,r;hution of literature at low cost they
ovarcise self-imposed functions OF censorship
which help to purify ana elevate pu'h' taste
The establishment of Nudes Library IS one
- .h,ss romances 0f trade in which small
and humble beginning contrasts strongly WIZ"
e.. ,,arnjtuie Of The ending. MI ChaTles Mu-
a.. after being his fathers clerk in hltle news
,,.ar and stationery shop in Cheyne Walk
C,.,saa ononei in 1914 "a small stall OF similar
ch,racter in southampton Row. lie was theh
g. b,s twenty-third year. He had no capital
81 vas forced TO exc out the small proilts OF
tbe sole If newspapers by lending books at
,,.,,,, q volume. Penny-lending of q few scores
40 ,,Dular novels suggested systematlzed ar
,,r,.noents for the circulation of the best books
Of the 5av on the basis Of an annual subscrlp-
finn Of a guinea. The plan was carried into
eract in 1871. and was Immediately successful.
Subscribers multiplied. and in five years 'he
hea5ouarters of Nudes were removed to New
Cvford-st where ten years afterward the i'm
r,onse structure which every visitor now re-
cards as one Of the sights of London was erect
eli In 1864 the enterprise was converted into a
limited liability company. the property being
valued at 100000 and the business has been
steadily enlarged until now there is circulation
OF over $4,000 books. Since Mr. Nudes death
nine years ago. the library has been managed
by his son. Mr. Arthur O. Nude, and nephew,
Mr. Kingsfori Pawling.
Within the spacious building in OXford-st.
Is a central hall. with a domed roof similar to
the famous reading room Of the British Mu-
scum This is the main room. where thousands
Of subscribers are constantly returning and APP
plying for books. There are branch offices In
Bromptpn Road and Queen NictOria-st. and
there is a third one in Manchester. The Lon
don Book Department supplies a weekly de-
livery service for lGS districts n the metropo-
lis and tn. suburbs, books being exchanged
from house to house and the vans being con-
stantly seen trundling along the streets. The
subscriptions for the service range from one to
six guineas according TO the number Of books
drawn at 4 time a slight additional charge be-
ing made for remote outlying districts There
Is also q country department. with thousands Of
subscribers and over Loo boxes. large and
81 all are dispatched every week by parcel
post )r by carriers to every section Of the
United kingdom. The country subscribers have
f. nav me cost Of carriage. There is also a
f,r4,., d.partrn.n with subscribers for French,