The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-04
BIG PUBLISH Frs UNITE.
HARPER & BROTHERS AND THE r. s.
MCLURE CO. JOIN INTERESTS.


to he One of the Results-The Arrange
ment Said to BE an Alliance rather
Than n OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES of Each
Firm to Become Ohicers of the Other.
An alliance has been formed between Harper
4 Brothers and the s. s. Mcclure Company.
publishers OF McClm'e's Magazine. John W.
Harper will DO elected a second Vice President
OF the s. &. Mcclure Company. j. Henry Harper
and II. Sleeper Harper will also become officers
OF the s. S. Mcclure COMPANY.
y. y. Mcclure will become Vice President
II Harper Il Brothers. and John =. Phillips.
Frank \. Doubleday and Albert Il. Brady will
hold other minor offices In Harper Brothers.
There will he no other changes in the officers
Of either company. With relation to the new
arrangement John W. Harper said yesterday:
I'VE have some plans looking toward devel-
opments in the magazine world in a field In
which Mr.. Mcclure has been very successful.
Mr. Mcclure believes. too. that our facilities
would enable us to carry out together certain
important publishing plans OF his since
have. one Of the largest plants in the country
and issue more periodicals than any other
house. So finding n number OF points
Of common interest. Wa decided to work
together. To that end several OF our
people nave become Interested In the 5. s. Me-
Clure Company. and Mr. Mcclure. with his
sociates. has become interested in Harper 4
Brothers. We regard Mr.. Mcclure and his as
sociates. Mr.. Phillips. Mr.. Brady. and Mr.
Doubleday. among the most successful men in
the publishing world. and. although we had
tho very highest opinion OF their abilities
before we entered upon this matter. an
investigation OF their business showed
that they had done a great deal more than
even we had imagined We therefore vel
come Mr. Mcclure and his associates. and.
while we do not contemplate any marked
changes and will manage the business in the
same conservative manner that has charac-
terized the house. vet the new developments
which this will bring us will no doubt inure
very much to our benefit"
Mr.. Mcclure sailed for Europe yesterday,
and. therefore. could not be seen. but Mr.. Phil
lips who has been his principal associate and
partner for many years. said:
The arrangement between Harper 4 Broth
ers and s. s. Mcclure Company is an alliance
rather than consolidation. The management
and principal offices OF both companies remain
unchanged. Mr.. Mcclure ana some OF his
associates will hold the minor offices
in Harper Brothers. and some mem
bers OF Harper 4 Brothers will become
officers In the 8. s. Mcclure Company. We
have had certain publishing plans that it
tlon OF this sort. 1t is impossible to say moro
than that tho alliance is made with view OF
realizing certain specific publishing plans. We
cannot at this time speak definitely a bout these
plans Announcements will be made as occa-
sion arises"
The negotiations leading to the arran cement
entered into by the two companies have been
in progress for some time. The COM
bination will tend toward economy OF
production and Standardization OF products
exactly as all trade and industrial ordinations
do. There is. however. deeper and more
definite motive on each side. Whether the
combination will result in an actual consolida-
ton OF tho periodical publications OF the two
houses or in the publication Of still more peri
odcals could not be learned Yesterday. Rep
resentatives OF both houses also refused to
discuss possible reduction In the price OF the
publications OF either OF them. AS . matter OF
fact. all details OF the combination are not yet
completed. but 1t is promised that they will be
made public when they are.
tories; Harper Il Brothers. with capital OF
S2,0o0,0OO. is one Of the oldest and largest
Ge 9c!IiaH Somp"ns has H Capital ' of sio60o5
10 a young house in the business. and its
position has been Ganod BY SntsTPTi.Ing
Harper \ Brothers had Its beginning, in a
Job printing shop In Dover street In 1871 The
Harper. the sons Of Joseph Harper, Il Long
Island farmer, They set type themsislyes and
they did general book printing business.
The next year, as 4 4 J Harper: the brothers
brought! put their 5s hook on th%t own az"
Five books were issued from the firms presses
during that year. Wesley and Fletcher Harpeer.
firm. were apprentices In the shop. As
Of age they were takf. into
was changed to Harper Il Brothers In 1925
the firm moved to a four story building at =!
Gin whIn ws Hsrs S.n tnS Sf sa
re ~ Before thu Samss had died out the rm
was re established In temporary quarters. and
Printers and binder. Of the great stock Of BOOKS
The present building. extending from Cllff
street to FRANKLIN SQUARE: was bqIlt on the ste
OF the Rs 5hnt WAS seHea ts
terms needed Tor the production Of any book or
a Harpe,,a'$. Magazine was established by the
1851 Harpo,'s Bdzdr followed ten years later
and Hqrper's loung People IN lssl, The name
9 sns last to FDMnG h %s about
YORK Hi in 1914 and was later asked to become
He declined on the ground that the publishing
bushes required hi h eIeiuTiye Stsn,9H
dent Wesley Harper died the next year and
John Harper retired from the Arm. which was
reorganzrd by the admission OF the sons OF
the original members. some OF the grandsons
were later admitted. The last pu hlished list OF
tho officers OF the CORPORATION in the copartner-
ship and corporation directory March. 1890
Was aR follows:
John W. Harper. President; James Thorns
Harper, Secretary: Henry $. Harper. Treas
urer; John W. Harper. Henry 3. Harper. Jo-
Thorns Harper, Horatio Il. Harper and James
Harper. directors.
In 1884 samuel $. Mcclure left the Cen
fury Comp, ", with which he had been
for a number Of years. and with John
$ Phillips established a newspaper syn
dictate This syndicate Is said to have been
the first one Of its kind in the United
States. The business developed steadily and
in 1882 Albert b. Brady, a classmate OF Mr..
Mcclure and Mr.. Phillips at Knox College. be-
came n member of the syndicate. and in June.
1898 the first number OF McCiures Magazine
tho j, B. Little Company unit 1901,
the building now occupied by, il at ii East
Twenty-iitth street aud installed u complete
printing nlant operated by electricity.
The year 1897 brought many changes, to
tho old company; Frank y. Doubleday
had been business manager. and became
Vice President OF the rSorganized s. :.
Mcclure Company. During this same year