The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-08-16
MEN WHO MAKE BOOKS
FIRST ANNUAL MEETING OF AMER.
loan ASSOCIATION OF DIREC-
TORY PUBLISHERS
OFFICERS ELECTED TODAY

Object of the Organization to Per-
feet the Business of Publishing
Reliable City Directories-An the
Important Firms in the United
States Are Represented-St. PauIs
Work Is Highly Commended.
The first annual meeting Of the Ameri-
can Association of Directory Publishers
was held yesterday at the Ryan hotel and
members were present representing al
most every firm in the United States pub
fishing city directories. The convention
met in the forenoon, with President David
V. Gould, of st. Louis, in the chair An
afternoon session at which trustees were
elected for terms of one year was also
held, but both were executive. The newly
elected board of trustees will meet to-
day to elect officers of the association for
the coming year
The American Association of Directory
Publishers was organized last November
with a membership Of thirty The OBJ
ject Of the organization, as stated by
President Gould, is to perfect the business
OF publishing reliable city directories. The
recent large increase in the directory
business and the Importance of the work
in large cities made an organization ne
cessary. The thirty members repre-
all the important directory firms in the
United States, including the one which
publishes St. Pauls annual, cover 100
cities and furnish directories to 105O0,OO0
people.
The business of the morning session
was largely routine The members pres
ent Joined in a general discussion of
methods of work and of getting out ac-
curate volumes, and the accumulated
! business of a year was transacted. At
IL o'clock a recess was taken and the
second session convened at 4:30 yesterday
afternoon. The election of trustees was
! the only feature of the afternoon, eight
! being chosen to fill unexpired terms, as
follows:
n David V " Gould, St. Louis; R. L. Polk
Smith St, Paul; w. H Lee, New
| Haven Conn; J. L. Hill, Richmond, Va;
! +. H. Donnelley, Chicago; W. H. Bates,
/ New York; A. G. Wright Milwaukee
The evening session was dispensed with,
and at the invitation of the ST. Paul
members the visiting directory men took
a tally-ho ride through the business por-
| ton of the city, afterwards visiting the
residence district on ST Anthony hill
The following members were present at
! the annual meeting:
David V. Gould. St. Louis, president.
! Gould Directory company; r. l.. Polk
Detroit, first vice president, Polk Direc-
| tory company; w. E. Murdock Boston,
second vice president; R. H. Donnelley,
| treasurer; w. H. Bates, New York Trow
! directory company, secretary; G. B.
Franks, Peoria, ILL., J. L. Hill, Richmond,
| - d
Mills. Ann Arbor, Mich; w. H Lee
! New Haven, Conn; H. N. Stone, Quincy
| Ill. A. V. Williams, Cincinnati, o.; A. ].
Wright, milwaukee,; T. F. Smith, ST.
! Paul, and others. Proxies were received
! from New Orleans, Denver, Syracuse,
! Cleveland, Philadelphia. Atlanta, Read
| ing, WATERFOWL, N. Y. and Omaha.
! In speaking Of the work of the associa-
ton yesterday, President Gould said:
This is only the second tine since
directories were first published that the
men who make them have come together.
! The association is of recent organization
but has been of immense value already.
Our members represent firms from Port,
land, Or, to Boston, and from st. Paul
to New Orleans and Atlanta, Ga, and as
soon as the association is a little older
every firm in the United States will be
represented. The association aims to keep
/ in touch with improved methods of pub
fishing and the tremendous growth and
increasing Importance of the works which
we issue make it an excellent help. We
aim to improve our directory STATS and
introduce through our organization any
new methods which may come up from
time to time.
Il have noticed with interest the new
directory published here. 1t appears to
be most excellent one and certainly
reflects great credit upon one of our
members, Mr.. T. F. Smith, who directed
the work Of gathering the information
and putting the volume on the market"