The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-02-16

ID ECAUSE a man is eccentric it does
N not necessarily follow that he is
IL genius; nor because a man wears
his hair long need we imply that he is
poet, a literary Teller" or a fool
Gilbert Hubbard, the founder of the
famous s.Roycrofters'' of East Aurora,
N r, is eccentric, as the world defines
eccentricity, and wears his hair down
to his coat collar. He has been lauded
by men greater than himself, he has
been denounced by those who are In
capable Of understanding him, puI
through it all he has maintained ms
serenity and has not lost his head he
regards critics as men who cannot
write good books themselves yet think
they can tell others how to write them
He came into greatest prominence, per-
hans through his publication OF The
Phflistine. q magazine that grew out OF
a casual pamphlet in which the author
publisher aired his views and gave
some other authors and publishers
particular fits" 1t was not intended
as a permanent contribution to itera-
ture, and Mr.. Hubbard was more sur
prised, he says, than any one else when
its circulation ran up into the hundred
thousands. The first numbers of The
PhiIistine were issued from the office OF
the East Aurora Blizzard, weekly
newspaper, which was unable to handle
the increasing SuDScIlpllOn AASl u tHS
new publication; so Hubbard under
took to print and publish it himself.
He bought a hand press, engaged
few. assistants and met with such sue
cess incidentally having fun and profit
meanwhile. that he concluded to con-
tinue in the business and turned his at
tention to books. His first editions, be-
ing strictly limited and printed on
handmade paper, with original ar
rangement of type and Illustrations,
were quickly exhausted. Then others
were brought out and as the binding
of the first books had not suited him he
undertook to have it done on the prem
fses. East Aurora is not large place.
having perhaps 200 inhabitants, but
with a few accessories obtained from
other cities and countries the originator
of the establishment has turned out
books that have been eagerly snatched
up as soon as issued.
AS to the art values of these works
the writer has nothing to say; the peo-
pie who bought the books seemed salts
fed. and as the proof of the pudding
is shown by eating it" the opinion
seems to have been we'll founded that
the Roycroft work was good Most
of the workmen, like Mr.. Hubbard him.
self. drifted into their various depart
ments almost by chance He was, he
tells US, born on a farm in Illinois. in
tended for a doctor, but ran away ana
became what he is-a composite char
acter. styled by some poet, by others
philosopher, by others a socialist, and
by others still a follower of strange
gods. He was already an author when
he began the work at East Aurora, his
Little Journeys" particularly having
made him well known Among those
little Journeys to the haunts of men
who have attracted the worlds at
tention, perhaps none made such. an
impression upon him as that to the
home of the late William Morris, the
poet socialist of England. In fact, he
has been accused of following along the
philosophers lines so closely as to be
an imitator-
Morris called his printing establish
ment the ~Ke1mscott Press after his
country seat in Oxfordshire. and there
he not only set, but designed, his own
types. some of his books being written
or translated, set up, printed and orna-
mented by himself.
Roycroft, instead of having at first
unlimited capital and trained skill be-
hind it, lest growed" to be what It is
today. The shop as a visitor has de-
scribed it, is a cross between a school
house and a church. and like the libra
nv and other structures in which the in
creasing work is carried out, is well
adapted TO the needs Of the laborers.
So far as exteriors and interiors go,
Morris precept seems to have been