The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-05-04
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compared with the prices o. the cHitlons oc
luxe Of Paul de Kocks works now being
issued by Boston publishing house
The price OF one Of these editions. limit
ed to single set, will Be szoo, 900 that
OF another, also limited to a single set.
Srso. 600. Of these amounts $4,000 IS
payable on the signing OF the subscription
contracts The principal edition consists
of ten sets and is sold at $50 600 set.
Il tells eloquentiy Of the wealth OF the
United States and the enthusiasm OF its
book collectors that already within
short time Of the putting cut Of sample
sheets, seven subscriptions for tie sso-
oeo edition have been taken, The editions
at 100000 and sIso,ooe have not yet
been offered, although negotiations as 10
the purchase Of one of the editions are now
pending between the publishers and New
York banker of worldwide fame
These editions Of De Koek will form the
greatest achievement TO date in the history
Of American bookmakiug--in fact in book
making anywhere. II there has been moth
ing approaching them in price, there has.
or the other hand been nothing approach
ing them in sumptuousuess The books
will b worth the money. The man who
pays Sso,ooo for De Eock IN one hundred
volumes will receive his moneys worth.
The most significant feature Ct the tran
saction is that there IS an American firm
able to turn out ten sets Of books 50 magni-
hoeut as TO make $4,000 no more than a
fair measure Of their value, and that there
are so many book lovers willing 70 pay
that price
But the volumes will have more than
~e eAaf~ ,-f t.b
this will Be An aesthetic worth also at
ssches 10 them. The publishers had a
special reason for selecting De Kock No
satisfaetory or complete English trsnsls-
ton Of this popular French authors works
has appeared Hence they chose Mary
Hanford Ford, who has spent many years
IN France, IS recognized authority on
French literature and has devoted years
OF study 10 the work OF De Koek. to
make the translation. Mrs. Ford is as
sisted in her work Of translation by a
distinguished Frenchman, who is a member
Of the faculty OF leading American uui-
versity
FRANCES FAVORfTE AUTHOR.
De Koek practically kept France laugh
ing for over Fifty years, and IS considered
the Smoilett OF France, as we'll as the
Dickens. This edition will contain all OF
his novels, dramas, tales, vaudevilies, to-
gether with mis- biography and literary re-
r1iniscenees. His vaudeviiles were the
popular songs of France, and were theatri-
cal satires upon the prominent people and
events OF the times Of which he wrote ;
and the pen pictures that he drew around
his Characters, from the hrst chapter 10
the last, simply were delicious Il is est
mated that between eighty million and one
hundred million volumes OF the works OF
De kock have been sold Throughout the
world. De Rocks novel. The Barber
Of Paris" was translated into sixty dif.
ferent languages and it Is safe to say
that several million copies Of this book
have been published and sold.
NJ. Jules Clxretie, for many yeaxs ii.
rector Of the Coincide Franchise, will
write complete preface and introduction
In his letter accepting the commission h:
says Il shall be very happy to eo-opsrst,
with you, ard deem Il an honor to havs
the opportunity Of again being associated
with my dear friend Do Kock, and alsc
with such magnificent undertaking" u
Clsretie IL an especially fortunate selsc
tion. He wss the suther's friend snS
admiTer, and created the fund for tia late
IL erected monument to Do Rock AZ Ro
nsinville- N. Claretie recently ressxne,
from the direetership Of the Coincide Il
order - RESUME bic literary work upol
the Figaro, and among the hrst products .
his renewed authorship will be his contri
butien 70 thess superb editions Of D
Kock
EPocH-MAKING VOLUMES.
Epsoh~makinG these editions surely ar,
and IN many ways For instance, III
work b 20 be printed on parchment--n,
parchment" the imitation kiAd, but gent
Inc parchment This fact alone Is spoei
making. For thss 10 the hrst time that
puhlisher has attempted to make an ed
ton Of any author on gsnuins parekmsr
for over three hundred years. II wi
tals forty thousand sheets Of pArehmen
which costs sixty cents 4 sheet, for Il
$4,000 edition alone. Al the present sin
there 10 not parchment enough in the worl
70 completes this work. When the publIsl
ers made their contract with the psrehmei
people it was stipulated that the latt
would not be required 10 complete the
contract within period of twenty-fol
months.
Parchment 10 ena Of the most difacu
aNeeeA-eAe " "oAA bpoDs OWING 70 the IA
that il contains 50 much oil. Herstofo
printers have objected to working .
parchment owing 70 the great dlfieuity
the ordinary ink retaining lis color,
they have found from experience that Il
oil in the parchment would eat the Ii
from the inks. All this, however, h
been rensedied as the result Of two yea
Of experiment, and an ink and a proee
have been secured that make the task
feasible one. The books will be print
entirely on hand presses, built in IS,
and Substantially like the press upon viii
Franklin worked in London. This pre-
work viii be done by Scoichmen. who a
expert IN printing on parchment. n
process is a very slow one, so slow,
fact that only twenty volumes month G.
Be termed out In other words. only I,
psgcs at = time on one side, or sbo
ssysasy-fss impresslsns per hcur, viii