The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-05-12
BIC SCRAMBLE ON
Text Book Board Considering
the Contract For Readers.

The school book commission got to-
gether again this morning and an at
tempt will be made to push the consid-
Grafton of the books as fast as possi-
BILE. The members Of the commission
are desirous of getting through this
week if possible. Counting last Mon
day as the first day, the ten days al
lowed by law for the first session will
expire on Thursday. 1t is hardly possi-
bic that the comm ission can complete
its work by that time, and a supple
mentary session have to be formally
called by Superintendent Nelson, the
chairman of the commission.
The subjects of spoilers was completed
this morning. and readers were immedi-
ately taken up. There was a grand rush
for both the spoilers and the readers con
tracts. Z bidders for the first and ten
for the latter. The spoilers offered and
the firms bidding were the following:
The Kansas spelIer, published by the
Globe Publishing company, New York
The Ideal Word book, published by A.
Flanagan & Co, Chicago
Rathbun's speller, published by Crane
& Co, Topeka.
New Era Word book, published by Ira
T. Eaton & Co, Chicago.
Woodward & Teirnan's speller, pub
lished by Woodward & Tiernan, st.
Louis.
Modern Pronouncing speller, publish
ed by Sheldon & Co. New York
The Popular speller, published by the
American Book company. New York
Heath's speller, published by D. c.
Heath & Co, Boston
The Atlas speller, published by the
Central School supply Company Chi
cago.
Blaisdells spoilers. published by the
Macmillan company, New York
The Rational spelleT published by
Scott Forsnan & Co. Chicago.
The contest over the reader contract
Is one of the most spirited that the
commission will have to contend with,
because it involves the largest volume
done in the reader 1ne will equal that
OF a half dozen Of some other subjects,
although the margin of profit will be
small
The readers offered to the commits
sion today and the houses publishing
them are as follows:
The Wooster Readers, published by
Wooster & Co, Topeka.
Child Life, published by Macmillan
& Co. New York.
The Students Readers, published by
Scott. Forsman & Co, Chicago.
The Crane Readers, published by
Crane & Co, Topeka.
The Woodward Readers, published by
Woodward, Tiernan & Co, St Louis.
The New Century Readers, published
by Rand, McNally & Co, Chicago.
The New Era Readers. published by
Eaton & Co, Chicago
The New Franklin Readers, published
by Butler, Sheldon & Co, Philadelphia.
The Normal Readers. published by
Silver Burdette - Co, New York
The Appleton Readers, published by
The American Book Co, New York.
There will also be a battle royal when
the subject of Biographies is reached, al
though there are said to be only four bid
ders for the geography contract There
will be a big volume of business in the
geography and probably a better margin Of
profit than on most of the other subjects.
The bidders for the geography contract
will be the American Book company, CHM
& Co, Rand NcNally & Co., and the Mac
milan company.
The different school book houses are
pulling all sorts OF wires in order to land
the contracts. Some of them are working
through third parties to secure endorse
ments from leading educators of the state
for certain lines Of books, and in return
it is claimed that they are helping the per-
! W aid them better positions.