Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1903-01-01
WE MAKE BOOKS.
For the Schools Of the Whole
Country.
The Great Work Of the B. F. Johnson
Publishing Company.

publishing company.
It used to be said of the South that 1t
was always boastins Of what it could do
and always sending North to have 1t
done. To-day we are not talking so much
about what we can do: we are doing IT,.
When we come to think Of it we are as
tonished at the rapidity with which we
are doing it. we are providing thing:
for ourselves to-day which We scarcely
expected ever to produce in the South.
We are even providing school-boohs for
our children-a thing which a decade ago
we thought Of only as dream. Then we
looked to New York and Boston To-
day the Johnson Publishing Company OF
this city, is sending its schooi-books TO
New York and Boston. The Journal OF
Education. published at the Hub, IN
speaking Of the new series Of readers
graded classics) published by this com
pany recently, said: These graded clas-
sizes are so admirably written and SO
beautifully made as to challenge com
parison with any books made IN the
North and it did not except Boston, tor
it added: There is no reason why such
books as these should not be used III
Boston and Chicago and well as In
Charleston and New Orleans.
Six years ago when there was great
hue and cry throughout the South over
the exorbitant prices which our childfen
were required to pay for their school.
books, and the utter unsultaoieness OF
many Of these books to be taught III
southern schools, a committee Of repre-
sentative southern gentlemen waited
upon the president of the B. F. Johnson
Publishing Company ana asked If MS
concern would not undertake to do some.
thing to relieve the situation. In many
parts of the South the children were ther
paving twice as much for their BOOKS
as they are paying to-day, While many
of the books that were in use not only
ignored southern literature and southern
achievements, but seriously reflected upon
southern honor and upon the memories
OF its heroes.
The Johnson Company, though 10y
many years, the leading subscription
book publishing house of the South, had
never produced a school-book, and hat
never expected to do so. Nevertheless
the company finally determined to an.
swer the call, and in few months all Its
resources were turned in the direction Of
chaupioning the right of southern chill
dren to books peculiarly suited to their
needs To-day the mouse has at its bacf
more than 500 representative men OF. the
SoutI-men who have put their money
into the business not to encourage sec
tionalism by the publca ton of sectional
text books, as has been repeatedly charged
but to champion the RICH. of southern
children to the highest type Of books at
the lowest prices, and to provide books
which, without magnifyinS one section
at the expense of another, would give
to the South its proper place in the his
tory and literature Of our country. and
it Is supplying these books not only to
thousands of schools throughout the
South but to many of the largest and
most progressive schools of the great
cities Of New England. New York. Penn
sylvania, New Jersey. Indiana, Ohio. and
a number Of the great States of the
Northwest.
It is interesting to know that while the
Johnson Company occupy a warm plac=
in the affections of the southern people,
and while the cause they represent ap.
peals to the heart Of every southerner,
they do not solicit patronage primarily on
sentimental grounds. They ask tina
their books be examined first of all solely
with view to their actual fitness. II
when this examination has BEEN made it
is clear that they are equal to those
oftered by any other publishers, tier
they feel that they can properly call at
tention to the fact that the Johnson
Company is home institution, that the
money that is spent 1or its books will
remain in the South, and be used for the
further development of the South, and
the further fact that il is because this
company entered the school-book field
that the Children OF the southern state:
are to-day paying from one third to one
half less for their school-bool1s than they
paid eight years ago.
II the North. finding superior merit in
southern books. can afford to encourage
a southern enterprise, surely the South,
finding superior merit in it's own books,
can afford to encourage its own enter
prise.