The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-08-26
MEASURING BOOKS

If the phrase ito run through a book, >
SO frequently used by literary athletes
could be altered so SO that il read TO
run over a book" some very interesting
tracks could be laid in order that the
feat might be literally performed, if the
numerous copies of certain works were
withdrawn from circulation and the
volumes placed side by side. as if they
were being arrange in bookcase. The
late Hugh Conway's Called Back" for
instance-of which only 5000 copies
were sold during the first three months
OF its existence, whereas almost 10000
copies have been issued by the publish
ers since it was discovered would oc-
cupy a shelf some FIVE and quarter
miles long, or would provide track
which would have taken S. Thomas, who
has held the amateur FIVE miles record
GA minutes So 3-5 seconds) since 1892,
almost rs minutes to cover even IN his
best DAYS. Another work of exceeding
popularity, and, SO far as each lndlv1-
dual copy is concerned, rather larger
than the last mentioned, is Mr.. Jerome s
Three Men in a Boat" which has SO
far been sold to the extent of two and
quarter miles, or, to express that dis
tance in figures, 10000 copies. 10
cover the distance occupied by the long
row of copies of Miss. Ellen Ihorney-
croft Fowler's famous novel, Concern
ing Isabel Carnaby would occupy w.
]. Sturgess, the famous walker, 81 MN
utes at his top speed. When Volodyov-
cki covered the Derby course in 1901 IN
minutes 40 As seconds-a record, by
the way, for the race-he gave us an
Il. 10 ff rim
through Maurice Hewiett's mile and a
half of Forest Lovers" for the 20. ooo
copies sold of that brilliant romance
would extend to that distance on the
EPSON race course.
One of the longest runs on record. SO
far as a book track is concerned, would
be over the perpendicular volumes, &c
miles in length, that would approximate
! w represent the space on the publishers
| shelves occupied by the copies Of BIS
| uarck's Memoirs" ordered by the retail
| sellers in Germany before the volumes
were issued to the public. Before the
| contents of this work had been dlvulgeo
to the world-the MS, by the way, was
| cut ND into tiny slips and distributed
among a selected staff of composltor:
who were informed that the copy was
/ the work of a well-l<nown German au-
| thor-no fewer than $4,000 copies hae
| been ordered representing value o.
nearly 9325,ooo AS each copy. OF thu
Memoirs extended to two bulky vol
unes. the said number would alone rep
! resent a row of books extending from
/ London to a mile beyond Weybridge, a
/ distance which would occupy. A. A
/ Chase on his bicycle, judging from thu
/ record he set up at the Crystal Palace II
/ 1907, 80 minutes plus 80 seconds t
cover.
| In all probability, with one notable ex
| ceotion. 90 miles is a record distance TO
i any one publication to extend to, tor
/ Is doubtful whether the 100000 copies o
i President Grants Memoirs, even in tn
Il event of all of them running to two vol
4 nues would cover more than sevel
1 miles of shelf, and with the exception o
David Harum" lover 100000 eop1es)
East Lynne" (78o,ooo copies), am
Richard Carvel.' (42oooo coples), 1t /
improbable that any one work EXTENDED
TO a farther distance, though the Amer
4 can. English and Colonial editions o
! Miss CoYelli's Master Christian 70
4 which 10000 copies have been issued Il
F,ueIand) could scarcely be housed o.
shelves less lengthy in the aggregate
| The American Mr. Churchill's success
in turning out books selling by the mil
has been unparalleled, for not only ha
Richard Carvel'' attained a sale OF 1
miles of copies, but he has also in tn
Crisis" written a work OF which thre
and three quarters miles were sold i
about half year OF other famou
works enjoying phenomenal sales ther
can be cited Steverson's reasure Isl
and" the 100000 copies OF which 50 ia
purchased by the public would extend
| f set up in four rows from BedfoF
street, Strand, to Baker Street Station
| distance of one and three quarter miles
or lust about half the distance the bulk
Ter copies of Hall Gaines Christian
would cover London Hour Glass.