The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1906-12-17
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Bobbs. president Of the Bobbs-MerrilI
Publishing Company OF Indianapolis, the
man who has done more than any other
to develop the latent literary talent OF
that fecund State, and the man who was
the first to boom" the books he had 70
sell precisely as other merchants sold
their wares. lie was accused Of "c0m-
merclaiizing literature" but his plan
succeeded so well that most Of the other
publishers have fallen into line.
The house Of Bowen. Merrill & Co.
which through various changes has
evolved into the Bobbs-Merrin Company.
was established in 1s3S. il began as
country book store. selling books, job
bing. selling printing and wrapping paper.
and so on. II was not until 1850 that the
firm began TO publish books at all, and
then it was law books in a small way. In
few years the firm bought the law book
and legal textbook business Of Hough-
ton, Miffiin & Co, OF Boston, and now
/ II is one Of the largest law publishing
( firms IN the country. The first essay IN
publishing books other than law books
came when the firm brought out an edi-
I ton OF James Whitcomb Riley's "An
/ Old Sweetheart OF Mine, and Eleven
More Poems" This was brought about
through the personal friendship OF the
+ poet for Mr. BObbs. The sale Of the
poems was very large. and from that
+ time until the present al Of Mr. RiIeys
books have been issued through this
+ firm
You may not know it. but it is a
fact" said Dir. BObbs, that that one
poem, An Old Sweetheart Of Nine, OF
Mr. RiIey's has Ia its various editions
Z had a larger sale than any poem written
+ in English, save and alone Gray's
/ 'EIegy in a Country ChurchyaTd' Mr.
/ Riley has eleven volumes Of poetry in
his uniform edition. six special illus
trated editions and a new volume,
specially illustrated, is coming out FOR
/ Christmas. Millions Of copies Of Mr..
/ Riley's books have been sold, and you
may say. without fear Of contradiction.
that while the success Of 8Ir. Rileys
works have done much 70 aid our pub
fishing firm. his compensation for his
work far and away exceeds that Of any
other living English writer"
In the field Of fiction their first big sue
cess was Charles Majors When Knight
hood Was in Flower" a book which has
selling. and which was the first novel TO
be doomed by the modern methods.
When Mr.. BObbs, who started in the
firm as a clerk in 1879. rose to a position
I Of influence in the establishment. he was
struck with the unusual number OF In
diana authors; people with good names.
There was Gen Lew Wallace Mary Hart
we'll CatherWo0d. Edward Eggleston,
Maurice Thompson. Meredith Nicholson.
and a host of others, and in this clientele
Mr.. Bobbs found his first field. The firm
has done more than any other 10 cause
the Indiana literary field 20 be talked Of
and known
Il is rumored in Indiana, that having
reached the presidency Of his firm, and
made a comfortable fortune, Mr. BOb1s
aspires to political hoRors. He is talked
OF by his friends as the next candi-
date for the governorship OF Indiana.
Mr. BObbs declared he has heard moth
ing Of any gubsTnatOrial boom IN his
favor. First time I've heard Of IT," he
declares Publishing is my business; I'm
too busy for politics.
The attorney general Of Missouri. Hon.
Herbert S. Hadley. who is at the New
Willard. and who has won fame as an
efficient prosecutor Of alleged unlawful
combines, Is quite a young-Io0king man.
, apparently in the early thirties. He is
clean-shaven. with clear-cut features. a
pleasing manner. and is evidently man
Of superior mentality. In response 20 q
Herald reporters questions. Mr. H8dley
said: I came East on two accounts; u
part Of my business is 20 represent Mis-
souri, IN a suit brought against Kansas
, 10 determine the ownership Of Goose
Island, small strip Of land in the Mis-
. souri, River near Kansas City. It has
been made a sort Of rendezvous for prize
! fighters and sports. and IL is desirable
10 find which state can properly exer-
1 else Jurisdiction. The other matter calls
me TO New York. where the last testi-
mOny in the suit OF the State of Missouri
against the Standard oil and its sub
sidiary cOrcorations will be taken This
testimony is on the side Of the defense.
and after il is finished the case will be
: ready for our Supreme Court. In a gen
eral way the suit is along the same
lines as that instituted by the Federal
government against the Standard oil
Company. Illegal combination and re-
stTaint OF trade figure in both. Should
the decision be favorable 10 the State
e the charter Of the defendants could be
{ taken away, or they could be punished
= by fine
One Of the best known and most infiu-
entail Democrats Of Kentucky. Mr.. H \.
Sommers. editor Of the Elizabethtown
News, is a guest Of the Riggs House.
Though a strong partisan, Mr.. Sommers
is not in sympathy with the dominant
element Of the Democratic party in the
y Blue Grass State. and is emphatic in his
condemnation of the ring"
1T is not to be doubted" said he. that
Kentucky viii remain IN the Democratic
i column. but there is a good deal Of dis
: satisfaction with the way things are 60
ing A new and strong political force with
us is the Anti-Saloon League. Temperance
has taken a strong hold on the people
and g out Of the IL counties In tire State
T have voted 70 prohibit the sale of LIQUOR
of them having but recently so de-
= Cided- In one entire Congressional dis
trict, the Eleventh. which is a mountain
section, whisky has been voted out The
D anti-saloon people. in fact. caused the
nomination of Gov. Beckham in the Sena-
torial race between him and Gov. Nc
Creary.
The Democratic nominee for governor.
e Mr.. Hagar. is not especially identified
5 with the prohibition cause but the pToba-
I, bic nominee Of the Republicans. Justice
, o Rear of the Court OF Appeals. is. and
should be be made their gubernatorial
candidate. and should ex-GOv. Bradley
be their candidate for the United States
Senate. the ticket would be extremely
7 formidable"
The celebrated case OF The state OF
Kansas against The State CT Colorado to