The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-11-19
FAMOUS CITY BOOK STORE
~ II"G tTS ~ ItDS BIG ~
UifH IJ JOfI HFS
30 nrsinnins of the shop mat Re-
rgr,r the Meeting place OF Iiterar,
oh. aud Uihrr> Andrew leg
Lat'> E,uurIrs OF O,f tustemrrS.

sat, N,uUr,rs OF O,6 Customers.
hose. DAYS when the man with IN.
q. .r-- or lrrruws the money with
H'i, o. INTO execution and when
. ...-rrrl-"S spring into existence
...NE 90 - interesting To look back
uuN differently they did such
... ....l a century or more ago. Tn.
.. u.~ of those DAYS seem now "A
I DIS" plavinS AT keeping store
ID. almost ia that spirit tina: Andrew
80. 4..i.~ r-otu'r kirh.. mad.
o.. ..-. venture IN IN" book business
Vas 10 become ON" OF the largest
o.. .~r Nuuwn book stores IN the country
ginning IN two rows Of books
,.tuul window shuttrra at ~ Nassau
There were thirty five volumes
/. .-t Andrew L"Egar. who not long
r.'rrat.d has rightIeih birthday.
...f DO" and hts brother We're prouG.r
Z, .... took than they ever were when
l..r rr"ir store held thousands 81
Volumes
VI l.LSar would lik. 10 remember the
t.a- & hose rhirty-fv" books but he
r.I. uu note 81 them at the time and
,0...u. t recall that they were chosen with
r,EHri O." any conception the young book
-. ..-- may have had of the book huvinG
ru'... taste. Of the day. IA Mr. Ieggai
r..,. IS fr- starting II the, bOokshop il
WISH - much an interest in hooks as IN
-. Nd 4 people who bought hooks or
d. "a u 20 read and talk that attracted
.. ...fIrrs
was IN" Kind IT people the bows
r'r.i 'o moot and so instead e entering
..ll' ct Scott \ Ieggat the largest dry
: 90. Lous" IN New York IN that day
re- struck ouf Tor themselves
.uf course weren't poor lovs
Nr I"ggat. but although we always
. 3 r'"0rv e money in our pockets we
l-i never earned "A dollar. and | tell YOU
q. vrrr Jh.' nroud"st boys in New York
Ven AZ I O'clock of our frsr day in the
,..,N business "" found that We had
't-eu IA s. and tina, there was a dollar
r-.'r for each ~ us.
That seemed enough for one day. So
70 closed mp shop. feeling that u would
% really greedy To keep open any longer.
"" We're very much pleased with our
.tlv.- harau-e in addition {" our large
ZEE we felt uur~elF - assured e con
riuu.d good luck since our very first GUS
'neV WIS IfAi d'4th'b. "ll'iitl
l'rirne. who wrote Tent Life IN the Holy
Land ,"
when the friends &C tn" young men
found that th"v we're uuI'c serious IN
their Intention To- STICK - The book hu-l-
I.~- he L.gEat- were strongly advised
I. 20 to Boot on.
book store IN New York impossible
..,Nr' in a small way said the friends
To- e h..
ho X trade and tn" hub Il IN" literary
inverse. I''- no W." trying 10 start q
book sore IN New IorI
Bat he. laCgats had the spirit Of New
York boys of their day Boston might be
all right. but what could b- done there
,...ld surely be. don. - we'll or better n
N"w York They had an l!ea too hat be-
tides r"ahIng commercial success they
.lgh, o. something which <""rued ."
..am better worth wh,ln. max" u posi-
ti. for New Workers 81 small means and
.-r.cially children. to T. -~.ss NOR" books
'.4r hey had been ahl" ru dp a. the hlEh
COOS rNrn asa Ell hy 'he trad"
To- carry out this plan they began from
tAn first to cut prices ant Nj. Leggar 10
.ouyinCed that II wasn't long after they
.nt"red business before p"oii" who cared
Tot books were abb. to own three times
- many a. they had owned before.
here was good commercial -.nS.' H.
vel a. philanthropy IN IN" small profit
Idea and IN. Legglrs' business grew
rauiIy Their tiT~t big venture Wa- the
g. rrhasa Of n. go engraving- of American
-r.- which sold for ! cents each 30
s.-ar ~a- the demand for these pictures
llat tn. book sellers wer" sept busy
o. mt and day maNInG up -.t-
a.. tho business continued tn thrive
tn LAEgatr moved 70 Fulton street near
i-Iadwlv. where th"y renamed until
t.atr store Wa damaged IN the BarnuIn
81 SCUM firc They moved several times
a""r that and finally settled IN what was
n"rpu" their famous nom" az Beck
tn street aud ParK row
Ih. -turo hy this time had h"com" a
Er.tr resort for literary folks and puhhc
.... ,ui all kinds of people who loved
a.. ,r liked 20 listen TO IN" brilliant
',.. hat vent On around tn" stove Of
.."r- NIGHT Everybody wa vel
,.... whether h. bought or not and IN"
... had many reading customers who
tt... aay after day TO read hut never
.....' W, long ago Mr. I.ggat met
o. ..r uDr told him that h" got most Of
I.- .,.. ..4ron IN th" old book store and
Va. 'ii"i
Sob meyer bought book
E.usrr- and brokers from the Wall
STE. ..-rrIr' and naval and military
'.. tr.rr.d ~ regularly AT L"ggat-
e.. ..-. brothers realized their dream of
.r-g - book store which should also
BIZ. ....rr" for tn. literary men Of The day.
dor" >'rInEha'n. then conmandant
navy ward and Admiral FarraRIt
".. l.nrrE 20" regular visitors and the
.-. o. ..,, -tory t"llers. Business never
....l Hr.u m" Commodor" had IN"
A '...r~ Gv III. -iDv" whsle propri"-
....-- AMI customers gathered about
... r.s b. 'tI..~
l"rKAt- had foDdne-S for
a... 'n..u and Andrew I.eEghi re-
.,....."k- had orders TO open the
.t.y tDIr II "a call came from
.-.. DY"" for a reference book.
.. Pho. Young bOok-..ll"r- used 10
p. lWF ST.. BuIliluK then at