The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-12-28
CHAPTER LIZ.

/ lAbout Books and Butchers.
General Charles H. Taylor of the
Boston Globe, one of the directors of
the Associated Press. at a recent
story on General Manager stone of the
/ Mr.. Stone for many years lived in
Chicago. General Taylor always pre-
tends to sympathize with any man who
does not live in Boston or near by the
hub
do you know. Mel said the Cen
eraI rather Familiarity, looking down
toward the end of the table where Mr..
Stone was sitting. about living in Chi
cago 1 always feel that it is very much
like the man who wears side whis-
kers -
How is that?" said the former citi-
zen of the western metropolis eagerly.
We'll" said General Taylor. this
believe is really a George Ade7 story;
but if a man has a hair-lip it is a mis-
fortune: if he has club foot, it is Il
deformity; but if he wears side whisk-
ers it is his own fault"
General Taylor, whose paper is said
to have the largest circulation of any
paper in New England, and runs up
around the 500 600 mark, was not salts
fed with telling this one story on one
newspaper man on another, but he told
a second one at the same luncheon, and
as this is also a "Reminiscences" it is
here given in this column
They say, Mr.. Stone, that people get
rich pretty quick in your former city
of Chicago. to which I understand you
still hold some allegiance. I heard the
other day that your people out there
had the largest book store in the
wo-ld!''
Yes" said the general manager,
proud Of his former home and dismiss
ing the recent allusion TO side whiskers
which no man need wear. even if he
must live in Chicago, I believe they
nave a bigger book emporium in the
Packing House metropolis than there
is even in your own highly cultured city
with all it's high prows' as prospective
patrons OF literature"
We'll" said the general ''they tell |
me that a Chicago man who was for |
merly a butcher. without much Gull |
ture or refinement, suddenly found |
himself a wealthy packer, just finish
ing a larger expensive mansion on |
the sheridan road by Lake Michigan,
was somewhat disturbed about how
he should furnish the house. He ha'
built a magnificent library, but had /
no books to put into it. Realizing the
futility of a library without literature,
he called a this big book store one
afternoon and explained to the sales
man in charge that he so many feet
Of shelves and wanted to fill them
with the proper sort of books to con
II 1,afi 1et
was completing and Incidentally, to
beft the station in life to which the
packer, by a somewhat short cut. had
reached. without having
spent any of his time in pouring over
books or catalogues of them.
Have you shakespeare said the
book man
No said the packer.
Wei, you ought to have Shakes
peare. We have a beautiful set her 9,
lhirty-four volumes bound in Rusgl;p
FOR $3.50. about six feet"
7 viii take that
Have you the American Statesmen
series?''
NO. have not. but I have had
dealings with some Illinois statesmen
ana I think l ought to have that set.
How large is it?''
Wei, it viii take about five feet in
he morocco binding"
We'll, 1 think you had better put
haE in
Have you Dickens'a works."
Dickens if / know whether there is
IN old set around the house or not.
1ut I think probably we do not have
t. so put in a set of that in that red
Gather, those thick volumes.
I wish continued the packer. '-you
would suggest a number of sets which
-ou think would look Wen on my ma
logany shelves in that room which
described to you and would fill up
ne vacant spaces" /
All right said the book seller. Il
will make out a list-vhile you wait" {
In a short time the book dealer pre-
ented the following list Green's
History of England; "Carlisle's $
french Revolution The Waverly 5
Iovels.' "Balzac.r thirty volumes,
wo feet and eight inches; "Cooper's
yovels:" Encyclopedia Britannica, -
enth edition. which takes up about $
our times the space of the eleventh T
dition and is little difficult to get ;
id of since the later work in India |,
aper; "Muhlbach's Romances; the
works. of Lord Byron, Shelley, Poe.
burns. Coleridge and Werner's Best
literature. v
The list continued: Mark Twain's
edition; Marcus Aurelius and I
1pictetus took up a few more inches 1
nd then Alexander Dumas, Charles
read. Thackery. Kant, Schopenhauer 5
nd % do1ap others arcordjpe IN fI7a