Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-09-07
Chicago's Book Sho ps
ny Frederic J. Haskin


mushrooms The fact that they are all
| thriving, although distinctly Of an ad.
vanced and bighbrow character, is a
| pleasing comment upon the Chicagoans
taste and wide-awakeness. IL may be
| that the influence Of the war, which gave
everyone the incentive to read more
seriously than before, is still lingering,
and that people are turning from The
| countless war books they have perused
only 10 indulge their newly acquired habit
| IN more general reading. Then again
| it may be that Chicagoans have always
hungered and thirsted for good books and
the new book shops have only brought
this longing into prominence by salts
| flying it.
Women have good reason TO be proud
OF the part their sex plays in the develop
ment Of literary Chicago. To casual
observer il appears that large percenta ge
Of the little book shops are run by women. !.
This supports the theory of Marcella
Burns that running book shop is pc
culiariy woman's job, needing MS it does
personal touch and understanding as
well as business ability. And Marcella
Burns ought to know because she runs
one OF the largest book departments in the
city for one Of the largest departm ent
stores
A few years ago Miss Burns undertook
the management Of the very small and
undeveloped book section typical Of the
department store and made it, by her
own energy combined with vision, into
one Of the most satisfactory book shops in
Chicago today. 1t il an amusing sidelight
upon the rapid advance Of women in IN
dustry to note that the man who was her
boss before she got this job is now working
for her IN the capacity Of ssistant
MAKES sALEsnE BUY.
One Of Miss Burns most successful in
novations was to make the head salesman
Of each section the buyer Of that section
also. She felt that not only was the sales
man well fitted for this duty being in close
touch with the public and thus knowing
the dema nd, but also he would take a
much keener interest in selling the books
he had chosen himself, to yindicate his
judgment.
Besides" says Miss Burns, ''he has the
fun OF buying the books and selling them,
too, and doesn't get into rat"
Another Of her novel touches is the
| Book Fair which is held every fall 1t is
something like country fair except IN at
instead Of farmers coming from miles
around 70 exhibit the largest turnip or
pig, publishers come from all over the
country, or send their representatives,
and exhibit, each in his little booth, the
various books. old manuscripts and other
interesting objects Of his business. There
are speeches by ygell-known authors, there
are the originals Of illustrations, there are
demonstrations Of printing methods. In
fact the public is taken into the heart
of the publishing business, and shown how
much work and talent go into the making
Of books, with the result that one looks
at them with new respect and interest.
Fanny Butchers Book Shop, a very
small one Of an entirely different type,
has the distinction Of being the only book
shop run by a critic. II does not appeal
so much TO the general public as Miss
/ Burns venture, but it probably appea4
more TO book lovers. Miss Butcher has
been a critic and book reviewer for FIVE
years. Last spring IL occurred 10 her
that. her wide knowledge Of books and
constant association with them might
be of value to the book-buyiDg public in
another capacity. So she and another girl
not long out of the University OF Chicago
started a modest book shop.
''It wasn't started with q commercial
purpose said Miss Butcher, bat 1t has
been very successful commercially, in
spite OF the fact that knew hardly any
thing about business when we began. The
incest thing about the shop, I think, Is
the way it seems 70 attract the authors
who 90 touring through our midst Many
literary ligrs who has called has finished
his visit by helping me dust books.
WHERE FAMOUS MEN COME.
Miss Butcher guest book contains
such names IS Maurice MaeterlIrck, ".
B. Yeats. III. L. Mencken, Frederic
O'Brien. and Edna Ferber. Carl Sand
burg has inscribed along with MS Eame
this appropriate sentiment. Next 70 3
real restaurant what Is more holy than
real book shop? May the spiders be
long while getting this one OF T. B. -
Next 20 Miss Butchers 5 shop IS the
Children Book Shop, devoted exclu-
sively to good books and constructive
toys for the young Chicagoan, ard show
ing that Chicago is going IN for culture
from the ground up, IS il were. This
shop is three years old, and is run BY
Louise Douglas Hyde, herself the nc ther
Of three children. Only good books are
sold here, so the busy parent who has
no time to censor his offspring : reading
turns to it with relief The shop itself Is
a charming place, artisucally decorated
by Genevieve Stump. Everything IS
upon small scale, even to the Tow door
BY which YOU enter, SO that tie child feels
that here IS really a shop meant for him
A book shop far removed from these in
character, but also run BY a woman is
the Radical Book, shop, one Of those
landmarks Of liberalism which nearly
every large city endures, and which
small artistic and liberal group in every
city cherlshes. This shop with the radical
name has for proprietor ; gentle-voiced
little lady Mrs. Udell, assisted BY her
daughter Geraldine. Its history is an
interesting example Of the idealism,
which however much we may diSapprove
of il, We cannot help but admire
Four years ago Mr.. and Mrs Udell
started their shop in a cubby hole on
Clark street with no money To speak Of
but a great deal of faith For two wears
they struggled along selling books and
pamphlets tres ting economic and social
subjects in an advanced way, and eking
out their income by running a laundry
agency in the shop. In times Of great
emergency they sold one Of the valued
books from their private library, feeling
like cannibals when We did so says Mrs
Udell.
A BOOK SHOP BACKED BY AUTHORS.
Two years ago, Just when they were be-
ginning to glimpse some success for their
long struggle, MIR. Udell died, leaving
Mrs. Udell, who is blind, alone m the
world with two growing daughters and no