The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-09-14

Chicago's Book Shops,

Chicago, Sept Is. = Interesting
little book shops have besn spring.
Ing up In Chicago. Of late - thickly
and quickly - mushrooms. The
TACT that they are all thriving. al
though disunctivsly pf an adyanc-
ed and highbrow Character, 70 .
comment upon the Chi
cagoan's taste and wids-awake-
ness. II may BE- that the influence
Of the war, which gave everyone
the incentive to read more serious
" t6Kn before, IL still lingering.
and that people are turning from
the countless war books they have
been perusing only to indulge their
newly acquired habit in more gen
eral reading. Then again It may be
that Chicagoans have always hun
gered and thirsted for good books
and the new book shops have only
brought this longing into promfn-
ence by satisfying 1t.
Women have good reason to be
proud Qf the part their sex plays
in the development Of literary Chi
cago. To . casual observer 1t APP
pears that . large percentage Of the
little book shops are run by women.
This supports the theory Of MeT-
celia Burns that running a book
shop is peculiarly q woman's Job.
needing rs it does q personal touch
and understanding as we'll as busi-
ness ability. And Marcella Burns
ought to know because she runs
one of the largest book departm ;nts
in the city for one Of the largest de-
partment stores.
A few years ago Miss Burns un-
dertook the management Of the
very small and undeveloped book
section typical of the department
store and7made it. by her own en-
ergy combined with vision. into one
of the most satisfactory book shops
in Chicago today. It Is an amusing
sidelight upon the rapid advance
ment of women In industry to note
that the man who vas her boss be-
fore she got this job. II nov work
ing for her in the capacity Of as
sistant.
i Makes, Statesmen Buy.
One of Miss Burns most success
full innovations was to make the
head salesman Of each section the
buyer Of that section also. She fell
that not only was the salesman
we'll fitted for this duty. being in
close touch with the public and
thus knowing the demand, but also
he would take a much keener inter.
est in selling the books he had chos'
en- himself, to vindicate his judg'
ment.
Besides" says Miss Burns, "he
has the fun of buying the books and
selling them, too, and doesn't &c,
into a rut."
Another Of her novel touches Il
the book fair, which IS held ever,
fall. 1t is something Ike countr,
fair except that instead Of farmers
coming from miles around to ex
hibit the largest turnip or pig, pub
fishers come from all over the
country, or send their- representa-
tives, and exhibit, each in his little
booth, the various books, old man
uscripts and other interesting OBJ
jects of his business. There arr
speeches by well-known authors
there are the originals Of illustra
tions, there are demonstrators o
printing methods. In fact the pub
! lie is taken into the heart of tn
Lpublishing business. and show
how much work and talent 60 int
the making Of books. with the re
suit that one looks at them will
new respect and interest.
Fanny Butchers Book Shop, [
very small one of an entirely differ
ent type, has the distinction Of be
ing the only book shop run by ,
critic. 1t does not appeal 80 mucl
to the general public as Mis-
Burns venture. but it probably ap
peals more to book lovers. Mis-
Butcher has been a critic and bool
reviewer for five years. Last sprinl
it occurred to her that her wild
knowledge Of books and constan
association with them might be Q
value to the book-buyiRg public Il
another capacity. So she and an
other girl not long out Of the Uni
versity Of Chicago, started . mod
est book shop.
1T wasn't started with q com
mercial purpose" said Mis-
Butcher, but it has been very sue
cessful commercially, in spite q