Evening star., 1924-12-09

the posterity of those who are yet
unborn" said Addison.
Something of this spirit lay be-
hind the efforts of the best book
agents. Following the Civil War the
plan of selling books and sets of
books on subscription came into it's
own. Immediately after the war en-
terprising publishers put out his
tories Of the rebellion" as they
called 1t then, embellished with real
| steel engravings and bound in thick
covers of flaming red.
1pousands or parlor tables
! throughout the country districts bore
one or more of these volumes. /,
reposed beside the glass case of ar
tificial flowers and the little cage OF
canary birds formed out of chalk
each bird bearing tremendous tail
of very yellow feathers.
There was an engraving of the
siege OF Vicksburg, showing the Fed
eral gunboats lined up along the
bursting in air. The bombs, with
their. long trails of fire like Halleys
comet. were particularly well done
Who remembers "A Fools Errand,
by Judge Albion w. Tourgee? II
was one of the very first books to
deal with the old and original Ku
kIux klan. 1t was sold on subscrip-
ton throughout the North and South
the novel being concerned with the
interplay OF both elements during re-
construction,
What fascinated most readers
however. was not 80 much the story
as the intimate details concerning
the Khan. The frontispiece even
showed a mounted klansman, peaked
hat, "nishtgown" and all.
Judge Tourgee, who was Judge OF
the Superior Court of North Carolina
knew the minute details of the Klan
organization as it was revealed 10
him In his court, and he incorporated
this knowledge in his book. pub
lished in 1879. The titles, "Grand
Wizard" might Hawk" and all the
rest, were In this book. together with
other inner secrets of the old Khan.
In many a bookcase today "a
Fools Errand" is a treasured vol
ume on account of it's picturesque
quality and first-hand account of one
OF the most interesting periods in
American history.
y * n n
The lady book agent must not be
forgotten. She was especially good
at selling educational books for chill
dren. She would come into your
homo with the folding samples OF
book bindings. and soon talk the lady
Of the house into buying a set OF
books.
Now. this is a fine binding" she
would explain, showing the very neat
buckram in brown. "But here Is the
set most preferred" displaying the
leather binding. Mrs. Jones. down
the street, decided upon the leather
and SO did Mrs. Smith. down on the
corner.
So the lady chose the leather bind
ing, signed on the dotted line, re-
ceived the appreciation of the agent
then spent the remainder Of the day
wondering what her husband would
say when he got home.
One OF these agents visited an
apartment where the family books
on account of lack of space, were
in the locker in the basement. There
was not book in this very booky
mans living room.
The woman agent took in the pau
city OF books at glance. then built
her whole sales argument upon this
apparent fact, while the booky wife
of the booky man of the house had
to sit there quietly and submit 20
the fine scorn of tho agent for the
poor bookless.
Needless to say, the agent made
no sale. This same woman, who prac-
tically sold another customer. was told
to return, and would have clinched
the deal IL she had. but she never
showed up again.
Today publishers are relying more
and more on advertising in maya
zines and newspapers, and in sending z
alluring sales letters to those who
are known to be book buyers. Per
sonally, / like the new method best.
and believe It more profitable to the
book publishers.