THE STORY OF THE MERRIAM FAMILY.

In the firm of G. & C. Merriam the world saw the business capacities of a very remarkable family whose qualities and achievements are peculiarly appropriate subjects for recognition in the columns of THE PAPER WORLD. In all the best senses of the word it was an old fashioned family. There were eight children. They were all brought up to habits of industry and thrift. The boys were all apprenticed to the craft that was the traditional livelihood of the family. They were taught that prosperity was the reward of honest effort, high aims and honorable dealing. They were nurtured in the reverence of God and the love of all human kind and, through all their long lives of eminent usefulness and worldly success, they forgot none of those homely virtues of their early days.

The Merriams were printers, book makers and book sellers in Worcester county in the latter part of the Eighteenth Century. The parents of the family we now write of were Dan and Thirza Merriam. Dan and his brother Ebenezer started a newspaper at West Brookfield under the firm name of E. Merriam & Co. Three years later the paper was suspended, but the business of printing and book publishing that had grown up was continued. Dan had not learned the printer's trade, but Ebenezer was a practical printer. Book publishing, according to a method of the time that

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seems peculiar now, became their principal business. A member of the firm would go to the larger cities and get books to print on an arrangement to take part pay in stock. Of course the stock would be for the most part a lot of books for which there would be no market at West Brookfield, but there was a way around that difficulty. The stock was exchanged through various dealers, for a variety of books for which there would be a demand, and especially school books. In this way it was, that the book store branch of the business was developed. With increasing business reputation and facilities some large ventures were undertaken. Law books were printed to sell to the trade. Among other books they published Watt's "Psalms and Hymns" and an octavo Bible which, in those days before stereotyping, was an immense undertaking. They also published four or more editions of Perry's Dictionary, copies of which are still extant, showing that more than eighty years ago the Merriams were engaged in publishing dictionaries.

Dan Merriam died in 1823, leaving, as we have said, eight children. The eldest, George, was born at Worcester, January 19, 1803, and worked on his father's farm at West Brookfield till he was 15 years old. Then, after a few months as a clerk in a country store, he was apprenticed to his uncle Ebenezer to learn the printing trade. On coming to his majority, about the time of his father's death, he was given a partnership interest in the business. Charles, the second son, was born at West Brookfield, November 21, 1806, and at the age of 14 was apprenticed to a Mr. Goodwin, a printer, at Hartford. He remained there three years and then, going back to West Brookfield finished his apprenticeship in the office of his uncle and brother. Subsequently a year was prof-

GEORGE MERRIAM.

8

itably spent in study at Monson and Hadley academies. Then
followed a winter of school teaching and a few months' work at
Philadelphia, from which town the young printer, reversing the
steps of the illustrious exemplar of the craft, Ben Franklin, made
his way to Boston, and entered the famous printing office of
T. R. Marvin.

It was while Charles was working for Mr. Marvin and George
was still with the uncle at West Brookfield, that the incident oc-
curred that brought them to Springfield and established the firm
of G. & C. Merriam. The Springfield newspapers of that day were
regarded by the orthodox people of the town as tainted with Uni-
tarianism, and they were desirous of having a soundly orthodox
organ. Stepping into the Boston post-office one day Charles
Merriam saw a letter advertised for him. It was from Rev. Dr.
Osgood of Springfield, inviting him to come here and start a new
paper. Returning to West Brookfield Charles brought his brother
George with him to Springfield to look over the ground. With
the practical sagacity that they exhibited in all their subsequent
business affairs, they quickly decided against the newspaper
scheme but concluded that this was a good town for a book print-
ing office and book store. Accordingly, the firm of E. & G. Mer-
riam at West Brookfield was dissolved, and the business was di-
vided. George and Charles, and George's brother-in-law Mr.
Little, composed the new Springfield firm, which took George's
share of the West Brookfield printing material and apprentices.
This was in 1831. The new business was of the same character as
that at West Brookfield.

Meantime, three younger brothers William, Lewis and Homer,
all born at West Brookfield, had learned some branch of printing

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or book making. William was a binder, Lewis and Homer were
printers. Ebenezer, the uncle, had a son whom he associated
with him for a time after George left West Brookfield, but that
arrangement did not last long and Lewis presently became the
younger partner. William and Homer went to Greenfield and
opened a bindery and book store, Homer taking charge of the
latter. After a few years they went to Troy, N. Y. and opened a
book store and bindery. Then Lewis sold out his interest at West
Brookfield, and, associating with him a partner named Mirick,
took the Greenfield business. The business was presently divided,
Mirick taking the printing office and Lewis Merriam the book trade.

Mr. Little did not remain long in the Springfield firm and the
firm name became G. & C. Merriam in 1832, to continue so for
more than half a century. At this time the firm was occupying
premises where the business had been started on State street. In
1835 the building at the corner of State and Main which has been
so long known as The Old Corner Book store was put up by Col.
Galen Ames and the Merriams took the first and third floor. The
printing office occupied the whole of the third story; the book store
was in the first. At this time George had charge of the bookstore
and Charles looked after the printing office.

The enterprise which was to make the firm of G. & C. Merriam
known throughout the world, the publication of Webster's Diction-
ary was no mere piece of luck. The securing it was one of those
opportunities that come to business men in such guise that only
the discerning and far seeing are able to profit by it. Noah Web-
ster died in 1843. He had published the dictionary in the most
expensive manner in two large volumes and not stereotyped be-
cause Dr. Webster was continually editing and revising. The

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right to publish the "Unabridged Dictionary" was put up at auction at Hartford and J. S. & C. Adams of Amherst bought it. It was a heavier load than they could carry and they soon disposed of their rights and the remnants of the last edition to G. & C. Merriam for a profit of $1,000. The work had sold at $15 to $20. The Merriams at once had it revised by Professor Chauncey Goodrich, stereotyped it and put it into one compact volume, which they advertised for $6. Mr. Webster's heirs thought this was a mistake and that $10 would have been a sufficiently low price. But large sales rewarded the enterprise and proved the wisdom of the publishers. It was found that the extensive advertising and rapid sales of the Unabridged were helping the sale of the abridged editions. They accordingly bought up all editions. The arrangement they had with Dr. Webster's heirs was such that they paid them a certain sum annually, whatever the sale of the Dictionary. It is understood that they have paid the heirs between $250,000 and $300,000.

The great increase of business detail and responsibility which the Dictionary made, led to changes that took shape for a time in three firms. Mr. John M. Wood, who had been with the Merriams at West Brookfield and here as a young man, was made a partner in the printing business, which took the style of Merriam, Wood & Co. Mr. Wood is still connected with G. & C. Merriam & Co., where, notwithstanding advancing years, he may be found regularly at his work, a genial, faithful and high minded representative of that good old way of business policy which recognized faithful service in substantial ways and bound men together in life-long respect and cooperation. Somewhat later than this change in the printing business the late Charles O. Chapin became a partner in the book business under the firm name of Merriam, Chapin & Co.

CHARLES MERRIAM.

12

The firm of G. & C. Merriam, meanwhile, continued their business of publishing law and school books, Bibles and the Dictionary, and in 1856 Homer Merriam, who had been in business in Troy, N. Y., for some twelve years, as publisher and bookseller, became a partner in their publishing firm. After a while the Merriams withdrew from the book store entirely, which passed successively into the hands of Chapin & Bridgman, the partner being Mr. J. C. Bridgman, J. C. Bridgman & Co., Bridgman & Whitney, Whitney & Adams and recently, The F. W. Adams Company.

The business methods of G. & C. Merriam were a model of what business methods should be in a society that is both enterprising and regardful of the higher interests of mankind. The brothers were closely united in affection and confidence. They were all energetic, industrious, prompt, quick to decide, and sound in judgment. They paid close attention to their business in detail and general outlook. They were on the watch for opportunities and were always ready to improve them. Liberal advertising they believed in thoroughly. They were energetic competitors in the market, but never stooped to sharp practice in any form. They made money rapidly and were liberal in spending it in good works. It was no uncommon thing for Charles Merriam to draw checks for sums exceeding $1,000 at a time, for philanthropic objects. It was said that George Merriam was yet more free with his means, and the three brothers, as partners, were all agreed in their theory and practice of liberality. In religious belief all were Congregationalists and active in church work. All the brothers were men of marked individuality. Each had his peculiar characteristics. In individual traits no two were alike, yet all were alike in this, as in business qualities, that they were each

and all of them lovers of their fellow men who are everywhere instinctively and unquestioningly recognized as good men.

The Merriam family came of long-lived ancestry and they have enjoyed the reward of right living in length and happiness of years. Besides the four brothers we have mentioned there were three sisters, Dorothy, Harriet and Mary. None of them ever married. Harriet died in early womanhood, Dorothy died some years ago, and Mary is living. All of the brothers married twice, the second wife of each was a widow and three of the second wives had children by their first husbands. All the brothers had children by their first wives and George and Charles had children by their second wives. William died some years ago, leaving no surviving children. George died in 1880 and Charles this summer. Mr. Homer Merriam, at the age of 74, is still actively interested in the business of G. & C. Merriam & Co., a man of utmost liberality to all whom it is in his power to aid, and enjoying the universal respect of the business community. Lewis, still living at Greenfield, is 76. Before the present administration came into office he had been postmaster of the village for many years. He is widely known for his Christian benevolence and his earnest efforts to prevent the encroachment of business interests upon the hours of Sunday.

New ways have come into vogue in the busy half century that has passed since G. & C. Merrriam came to Springfield and some of them are not so good as the old. The railroad and the telegraph have enormously extended business opportunities, and enabled a man to live as much in the way of business accomplishment in five years as his fathers lived in thirty, but they have also introduced into work and business an element of haste and nervous excitement that is not always of advantage. The almost com-

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plete disappearance of apprenticeship is a striking illustration. Even the boy of to-day cannot wait for the results of slow and painstaking achievement. He must be rated as a full workman after the merest smattering of training. Very few are the young men now growing up in printing offices who at 21 will know the printing art in all its branches as did the Merriam boys when they were ready to start out in life for themselves. One learns to do well on plain composition, another on "ads," another on job composition, but none masters the craft as a whole. It was by no such hasty work that the foundations of the successful, useful, honorable and happy lives of the Merriam brothers were laid. Their ambitions were never permitted to outrun their ability to perform. What they did they did well. They cultivated simple tastes and found contentment in the systematic performance of daily duty, in the enjoyment of those simple pleasures that are within the reach of all, and in that best of all pleasures, work and generous giving for those who need a helping hand. More of that wise union of moderation with enterprise, of a strong sense of justice and benevolence with competitive energy, that characterized the members of this remarkable family, is needed in business life to-day. We have carried the mere restless activity of business somewhat too far. We need to cultivate those qualities without which the pecuniary rewards of business count for little.

To the foregoing account of the busy and useful lives of the Merriam brothers may be added a few facts about the great Dictionary upon which their efforts were concentrated—facts of some public interest and not heretofore generally known. The first step toward making the Dictionary a commercial success and a common household possession, was undoubtedly due to the fact that

LEWIS MERRIAM.

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the Merriams looked at the matter, in the first instance, from the standpoint of practical printers, rather than that of scholars. Dr. Webster had taken as much pride in the handsome two quarto volumes, in large type and expensive binding, in which his life work had taken material shape, as he did in the work itself; and when the Merriams proposed to condense the typography and paper, the Webster family, as has been said, thought they were making a mistake. But practical sense prevailed. The Merriams, as printers, calculated to a nicety the cost of composition and press work, and knew that they could bring the cost of production down to such a point as would permit the sale of one large quarto at $6.

In the bargains by which the Merriams became possessed of the Dictionary it was stipulated that the editor employed should be a scholar approved by Dr. Webster's family, and the choice very naturally fell on Prof. Goodrich of Yale, who was Dr. Webster's son-in-law. Yale has always been, to this day, the scholastic sponsor for the Dictionary, President Porter having been selected by Dr. Goodrich to succeed the latter as editor, and other prominent philologists of the university, notably Professor Whitney, having contributed largely of the results of their special researches to its pages.

There was an octavo edition of Webster in those early days, as now. Before the purchase of the quarto by the Merriams it was the leading large dictionary of the country, and a fact of local interest not commonly known, is, that some years previous to the purchase of the quarto by the Merriams, the plates of the octavo came into the possession of those pioneers of the paper industry in the Connecticut valley, D. & J. Ames. Several years before the Merriams

HOMER MERRIAM.

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bought the quarto they were urged by the Ameses to buy these plates of the octavo, but having only limited resources at that time, decided that their means would not justify the undertaking.

The manufacture of the quarto dictionary in Dr. Webster's time had been carried on at Hartford and it continued to be a Hartford industry at the press of Case, Tiffany & Co., later Case & Lockwood, and Case, Lockwood & Brainard, till 1864, when, after the revision of that date, the manufacture was transferred to the River-side press at Cambridge, Mass., where it remains.

When the Merriams first issued the work they sent a set of plates to London for an English edition. The arrangement then made continues with Messrs. Bell & Sons, whose sales in the English market and colonies are large. This in direct competition with the various dictionaries of English scholars.

In fact, European scholarship has always been hearty in its ac knowledgments of the merits of Webster's Dictionary. When the first edition of the leading English dictionary appeared, it stated in the preface that " Webster's Dictionary is acknowledged both in this country and in America to be not only superior to either of the two former (English dictionaries) but to every other dictionary hitherto published. It is more copious in its vocabulary, more correct in its definitions, more comprehensive in its plan, and in the etymological department it is unrivalled." Staff offi cers of the Prussian army are required to learn English, and Webster's Dictionary is prescribed.

Beyond a doubt the Merriams have been right in attributing their success in a large measure to the concentration of their efforts on one thing, and that thing large enough to demand all their time and resources. They always believed that if the Dic-

tionary had been published by a New York house having a long list of miscellaneous books to look after, it could never have attained such popular success. They regarded this one book as quite large enough and worthy enough to absorb their life work and ambitions. They put themselves into it heart and soul, watched their market closely, advertised liberally and wisely, kept the work abreast of the progress of scholarship, and reaped the rewards that wait on enterprise, careful judgment, perseverance and honorable dealing.

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MERRIAM FIRMS.

WEST BROOKFIELD, MASS.

1798—1823.

E. MERRIAM & CO.

DAN MERRIAM,

EBENEZER MERRIAM.

Publishers of The Political Repository and Farmer's Journal a weekly paper; discontinued 1801. Publishers Perry's Dictionary, Octavo Bible and several miscellaneous books. Country Book-store. Book Printers for City Publishers, especially of Law Books.

1824—1831.

E. & G. MERRIAM.

EBENEZER MERRIAM,

GEORGE MERRIAM.

Printers and Bookstore as above. Publishers of several School Books, compiled by junior partner,—Child's Guide, American Reader, Fourth Class Book, Child's Assistant.

1831—1834.

E. MERRIAM & CO.

EBENEZER MERRIAM,

EBENEZER P. MERRIAM.

1834—1841.

E. & L. MERRIAM.

EBENEZER MERRIAM.

LEWIS MERRIAM.

Printers and Bookstore, as above.

1841—1848.

MERRIAM & COOKE.

EBENEZER MERRIAM,

OLIVER S. COOKE.

MERRIAM FIRMS.

21

SPRINGFIELD, MASS.

1831.

MERRIAM, LITTLE & CO.

GEORGE MERRIAM, CHARLES MERRIAM, BENJAMIN LITTLE.

1832—1856.

G. & C. MERRIAM.

GEORGE MERRIAM,

CHARLES MERRIAM.

Printers, Booksellers, Publishers of Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, School Books, Law Books, Small Polyglott Bible, Family Bible and several miscellaneous Books.

1856—1877.

G. & C. MERRIAM.

GEORGE MERRIAM, CHARLES MERRIAM, HOMER MERRIAM.

Publishers Law Books, Webster's Unabridged and National Pictorial Dictionaries.

1877—1882.

G. & C. MERRIAM.

GEORGE MERRIAM,

HOMER MERRIAM,

AND OTHERS.

Publishers, as above.

1882—

G. & C. MERRIAM & CO.

HOMER MERRIAM,

ORLANDO M. BAKER,

H. CURTIS ROWLEY, AND OTHERS.

Publishers as above.

1837—1842.

MERRIAM, WOOD & CO.

GEORGE MERRIAM,

CHARLES MERRIAM,

JOHN M. WOOD.

Printers.

1842—1856.

MERRIAM, CHAPIN & CO.

GEORGE MERRIAM, CHARLES MERRIAM, CHARLES O. CHAPIN.

Publishers, Booksellers, Stationers.

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MERRIAM FIRMS.

GREENFIELD, MASS.

1838-1842.

W. & H. MERRIAM.

WILLIAM MERRIAM, HOMER MERRIAM,
Booksellers, Binders, and Publishers of Pocket Bibles.

1843-1845.

L. MERRIAM & CO.

LEWIS MERRIAM, J. HENRY BARDWELL.
Booksellers, Stationers and Printers.

1845.

LEWIS MERRIAM.

Bookseller and Stationer.

1846-1849.

MERRIAM & MIRICK.

LEWIS MERRIAM, CHARLES A. MIRICK.
Booksellers, Stationers and Printers.

1849-1869.

LEWIS MERRIAM.

Bookseller and Stationer.

1869-1877.

EDWIN D. MERRIAM.

Bookseller and Stationer.

1861-1882.

LEWIS MERRIAM.

Postmaster, Greenfield, Mass.

MERRIAM FIRMS.

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TROY, N. Y.

1842-1845.

W. & H. MERRIAM.

WILLIAM MERRIAM, HOMER MERRIAM.

Booksellers, Bookbinders, Publishers of Pocket Bibles, Family Bibles, Toy Books, etc.

1845-1851.

MERRIAM, MOORE & CO.

WILLIAM MERRIAM, HOMER MERRIAM,
RANSOM B. MOORE.

Booksellers, Publishers of Pocket Bibles, Family Bibles, Toy Books, etc. Manufacturers of Globes.

1851-1853.

MERRIAM & MOORE.

1853-1856.

MERRIAM, MOORE & CO.

HOMER MERRIAM, RANSOM B. MOORE.
HENRY B. NIMS.