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The Publishers' Weekly.

FOUNDED BY F. LEYPOLDT.

FEBRUARY 12, 1898.

The editor does not hold himself responsible for the views expressed in contributed articles or communications. All matter, whether for the reading-matter columns or advertising pages, should reach this office not later than Wednesday noon, to insure insertion in the same week's

issue.

Books for the "Weekly Record," as well as all information intended for that department, must reach this office by Tuesday morning of each week.

Publishers are requested to furnish title-page proofs and advance information of books forthcoming, both for entry in the lists and for descriptive mention. An early copy of each book published should be forwarded, as it is of the utmost importance that the entries of books be made as promptly and as perfectly as possible. In many cases booksellers depend on the WEEKLY solely for their information. The Record of New Publications of

THE PUBLISHERS' WEEKLY is the material of "The American Catalogue" and so forms the basis of all trade bibliography in the United States.

club meets this "reader" has ready a synopsis of certain new books (selected either by herself or at the request of the members of the club,) with ready-made opinions upon them, a few choice anecdotes culled for quotation, etc.

The real object of these "Listener Clubs" seems to be to provide their constituencies with fresh material for conversation to avoid gossip and platitudes, and above all, to make it possible, with little expenditure of the individual member's own time, to appear "literary" in discussing current literature, rather than to provide education on given subjects.

Whether the "autocrat's" dream would have been realized by becoming a member of one of these "Listener's Clubs " is rather doubtful, and whether the literary tea" that is being brewed from a single copy of a book can be full of sustenance for many listeners, we also cannot judge. It looks at first sight as if it were another mode of reading borrowed books, that already is a habit which curtails sales and acts detrimentally to the morals of the public and

“I hold every man a debtor to his profession, upon the profits of bookseller and publisher.

from the which, as men do of course seek to receive countenance and profit, so ought they of duty to endeavor themselves by way of amends to be a help and an ornament thereunto."-LORD BACON.

"LITERARY TEAPOTS."

However, extremes meet, and, perhaps, what at first would seem calculated to decrease the sale of books may act in a contrary manner. If the hired reader does his work well he

it.

may offer suggestions that may awaken a desire in certain of his constituents to read for themselves, and he may thus be the means of bringing into direct contact with good litIT has long been recognized that in these erature people who would perhaps not otherdays of rush and breathless hurry it is impos-wise have means of becoming acquainted with sible for the ordinary mortal to keep himself A really good "brewer" of "literary tea" acquainted with even the cream of the ever- might, therefore, prove a valuable coadjutor for a bookseller. increasing yearly output of books and other As only good books are to be printed matter. Nevertheless there is a desire "steeped" for consideration, this fact in itself on the part of many to keep up to date in all holds promise of improved taste and things, which a practical spirit has planned in a reading. measure to satisfy.

Many years ago the genial "autocrat of the breakfast-table" longed for "a person whose sole business should be to read day and night," and present to him the result of the reading. In his own inimitable wording Dr. Holmes declared, "If I were a prince I would hire a private literary teapot, in which I would steep all the leaves of new books that promised well. The infusion would do for me without the vegetable fibre."

Acting upon this hint societies to provide such a "literary teapot" have actually been formed

in busy New York. These societies are known as "Listener's Clubs," They are maintained by the payment of small dues which go to a reader (generally a woman), with the under

standing that her time is given up entirely to the work of condensing books. When the

PIRACY IN HOLLAND.

more

THE Börsenblatt in a recent issue prints noteworthy communication in the Deutsche the following note: "We find the following Wochenzeitung in den Niederlanden, No. 48: It is notorious that there are many publishers in Holland who make a business of pirating compositions or literary productions of foreign authors and trafficking in them, since they are not bound by the Berne Convention. Hitherto the injured parties conceived that the law of the Netherlands permitted such industry. German parties interested in the matter satisfied themselves with doubling their fists in their pockets; their French colleagues, on the contrary, act more energetically. They seem to have found a road leading to justice at the hand of an advocate versed in Dutch

law-giving, and they follow this road, and so

several Dutch firms have to await their condemnation or acquittal.'"

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FLEMING H. REVELL COMPANY. APROPOS of the formal opening this_month of its handsome new quarters in the Presby-show-case, and the lower half on the inner side terian Building at 158 Fifth Avenue, corner of Twentieth Street, New York, by the Fleming H. Revell Company, which marks also, approximately, the twenty-fifth anniversary of the business career of its founder, it may not be out of place to touch briefly on the progress of this firm from its modest beginning in 1872 until the present day.

The founder of the firm, Fleming H. Revell, was born December 12, 1849, in a house on Washington Street, in Chicago, which was then little more than a frontier settlement. Mr. Revell is the descendant of a French family that had been settled for some time in England, and he is the youngest of his family and the only one that was born in this country. In September, 1872, he married Miss Josephine Barbour, of Romeo, Mich. He has two children, a daughter and a son-the fourth Fleming. He is related to Dwight L. Moody, who married Mr. Revell's sister, Miss Emma Revell. Mr. Revell's first business venture was the publication of Everybody's Paper, which gained at once a very large circulation-145,000 copies in two years. In 1871 he went on his first business trip to Great Britain, and during his absence his business was almost completely destroyed by the disastrous fire of that year. Mr. Revell returned immediately, and the publication of the paper was suspended for but one issue. In 1872 he sold the periodical and began publishing, bookselling, and importing. His first venture of any importance was the importation of various religious works from Great Britain, among them the teacher's Bibles in circuit bindings, which were quite a new departure at that time on this side of the water. His first publishing ventures were a few booklets and tracts. From that small beginning has been developed the present business, which is represented by a catalogue containing over 1000 titles, including important works in a large variety of depart

ments.

In 1886 Mr. Revell established an Eastern branch in New York, in small quarters in the American Tract Society building on Nassau Street. The growth of this Eastern house can perhaps be best judged by its steady requirements of larger quarters. In their original office they had but 850 square feet of floor space. At 12 Bible House, to which they removed in 1888, they had 1800 square feet, at 30 Union Square (1890-1893), they had 3500 square feet, and at 112 Fifth Avenue, to which they removed in 1893, they had 6500 square feet. In five years their business grew to such an extent that these quarters became too small, ani so they have taken the store and basement in the north wing of the Presbyterian Building, where they have 8500 square feet. For the past ten years the New York house has been under the able management of S. Edgar Briggs, who came from Toronto early in 1888 to take charge of it.

The new store is one of the most attractive uptown, and is quietly and tastefully fitted up. The walls are tinted in delicate shades of green, and the shelving and furniture are of antique oak. A series of show-cases for Bibles, Prayer-Books, and fine bindings has been specially constructed and combined in a unique

way. There are four of these cases which form a complete hollow square. Each case is about 3 feet high, half of which space on top forms the is shelved to hold the surplus stock. One section is mounted on rollers, and is arranged to open so as to afford admission to the salesman behind the cases. There are two entrances to the store—one from the street on Fifth Avenue, and one from the vestibule of the Presbyterian Building, which gives them also two show-windows and ample light. The centre of the store receives a flood of light from a large skylight. In the front of the store a space has been set apart as a reading or waiting room, where patrons may at their leisure read, or write letters. In the rear a large private room has been fitted up, where ministers or other Christian workers may meet for conference. In the high, welllighted basement, 150 feet deep, is the wholesale stock of the publications of the firm. Every provision in the way of shelving for cuts, books, etc., has been made. In a recess under the stairway they have put up the entire shelving used by them when they first started. It forms about a hundredth part of the shelving now needed for their business.

The Revell Company is unique in one respect in that its publications are manufactured, some in Chicago and quite as many in New York. Ten years ago not a single book was issued from New York; now its Eastern manufacturing department has to care for over four hundred titles.

In 1891 Mr. Revell formed the company which bears his name, the better to conserve his growing interests. The company is a close corporation, only those directly interested in the working of the business being associated with Mr. Revell. The present directors are: Fleming H. Revell, President; Alexander McConnell, Secretary; S. Edgar Briggs, Managing Director New York house; and George H. Doran.

In 1893 the company acquired, by purchase, the business of the Toronto Willard Tract Depository, thereby securing a branch house in the neighboring Dominion and assuring closer European connections.

A comprehensive description of the company's business is given in the statement that it deals distinctly in religious publications, and that these are uniformly of an "Evangelical " type. Its history, more than that of any other house, seems to prove that, although it may be believed by some that "Evangelical" religion is losing its hold upon the world, in point of fact it apparently never had so strong and so rapidly increasing a hold upon mankind as at present. For example, the house has issued large and repeated editions of Mr. Moody's books, Dr. Gordon's, Mr. Spurgeon's, Mr. Murray's, and Mr. Meyer's, as well as such publications as "The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life,"

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Probable Sons." etc. Such books as these have sold in large numbers - ranging from 25,000 to 150,000 copies each. Among the other notable contributors to the Revell catalogue are: Isabella L. Bird Bishop, Sir J. William Dawson, Prof. Henry Drummond, Prof. A. H. Sayce, Prof. Flinders Petrie, Prof. J. Rendel Harris, Prof. R. F. Weidner, Rev. Theo. L. Cuyler, Rev. Alfred Edersheim, and Rev. Charles H. Parkhurst.

The field of "Missions" also has special åt

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