of the proper post-office address to be given to the matter, if the post-office is known to the postmaster at the mailing office. If not, the sender should be advised to write to the nearest division superintendent of railway mail service for the necessary information. If a letter is returned to the sender for better direction after the stamps thereon have been cancelled, it should be forwarded, when redirected, without additional charge for postage." It should be recalled that the Department has, since the original order, specifically stated that "When postmasters and employees of the railway mail service know that matter deposited in their offices for mailing, addressed to a city without the name of the State being given, is intended for the principal city of that name, being, for instance, addressed to a well-known citizen, firm, newspaper, or institution of such principal city, or to a street and number which could only be found therein, it should be for warded as directed in section 467." This obviates the difficulty which resulted so unfortunately in the cases cited above. It may be added that in the New York Post-Office two of the most expert clerks, with a complete library of directories, shipping lists, etc., etc., for the entire country, are kept constantly busy filling out or correcting all imperfect addresses which can be positively verified. The carelessness and stupidity thus quietly set right is extraordinary, and it is noteworthy that the most careless class in this particular are the banks! If a letter comes directed to John Smith, 100 Jones Street, Springfield, and the Springfield, Illinois, directory contains such a man at such a number, he gets his letter, although there are a dozen Springfields in the country; and no to be written to, and the delay of Dead Letter Office red tape will not do. Sometimes the local, the railroad, and the postal names of a considerable village will be different, or, as in the case of the town of Sprague, Ct., with its post-offices Baltic and Hanover, there may be no post-office of the town name, and yet half of the letters will be so directed. It is absolutely impossible to get ignorant people to recognize these distinctions. When this destination is evident, the letter should be transmitted, and the local postmasters, under proper tally, be authorized to forward, if necessary, from the one office to the other. If it is evident within certain limitations (as that it is one or another place in the State), it seems to us the Division authorities should decide-making virtually the desideratum of a Division dead letter office, such as the New York Post-Office runs for itself. Logically the Department is right, but shall it insist that John Smith shall not have his letter because there are so many John Smiths, and that all John Smiths but one in a place shall change their names? Nevertheless, it must not be overlooked that the intention of the order was a good one, and it is not fair because of incidental mistakes to forget the record of the present postal administration. The order was in part necessary, and ultimately only the necessary part is likely to remain in force. MR. LEYPOLDT desires to give notice that, through mistakes of the binders, some imperfect order of the Department interferes with this copies of the Trade List Annual were sent out, useful practice. The Department, it will thus be seen, is simply trying to correct an evil that needs to be corrected. We think it has bungled in its method, and is even now attempting too much. It is not possible to go too far in attempting to teach the public. A certain amount of ignorance and of carelessness must be admitted and provided for, and the service will only suffer, and the post-offices be blocked if this fact is not taken into account. The postal clerks are indeed an abused race; the public presumes upon their good nature frightfully; and the patience and ingenuity with which they have responded have made them worthy of a niche in fame alongside that of the patient Griselde. The Department is right in endeavoring to lighten their work, and so both economize and increase efficiency, and in offering to publishers of newspapers to furnish correct post-office addresses of all subscribers it is doing an exceedingly good thing. But it is not possible to reach every man who writes a letter, or every man who is expecting and it is not known but that some such may still be in the hands of subscribers. If, on collating the lists with the index, any copy is found to be imperfect, it will be at once exchanged for a perfect copy, charges paid. POSTAL MATTERS. THE following reply of the Postmaster-General to Senator Anthony refers to the much-discussed order as to "locals." (See editorial.) POST-OFFICE DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON, D. C., Oct. 21, 1879. S MY DEAR SIR : Your note of Oct. 17th was received on Saturday. I am glad to inform you that the order is now better understood, and is working well. No complaints have been received outside of New England. Your suggestion in regard to change of names is being acted upon wherever it appears necessary, and greater care will be exercised hereafter in the selection of names for new post-offices, and in changing the names of offices already established. Very truly, D. M. KEY, Postmaster-General. Hon. H. B. ANTHONY, Providence, R. I. INCREASING PRICES. NEW YORK, October 14, 1879. Resolved, That an advance of not less than five per cent on present prices of blank-books shall be made, to take effect November 1st, 1879, and that a joint notice be issued to the trade by those agreeing to this action, who shall be bound thereby. On account of recent advances in materials used in the manufacture of our goods, we have found it necessary to take the action above indicated. BOORUM & PEASE, "REFORM IN BOOKMAKING." THE blank-book manufacturers of this city Oct. 14th discusses the points of manufacture UNDER the above head, the Evening Post of have issued the following circular: treated in our editorial of Oct. 11th, and comes to the conclusion that the best plan "is to print artificially whitened and especially not glazed. school-books upon paper of natural color, not Such paper has a distinctly yellowish tint, and the absence of glazing from its surface effectually prevents the reflection of light in a hurtful glare." It goes on to say: But the glare of children's eyes found in the school-books of white paper is not the only agency of injury to our time. The use of unduly small type inIn this sufficiently leaded is also common. been founded upon the misconception that matter the rule of the publishers has too often type large enough to be read easily by grown folk is large enough for children's use. It is forgotten that the act of reading as performed by a grown person is another and a much easier thing than the act of reading as performed by a child. Men and women permit the eye to run along the lines of a book, recognizing the words by their general outline, and helping even this exercise of the eyes by the use of the context as a guide; children at first have to pick out each letter, and when they have got beyond the necessity of doing that, they still must look much more closely at each word than grown readers do, following the letters more fully and straining the sight greatly more. Doing this where fine type is used must almost certainly injure the sight, and it would not be going too far if school boards would resolutely exclude from their lists of text-books all books in any part of which smaller type than ordinary brevier is used, and all books any part of which is printed without leads between the lines. Many of the arithmetics in use are gross offenders in this way, particularly where fractions are used. LIEBENROTH, VON AUW & Co., THE NEW YORK BLANK-BOOK Co.. J. G. SHAW BLANK-BOOK Co. THE Northwestern paper manufacturers have recently held a consultation in Chicago, at which it was decided that the present cost of manufacture and the increased demand justified an increase of 7 to 10 per cent on the prices of book and news papers. A further meeting is to be held next Wednesday. PROF. MORLEY'S ENGLISH SERIES CASSELL, PETTER, GALPIN & Co. will have ready presently the fourth volume, on "Shorter Prose Writings," of Prof. Henry Morley's Library of English Literature." Prof. Moses Coit Tyler's abridgment and rearrangement of Prof. Morley's "First Sketch of English Liter ature," recently published here, has called out, in The Times, of London, a letter of complaint from the London publishers. They claim that by the use of Prof. Morley's name on the titlepage, "he is made to sanction the conversion of his book into a shape which, in his prepara tion of it, he studiously avoided giving it." Prof. Morley, in a letter to Messrs. Cassell, says: "I have looked carefully through Prof. Tyler's abridgment and rearrangement of my 'First Sketch of English Literature,' and find that he has done most courteously and skilfully what the American appropriators of our copyright proposed to him to do, but as the thing proposed was to deprive my book of its most characteristic features and reduce it to that form of conventional hand-book from which it was specially designed to give teachers and students a way of escape, I need not say that I should have prevented such a reconstruction if copyright laws had given me power to do so." It was generally understood that this reworking had Prof. Morley's sanction, and as Prof. Tyler is one of the most straightforward of men, some explanation will doubtless be given. "Thin paper is less commonly used in schoolbooks than small type, but there are schoolbooks in use in which the paper is not quite opaque, and every such book is to be condemned. Another point of greater moment than at first appears is a fault common to many books of all classes, namely, the narrowness of inner margins. The width of an outer margin is a matter of very little importance indeed, while it is highly important that the inner maigins shall be wide enough to permit every part of every page to lie at a right angle to the reader's eye. Without this the book is inconvenient, and reading is positively hurtful to the sight. Yet publishers frequently neglect this important matter. They lavish paper sometimes upon broad margins, but it is with outer margins chiefly that they concern themselves. The best that they do for us, commonly, is to print the text in the middle of the leaf, making the margins equal in width on the unbound sheet. When the sheets are collected and bound the margins are practically no longer equal, and the inner one is too narrow. As examples of what we mean, let the reader look at Sharkey's Mate to Mate,' published by the Putnams, or at the new edition of The Life of Franklin,' published by Lippincott, or at Sarah de Berenger, from Roberts Brothers' press. These are well-made books, from houses whose uniform practice it is to make their books well, yet with no one of them is it possible so to open the book that the pages shall lie flat with the inner ends of the lines at a right angle to the line of vision, without injuring the books. All of these books would be better if the printed matter in them had been placed a quarter or, even a half inch nearer the outer edges of the pages. We mention these particular books not as exceptional, but as ordinary examples of the books of our time, choosing them rather than others merely because they happen to lie at hand. "All of these matters are more important in the case of school-books than in that of books for grown readers, but there is no good reason why all books should not be printed upon opaque, unglazed, and not too white paper, with clear, open type, and with the matter so placed that the pages may lie flat to the ends of all the lines." COMMUNICATIONS. A RIGHT MOVE. NEW YORK, Oct. 18, 1879. THE Stationers' Board of Trade announce a manufacturers' advance of five per cent on blank-books, on the first of November. Amen! This is the first sign of absolute progress that we have seen for many a day, and it is a blessed thing that even those who hold an indirect connection with the book-trade and book-buyer "the publishers do." Some time ago we Country booksellers are heartily tired of "shaking the bush," by buying samples of new books as fast as published for those who ought to be their customers to look over and make out their memorandums from, and thus having the publishers and their allies (the 99c. stores and butcher shops and dry goods clerks) "catch the birds" by getting all their orders, most of which would be given at home, where they belong, but for the reasons given above. For years we have given 10 per cent off on all miscellaneous books, and where anything of an order was made 15 to 20 per cent, and yet the constant cry is, We can do better," and this, too, from parties we cannot help believing. 44 What can we do? is the question we would respectfully ask you to solve. Wishing your efforts for the benefit of the trade all the success they deserve, and that your profits may always be reasonably large, Very respectfully yours, we remain JOURNALISTIC NOTES. * Brentano's Aquatic Monthly and Sporting Gazetteer, devoted to the interest of all pastimes by field and water, has been reduced in price believe that the time has come to secure a living profit. Would that the spirit might reach the book publisher and the book-dealer! Alas, the small sum of five per cent is a matter beyond the consideration of our generous-hearted guild! We always stand ready to give away, without being asked, not only five per cent, but ten, or twenty! Is it because we are so rich, or because we are ignorant of the first principles of political economy? Let every one of us figure up the business of any one of the last five years, and how readily it will be THE Atlantic portrait for 1880 is to be a fine seen that five per cent more of profit would life-size picture of Dr. Holmes. If all the readhave made us happy and sound. O for the day ers of the Atlantic and all admirers of the dewhen the bookseller shall have as much back-lightful "Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table" orbone as the men who make blank-books; when we shall learn to be just as well as generous, and not belittle our calling by an unwise cheapening of our wares. OLD FOGY. MORE OF THEM. N. Y., Oct. 13, 1879. to 25 cents per number. der it, the printers will have plenty of work for months to come. St. Nicholas is proving a modern Alexander, and will soon sigh for new worlds to conquer. An edition in French has been arranged for by a Paris publisher. The illustrations and cover will remain as in the American edition, as also most of the matter. "Baby Days," the book for little folks made up from the magazine, is F. Leypoldt, 15 Park Row, N. Y.: to appear in Arabia. A new volume of St. DEAR SIR: Doubtless you think it strange Nicholas begins with the forthcoming number, that we have not been more ready to invest in and wider margins, thicker paper, twenty-eight your Literary News as a medium of adver- additional pages, two frontispieces, and a redtising, and a prospective means of increasing line title-page for the new volume are anour book trade; but the simple truth is that nounced as new improvements. we, like most country booksellers, can see THE first number of The American Art Relittle or no encouragement in advertising books view, a journal devoted to the practice, theory, almost exclusively for the benefit of the pub-history, and archæology of art,, will be publishers. lished by Estes & Lauriat, of Boston, next week. Its managing editor is Mr. S. R. Koehler, long associated with Messrs. L. Prang & Co., and a very competent gentleman for editor; with William C. Prime, LL. D., of New York, and Charles C. Perkins, of Boston, as associate editors. It is to be a quarto, about 9× 12; and the initial number will contain three etchings, several fine wood engravings, and articles of the first interest to students and lovers of art. LITERARY AND TRADE NOTES. 46 APPLETONS' Dictionary of New York and Vicinity" may be expected shortly. contributor to St. Nicholas. The publishers claim that no more elegant or interesting juvenile book has ever been issued from the American press." It certainly will take its THE third volume of Bryant and Gay's" Pop-place on sight among the most desirable holiday ular History of the United States," which covers books of the coming season. the Colonial period, is very nearly ready at Chas. Scribner's Sons. HENRY HOLT & Co. have nearly ready the first volume of their larger educational series, the American Science Series, which will be one of the most important lines of text-books and general manuals yet published in this country. They are intended both for the student and for readers. The initial volume is on "Astronomy," by Prof. Simon Newcomb, of Washington, who is most capable for the work. ener's Greek Testament, important to clergymen and students, is also nearly ready. WE have made some experiments with "The Marvel Copyist," manufactured by I. K. Funk & Co., 21 and 23 Barclay Street, and find that at least 100 good copies can be made from one letter. With heavy and careful writing, we are inclined to think, the 200 impressions spoken of can in fact be taken. The only difficulty is that of removing the ink from the gelatine surface without roughening, but this at the wors! is obviated by heating the gelatine and allow Scriving it to cool as an even surface, which it does perfectly. The "Marvel" is of one size only, which takes any paper up to foolscap. copyists are an application of the material used in the heliotype process, and are said to have originated in Vienna. These MR. E. C. STEDMAN has just returned from Europe very much benefited by his six months' vacation. He had a delightful time in England, where he visited the haunts of the dead poets THE season for Christmas cards is approachand the homes of the living. Mr. Stedmaning, and retailers will do well to lay in their brings with him a volume of Austin Dobson's poems, which will be published here, and for which he will write a preface. Mr. Dobson is best known by his vers de société; the new volume, however, drops that style, though it is light and dainty, and treats of the "teacup time of hood and hoop."-Herald. THE series of Philosophical Classics for English Readers," which Messrs. Blackwood announce and which Prof. Knight is to edit, comprises "Berkeley," by Prof. Fraser, of Edinburgh; “ Butler," by Rev. Canon W. L. Collins; Descartes," by Prof. Mahaffy;"Hamilton," by Prof. Veitch; " Hegel," by Prof. Edward Caird; " Hobbes," by Prof. Croom Robertson; Hume," by the editor; Kant," by Mr. William Wallace, of Merton College, Oxford; "Spinoza," by Dr. Martineau; and "Vico," by Prof. Flint. Arrangements are in progress for other volumes dealing with Bacon, Locke, Leibnitz, Fichte, and Comte. stock in good time. Among the largest pro- and brilliant and beautiful combinations of CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS issue this week the two volume large octavo "History of the Rise of the Huguenots in France," by Prof. Henry M. Baird, of the University of New York. This new work is one of the most important contributions to religious history which has been produced in this country, covering in detail the half century which includes the formative period of French Protestantism. Á set of plates has already been sold for an English edition. They have also ready the volume by Newman Smyth, on "Old Faiths in a New Light," in which by the latest scientific views he seeks to confirm and emphasize "old-fashioned" belief in the Bible and in the Messiah; and a neat pamphlet WE have received specimen plates from the new issue, projected by Prof. C. E. Norton, of Fac-similes of Thirty-three Etchings from Turner's Liber Studiorum," printed by the heliotype process, on paper specially manufactured and imported from France for the purpose. This great work of Turner's will remain one of the most admirable series of models for art students possible, and will have also an abiding interest for art amateurs. Pains have been taken to secure exceptional excellence in the fac-similes, and every impression has been carefully in-containing the address on Chinese immigration spected, that no imperfect plate be issued. This result is a notable triumph for the Heliotype Company, for the reproductions are indeed remarkable. The price to subscribers is $15, and there should be some sale for these through the trade. ESTES & LAURIAT have ready their "Zigzag Journeys in Europe: Vacation Rambles in Historic Lands," by Hezekiah Butterworth, a book for young people on the plan of Toepffer's Voyage en Zigzag, being the experiences of an American tutor and his pupils travelling in England and France in search of historic scenes and picturesque views. The work is all that was promised rich in illustrations, excellent in its mechanical parts, and full of interest in the text, which is from the pen of a frequent which Professor S. Wells Williams, of Yale College, read before the Social Science Association at Saratoga last summer. This house reports that Froude's "Cæsar," published on May 17th last, has just been sent to the press for the eighth time. CHARLES T. DILLINGHAM, 678 BROADWAY, N. Y. Fowler's Women of the American Frontier. Pub. Hartford. Brownson's Quarterly Review, 1873. Huntingdon's Sermons on the Prayer-book. Pub. Phila. Blake's Manners and Customs of all Nations. World Pub. Christian Legacy, with Appendix, by Jackson. Ill. Pub. U. P. JAMES, 117 RACE ST., CINCINNATI, O. 5 copies Barber, Jonathan, Grammar of Elocution. Hart- JANSEN, MCCLURG & Co., 117 & 119 STATE ST., CHICAGO. Ticknor, Spanish Literature, last ed. Allen (Ethan), Reason the only Oracle. Bennington, 1784. W. W. SWAYNE, 266 FULTON ST., BROOKLYN. T. WHITTAKER, 2 AND 3 BIBLE HOUSE, N. Y. Percival's Roman Schism. Adam's Elements of Christian Science. 8°. Palmer on the Church of Christ. Third edition, 2 vols., 8°. Zschokke's Meditations on Death and Eternity. 12°. Hawks on the Constitution and Canons of the Church. YOHN BROTHERS, INDIANAPOLIS, IND. Encyclopædia Americana, v. 1, 2, 12, 8°, shp. JOHN E. REARDON, LITTLE ROCK, ARK. Simeon's Works, Hora Homileticæ, 20 vols., oct. London, 1840. BOOKS FOR SALE OR EXCHANGE. A. hand school-books. S. CLARK, 66 Nassau St., N. Y., dealer in secondBack numbers of 56,789 different periodicals for sale cheap. BUSINESS FOR SALE. Best location in a city of 10,000 inhabitants in Maryland. Stock about $1500. Owner has other business. Address "Franklin," care of PUBLISHERS' WEEKLY, New York city. BOOK and stationery store. ABOOK-STORE in a lively western town of 5000 inhabi tants; stock in tip-top shape, worth about $3500. Address "Haworth," care PUBLISHERS' WEEKLY. HE stock of books, stationery, paper-hangings and fixBrothers, Elmira, N. Y. (established in 1842). Offered solely because of the continued ill-health of present proprietor. Terms favorable to purchaser. CATALOGUE OF NEWSPAPERS, ETC. UR 10th revised catalogue of American and foreign newspapers and magazines, with wholesale prices to the trade. will be ready about October 1. Send your address for it to THE SUBSCRIPTION NEWS Co., Chicago, 99 Ashland Block; P. O. Box 2085, New York. MESSRS. D. APPLETON & CO. WILL CLOSE OUT Their Entire Stock of Bibles, PRAYER-BOOKS, AND HYMNALS AT SPECIAL RATES. The stock offered consists of Standard English and American Editions in all the popular styles, in various bindings. . Catalogues ready; sent on application, post-paid. D. APPLETON & CO., Publishers, New York. |