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S C R I B N E R ' S M A G A Z I N E Important ... - Rparchives.org

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f He CHRISTIAN NATION,<br />

Vol. S9.<br />

A G R E A T P U B L I S H I N G H O U S E .<br />

A general publ shing house is some^<br />

thing more than a business enterprise.<br />

Its influences upon intellectual development<br />

makes it a force in social progress,<br />

and gives it the significance of<br />

a public institution. And on this account<br />

lis aeveiopment is not a matter<br />

of interest only to officers, stockholders<br />

and employees, but to everybody.<br />

The occupation of a new ten-story<br />

building on Fitth avenue, at 48th<br />

street, marked the sixty-sixth year in<br />

the history of CHARLES SCRIBNER'S<br />

SONS, publishers and booksellers. In<br />

Its earliest years, the house issued,<br />

among other boolis, Headley's "NA-<br />

POLLOX AND HIS MARSHALS,"<br />

::nd "WASHINGTON AND HIS GEN­<br />

ERALS"—books by no means out ol<br />

print as yet—and its rapid expansion<br />

Irom that time on has given it such<br />

a position that few houses in this or<br />

any country can be said so completely<br />

to represent the industry of ptiblishing;<br />

for in the case of most houses<br />

only one, two, or three branches have<br />

sprung from the main trunk, but in<br />

•Jtand under the main head of "Tra-<br />

•-e!," The section, "Literature," including<br />

then to reveal the workings of those<br />

450 titles, is divided in the forces that direct national progress<br />

case of England and America into the in all its phases.<br />

subjects, "General Works," "Drama," How far they have succeeded is suggested<br />

the case of CHARLES by the fact that SCRIBNER'S<br />

SCRIBNER'S "Essays," "Poetry," "Humor and Satire;"<br />

but translations listed under<br />

SONS, all branches:—they carry on<br />

a retcTjI store, issue a magazine, im­tbport name of their particular country<br />

has published such stories as "They,"<br />

".007" and "Wireless," by Rudyard<br />

foreign books, and manufacture represent the literature of France, Kipling; "Gallegher," "The Other<br />

and publish subscriptions, religious, Gei many, Greece, Italy, Persia, Woman," "The Bar S-Uister," and<br />

educational and general books. Kusfcia, Scandinavia, and Span, A 'The Consul," by Richard Harding<br />

Each of these lines of growth has corresponding variety of novels falls Davis; "Bessie Costrell," by Mrs,<br />

its social significance in showing the under the main head of "Fiction," Perhaps<br />

no house is stronger in the line<br />

trend of intellectual development in<br />

the nat.on; you could trace in the of mus'c; the list contains books on<br />

succeeding religious publications the the orchestra, the piano and <strong>org</strong>a'i,<br />

tendencies of theological thonght, of the stringed instruments, and vocal<br />

Humphrey Ward; "The Duchess at<br />

m.ethods of teaching in the education­<br />

and band music. In natural science,<br />

al. But to the run ot people the line<br />

of general publications is the most<br />

interesting; and in this the present<br />

strength of the house may be gauged<br />

ly the living authors whose books it<br />

publishes:—among novelists, J. M.<br />

Marrie, John Galsworthy, Edith Wharton,<br />

John Fox, Thomas Nelson Page,<br />

A, E, W, iMason, Henry James, Ge<strong>org</strong>e<br />

W, Cable, Frederick Palmer, Jesse<br />

Lynch Williams, Maurice Hewlett,<br />

Henry Van Dyke, E, W, Hornung,<br />

James B, Connolly, L, Allen Harker,<br />

Gouvenetir Morris, Rchard Harding<br />

Davis; among critics ol literature<br />

and the arts, W. C, Brownell, John<br />

C, Van Dyke, Sidney Lee, Brander<br />

Matthews, James Huneker, Kenyon<br />

Cox, Royal Cortisoz, Barrett AVendell;<br />

among sportsman-naturalists, Ernest<br />

Thompson Seton, Dwight W, Huntington,<br />

Daniel C. Beard, Theodore Roosevelt,<br />

Wm, T, Hornaday, Charles Sheldon,'<br />

Emlyn M, Gill; among philosophical<br />

writers, John Grier Hibben, Rudolf<br />

Eucken, Ge<strong>org</strong>e Santayana,<br />

Ge<strong>org</strong>e Trumbell Ladd, Josiah Royce:<br />

among historians, Charles Seignobop,<br />

Admiral Chadwick, Alphonse Aulard,<br />

General Francis Vinton Greene, General<br />

Ge<strong>org</strong>e B, Gordon, Frank Frost Abbott,<br />

E, Benjamin Andrews; amon-i<br />

publicists, Francis E, Leupp, Frederick<br />

C. Howe, Frederck J, Stimson, Arthur<br />

Ge<strong>org</strong>e Sedgewick, Charles W.<br />

Elliott, Nicholas Murray Butler, Pric^<br />

Collier', J. Lawrence Laughlip; among<br />

tributions on the flne arts run the<br />

scale from abstract discussions 'of<br />

wbat art is, to expositions of the pract<br />

ce of silver and gold work, through<br />

works on architecture, drawing, engraving,<br />

photography, sculpture. In<br />

the list of gardening books can be<br />

found authoritative explanations of all<br />

easily practicable forms of garden<br />

from the more familiar to "The Rock<br />

and Water Garden," So strong is the<br />

line of sociological writings that it is<br />

necessarily broken into such smaller<br />

subjects as commerce, crime, customs,<br />

economics, law, and political science.<br />

In history there is a wide range of<br />

works dealing with this country, with<br />

eveiy Eropean and Asiatic nation but<br />

tbe most insignificant, as well as with<br />

Africa, Oceanica, and South America;<br />

and descript.ve works, practical and<br />

artistic, of a corresponding range<br />

the field of astronomy, biology, botany,<br />

geology, physics, and zoology are<br />

veil represented; in philosophy "those<br />

of ethics, logic, physcology, and philosophy<br />

proper; in useful arts, tho.iS<br />

of agriculture, domestic economy,<br />

manufacturins, mechanical trades,<br />

medicines, and veterinary medicine.<br />

This is not to mention the collection<br />

of religious works to the number of<br />

727; or educafonal to the number oi<br />

252.<br />

Such a list represents flrst of ail,<br />

attention prolonged and incessant;<br />

chance is a small factor in a publislier's<br />

success.<br />

Yet chance had something to do<br />

with the founding of the house, for<br />

Mr. Charles Scribner, father of the<br />

present head, had already begun a<br />

career n law in 1846. His health led<br />

bim to abandon it, and his love of literature<br />

turned him toward the making<br />

of books. His firstoffices as publisher<br />

were a part of the chapel of<br />

the Old Brick Church at the sorner of<br />

Xaesau street and Park Row; very<br />

simple offices from which were issued<br />

Headley's books, the novels and essays<br />

of Nathaniel P. Willis, and a<br />

little later, Donald G. Mtchell's "Reveries<br />

ol a Bachelor," "Dream Life,"<br />

and those other charming volumes of<br />

business, was well qualified to co-operate<br />

Stag," by Ernest Thompson Seton;<br />

iu making the llrm he represent­<br />

ed Ameucan Publisher in small editions<br />

"Newly -Discovered Personal Records<br />

of Lewis aud Clark," by Reuben Gold<br />

of wliat was most valuable in Thwaites, and "Mexican Explora­<br />

lo.eign book productions, and in giving<br />

tions," by Carl Lumholtz; such art<br />

Its retail department the high studies as those on "iBritish Painters,"<br />

place it now holds in dealing in rare by Cosmo Monkhouse; on Contemporary<br />

ai.d beautiiui editions,<br />

Painting by P. G. Hamertou;<br />

'this venture mto the field of importing,<br />

immediately preceded the<br />

war; a larger one immediately followed<br />

it. So sound had been the SCRIB­<br />

NER policy, that in spite of the shock<br />

to busmess that came from four years<br />

of fighting, Mr, Scribner announced<br />

fhe publication of a magazine in 1865,<br />

Ent tied "HOURS AT HOME" and deiLciibed<br />

as "A Family Magazine," it<br />

was primitive if measured by modern<br />

stanaards; but of its conception, ttie<br />

pie.^ent SCRIBNERS Magazine is the<br />

complete expression. Its aim was not<br />

to comment on superflcial contemporary<br />

events of politics, society and<br />

business, but firstto advance an interest<br />

in literature and the arts, and<br />

Prayer," "The Pretext," and "Ethan<br />

Frome," by Edith Wharton; "The Oak<br />

of Geismar," "The Blue Flower," and<br />

"Half-Told Tales," by Henry van<br />

Dyke; "The Perfect Tribute," by<br />

Mary R, S, Andrews; "Rebecca<br />

Stories," by Kate Douglas Wiggins;<br />

"The Magic Ring," and "A Saga of<br />

the Seas," by Kenneth Grahame; "Elsket,"<br />

"The Burial of the Guns,"<br />

"How the Captain Alade Christmas,"<br />

by Thomas Nelson Page; "Stories of<br />

a Western Town," by Octave Thanet;<br />

"A Bachelor's Christmas," and "An<br />

Eye for an Eye," by Robert Grant;<br />

"The Raffles Stories," by E, W, Hornung;<br />

"The Stolen Story," by Jessie<br />

Lynch Williams; "The Goddesses from<br />

fhe Mafhine," by Josephine Daskani<br />

Bacon; "Dawn" and "The Wages of<br />

Honor," by Katharine Holtand Brown;<br />

"College Girl Stories," by Carter Good-<br />

Ice; "The Master of the Inn," by Robert<br />

Herrick; such novels as "The<br />

Amaziig Marriage," by Ge<strong>org</strong>e Meredith;<br />

"Sentimental Tommy," "Tommy<br />

and Grizel," and "The Little AVhite<br />

Bird," by J, M, Barre; "The House<br />

of Mirth,'' and the "Customs of the<br />

Country," by Edith Wharton; "The<br />

Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come,"<br />

"The Trail of the Lonesome Pine,"<br />

and "The Heart of the Hills," by John<br />

Fev, .Ir.; "Red Rock," by Thomas Nelson<br />

Page; "Soldiers of Fortune," by<br />

Richard Harding Davis; "Kennedy<br />

Square," by F. Hopkinson Smith; and<br />

"The Dark Flower," by John Galsworthy;<br />

such articles as "Japonica,"<br />

by Sir Edwn Arnold; "French Traits,"<br />

by W. C. Brownell; "England and the<br />

English," and "Germany and the Ger­<br />

"French Art," by W. C. Brownell;<br />

and art cies by Kenyon Cox, E, H.<br />

Bashfleld, Frank Fowler, Robert T,<br />

Blum, Birge Harrison, Royal Cortissoz,<br />

Dwight L. Elmendorf, and others;<br />

ana essays by W. C, Brownell, William<br />

Dean Howells, Augustine Birrell,<br />

Rt, Hon, Joseph Chamberlain, Austin<br />

Dobson, Andrew Lang, Ge<strong>org</strong>e Mc­<br />

Lean Harper, James Hunecker, Mrs.<br />

James T. Fields, and Helen Watterson<br />

Moody.<br />

Nor has SCRIBNERS' Magazine led<br />

only in the quality of its l.terature.<br />

The period following its foundation<br />

was marked by rapid development in<br />

illustration; the best of the wood engravers<br />

contributed to it in the day<br />

of that process; a list of illustrators<br />

then and since would include the<br />

name of almost every one to shine in<br />

the past quarter century;—and in the<br />

fleld of color printing recently opened<br />

SCRIBNERS' Magazine, in its application<br />

of the method both to pictures<br />

and covers has steadily led the<br />

way.<br />

The up-building of a publishing<br />

house is a lengthy business,—tediousif<br />

it were not fascinating; even more so<br />

than now, in the fiftiesand sixties when<br />

the book reading class was far smaller,<br />

when the structure of commerce<br />

was shaking with the explosions and<br />

reverberations of political and military<br />

str.fe, and no such phenomenon<br />

as a best-seller was yet anywhere visible.<br />

But when Mr. Scribner's career<br />

closed in 1871, the eyes of an expert<br />

in books could have discerned a great<br />

publishing house in outline as clearly<br />

as the architect could create in<br />

image the vast building whose foundations<br />

he surveyed, Por the growth<br />

of such a publishing house is based<br />

not so much upon strikingly successful<br />

novels or other books of ephemeral<br />

character which bring large immediate<br />

proflts and then vanish, but upon<br />

the gradual building of a list sound<br />

and valuable works on permanently<br />

interesting subjects; and such representative<br />

works as J, G, Headley's<br />

which include "The Sacred Mountains;''<br />

as J, C, Holland's poetry including<br />

'Bitter Sweet," and his novels<br />

—among them "Bonnie Castle" and<br />

"Seven Oaks"; as the novels and essays<br />

of Ik Marvel and Nathaniel P.<br />

Willis; as the poetry of Ge<strong>org</strong>e P.<br />

Morris,—to mention only those still<br />

familiar everywhere—indicate the<br />

wide scope and permanent character<br />

of the list Mr, Scribner had gathered<br />

togetlier in the quarter-century of his<br />

administration.<br />

Nor is the analogy between the<br />

erection of a building and the expansion<br />

of a publishing house strained in<br />

this instance. As the one arises stone<br />

by stone to harmonious unity, according<br />

to the plan of the architect, so<br />

does the other in its list grow, book<br />

by book, according to the originator's<br />

standards ot what is worthy in all the<br />

various types of literature. The foundation<br />

had been strongly la'd by<br />

Charles Scribner; the relations of the<br />

sl-retches and essays which now, recollected,<br />

form one of the SCRIBNER<br />

Subscription Sets, Clearly Mr, Scribner<br />

possessed that faculty of combin­<br />

dramatists, Olive Tilford Dargan, Anton<br />

ing with persistent and minute attenmans,"<br />

by Price Collier; "The Russia<br />

Tchekoff, August Strindberg, John tion, which is the essenfal of a pub­<br />

ff Today," by Sir Henry Norman;<br />

Galsworthy,<br />

These names, quoted because familiar<br />

lisher's advance, an accuracy in literary<br />

jud.aments and full confldence of<br />

"The Workers," by Walter Wyckoff;<br />

"Tbe Reflections of a Married Man,"<br />

to all, give but a sight idea of tbem without which his advance can and "Tbe Convictions of a Grandfathlisher's<br />

the true position of the house, A lif- cnly slow. After a few years of er," by Robert Grant; and "Practical<br />

statesmen, Works ber artists educators, man al are side the fairly FIED examining The lines therein five 382 narrowly interest accurate CATALOGUE,<br />

of subject 'musicians, practically thousand biography soldiers grouped, the explorers include specialized one headings is SCRIBNER<br />

at writers, could every and for ind so lives least 'nstance cate rulers. under be titles and topic churchmen,<br />

scientists, of gained that, touched. CLASSI­ technic­<br />

actors, issued whi.^h of num­<br />

Con­<br />

out­<br />

bv hu­<br />

who mates to Broadway,<br />

a of tetter forei-'n er field buFiness e-iterprlse Even p'lblisher's any duty profit was offices 121 success, books; so before nublishing, associated the Grand had closely was at to ability, public one led 377-379 IMr, this able make street, crops tbat him with Charles that because to last taste Broadway, accurate take sharply into then h'm of move essential Welford, importing new another margin<br />

at tries esti­<br />

this rate<br />

lat­<br />

and 654 dore articles rican ley; "Lobo Laughlin; "Hsfory e-ices"; Fxpedition," tury;" ston's Economic LodEje's Mahan's "African Roosevelt: Forest," "Cuban the and as such "Story "War of such Papers," Wolf," "The General and the Game hunting by and "Big historical of "Pigmies Last Emin Sir and Philippine the Tra'ls," 1812;" by Game Henry Frederick "The and Quarter Pasha J. Revolution;"<br />

studies Articles;" of Lawrence<br />

exploring Andrew's by M, Sandhill Experi-<br />

the Relief Theo­<br />

Fun-<br />

Stan­<br />

Cen­<br />

as Af­<br />

Blair noted. him. years business two which harmony, ture idly Scribner, plainly various The brothers, fell progressed—and Scribner, demand He The was marked; which to has departments died continuation Mr, to been Charles for symmetry, cement the Scribner's eight and books conducted business eldest, since and years of the that of had 'dearly sons, Arthur succeeded literature whole then had now quality, later,— by struc­<br />

John the de­<br />

rap­<br />

H. his in-

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