History of Cincinnati, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 76

Author: Ford, Henry A., comp; Ford, Kate B., joint comp
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Cleveland, O., L.A. Williams & co.
Number of Pages: 666

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VAN ANTWERP, BRAGG AND COMPANY.

These gentlemen are the largest publishers of school books in the world. The founder of the house, over fifty years ago, was a Cincinnati publisher, Mr. Winthrop B. Smith. About 1830, the firm of Truman & Smith, of which he was a member, was that mentioned above, at the head of the publishers of 1839 here. After Mr. Truman's retirement, the firm name was Winthrop B. Smith & Company, which became a famous and pros- perous house. Sargent, Wilson & Hinkle were their successors. The senior of this copartnership withdrew from it in 1868, and the other two gentlemen then headed the renowned firm of Wilson, Hinkle & Com- pany. For about ten years this establishment prospered, when, in 1877, the two leading members, who had been connected with the house during its various changes for

about forty years, finally retired, and the remaining part- ners, with others, formed the present house of Van Ant- werp, Bragg & Company. It consists of Messrs. Lewis Van Antwerp, Charles I. Bragg, Henry H. Vail, Robert T. Leaman, A. Howard Hinkle (son of the former part- ner), and Harry T. Ambrose. Their operations require the use of four large buildings, each seven floors, on Walnut and Baker streets, below Third. Their average production is about eighteen thousand text-books per day.

ROBERT CLARKE AND COMPANY.

This house is extensively engaged in bookselling and publishing at No. 65 West Fourth street, near Pike's opera house. . We find the following notes concerning it in King's Pocket-book of Cincinnati:

Mr. Clarke has been connected with the house since 1855, when he bought Tobias Lyon's interest in the firm of Lyon & Patterson; the style of firm changing to Patterson & Clarke. In 1857 Mr. Clarke bought Mr. Patterson's interest, and carried on the business in his own name. At that time the store was in Bacon's building, corner of Sixth and Walnut streets, and the business was chiefly in second-hand and foreign books; this being the first house in Cincinnati to import books direct from London and Paris. In 1858 R. D. Barney and J. W. Dale united with Mr. Clarke; and the new firm, under the style of Robert Clarke & Co., bought the business of Henry W. Derby & Co., law publishers, and dealers in the miscellaneous books published by Harper & Bros. and Derby & Jackson. They then moved into the store occu- pied by Derby & Co., 55 West Fourth street, and began business as publishers of law books, and wholesale and retail booksellers. In 1867 the business was removed to its present quarters. In 1872 Howard Barney and Alexander Hill were admitted to the partnership. This house has published over one hundred and fifty volumes of law books, one of which was the celebrated Fisher's Patent Cases, the highest- priced law-books ever published in this country,-six volumes at twen- ty-five dollars a volume; and also about one hundred volumes of mis- cellaneous books, including the invaluable Ohio Valley Historical series, edited by Mr. Clarke, and issued in eight handsome volumes. Many publications of this firm rank equal in style and value to any published in the United States. The third floor of the establishment is devoted exclusively to works known as Americana, of which a fine catalogue has been issued.

BOOKSTORES.

Growth in the business of bookselling, as might rea- sonably be expected, has kept pace with increase in the manufacture of books. Every manufacturer is a seller, but we refer now to the business of keeping wholesale and retail book-stores, without reference to publishing. For the history of this, in Cincinnati, we are indebted almost exclusively to an interesting and valuable article contributed by "F." to the Cincinnati Daily Gazette of June 12, 1880. The writer is apparently very well in- formed and entirely trustworthy. It is extracted in full, barring the introduction and one or two unimportant passages :

In Cincinnati, cighty years since, Carpenter & Findlay, two eminent pioncer citizens, publishers of the Western Spy, kept for sale the Terri- torial Laws and other publications in general demand. For a decade or two at the beginning of the century the printers and the druggists retained a large share of the sales of books and stationery. So in 1814 the firm of D. Drake & Co., Druggists, at their drug-store, Main street, opposite Lower Market, kept the accustomed supply of books, includ- ing the Bible, Shakespeare, and .Esop (these were said to constitute the library of the pioncer's household), Johnson's Dictionary, Watts' l'salms and Hymns, Cook's Voyages, Ashe's Travels, Lewis & Clark's Journal, and Riley's Narrative.

About 1820 the book and stationery business had increased to such large proportions that it became dissociated with drugs and medicines and set up for itself. Messrs. John P'. Foote and Oliver Wells had es-

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tablished the Cincinnati Type Foundry, which has continued uninter- ruptedly to this day in the same place and was conducted by them until 1823, when Mr. Foote retired. While Mr. Foote was as- sociated with Mr. Wells, he established a book-store at No. 14 Lower Market street, books and type being almost as germane as books and drugs. Mr. Foote's stock was well selected and suited to the market. They were chiefly classical and standard works, with the recent novels, one or two of Sir Walter Scott's appearing yearly. In 1824 he an- nounced a new novel, "Quentin Durward," by the author of "Waver- ly," for sale. At that date Scott was the "Great Unknown," Miss Edgeworth being the "Great Known." During that year Mr. Foote edited and published the Cincinnati Literary Gazette. This, together with the choice literature on his shelves and the genial and entertaining disposition of the proprietor, made his book-store a favorite place of meeting for a cotcrie of literary men of the day, among whom were Morgan Neville, Peyton S. Symmes, E. D. Mansfield, N. Guilford, and Benjamin Dgake. They criticised new books and discussed literary and musical topics, and their decisions had authority. .

Mr. Foote was also a prominent member of the celebrated Semi- colon club, which met alternately at the residences of Messrs. Greene, Lawler and S. E. Foote. This literary society included within its mem- bership Rev. E. B. Hall, Timothy Walker, James H. Perkins, N. Guil- ford, C. Stetson, W. Greene, Harriet and Catherine Bcecher, the Misses Blackwell, Mr. and Mrs. Hentz, E. P. Cranch, U. T. Howe, Profs. Stowe and Mitchel, C. W. Elliott, Drs. Drake and Richards, Benjamin and Charles D. Drake, E. D. Mansfield, J. W. Ward, Law- ler, Meline, C. P. James, D. T. Wright, Joseph Longworth, 1. N. Per- kins, Judge Hall, General King, T. D. Lincoln, W. P. Steele, G. C. Davies, C. D. L. Brush, and probably a few others. He was a fine classical and belles-lettre scholar, and edited the Literary Gazette with ability, a devout member of the Episcopal church, an exemplary man and good citizen, highly esteemed and respected by his fellow-towns- mer :. His close resemblance to John Quincy Adams was noted by all who were acquainted with them; he was, however, a mnuch inore ami- able man than Mr. Adams. He was the author of "The Schools of Cincinnati," and a "Memoir of Samuel E. Foote," both gems, as was everything that emanated from his graceful pen. His dealing in books was a success, from which he retired in 1828. In 1824 he became one of the proprietors and managers of the water-works, and continued to be for sixteen years and until the city became the owner in 1840. Dur- ing the period named Messrs. Davis, Lawler, Greene, Foote, Graham, and Johnston were proprietors, and greatly improved them. Hc was also a large owner of city property, and, with others, laid out subdivi- sions of lots.

Nathan and George Guilford succeeded Mr. Foote at No. 14 Lower Market street, and a few years subsequently removed to Main street, near the court-house, where they continued the business until about 1840. The senior member of this firm was a distinguished scholar and lawyer, who had been the law partner of Amos Kendall in Georgetown, Kentucky, and afterwards of James W. Gazlay in Cincinnati. He was a member of the Ohio legislature, where he was the leading advocate of the common school system, and did more than any other member to secure its adoption. At that period it was far from being popular, many citizens, even after its adoption, refusing to send their children to the schools on the absurd idea that they were pauper schools, and that it was not reputable to send them to charity schools when they were able to pay for their tuition. Mr. Guilford by personal solicita- tion induced them to send pupils on trial. Most of our old citizens are well aware of his meritorious efforts in the successful establishment of the system, and know that he may with justice be styled the "father of the public school system of Ohio. He subsequently engaged very successfully in the type foundry, in connection with Wells, Wilson and others, to which he gave his personal supervision and care. For his able and successful advocacy of our school system he deserves a monu- ment to his memory from the State society. This eminent and honored citizen died in 1854, in the sixty-eighth year of his age, amid the bene- dictions of our people, and especially the younger portion of them, who were largely benefited by his labors in the cause of education.

After the schools were established upon a permanent basis and Mr. Guilford's time and attention engrossed by other objects, Mr. George Graham succeeded him in 1831 in the school board, and under his im- mediate direction the Race street school-house was planned and erected. This was long the model school edifice, after which most of the others were built.

Contemporaneous with Mr. Foote were Drake & Conclin, who re- mained in the business a few years until 1829, when Mr. Drake formed a business connection with Phillips & Spear, and connected an exten-

sive paper-mill with it, but, dying the next ycar, his brother Josiah suc- ceeded him in the firm. In 1831 the firm was dissolved, Phillips & Spear taking the paper-mill and Josiah Drake the book-store.

The latter is the brother of the veteran author of the voluminous and valuable works on the Biography and History of the Indians of North America, and a few years his junior. He is a native of Massachusetts, the date of his birth being very near the beginning of this century, and he is still an active citizen for a gentleman of nearly fourscore years. He entered largely into the business at No. 14 Main street, in the midst of the commercial business of the city, and it soon proved profitable and successful. Thoroughly acquainted with the business, prompt and en- ergetic, and popular with our citizens, the ascendency he acquired at the commencement of his mercantile carecr he retained unlil he relin- quished it in 1839, and devoted his energies to other pursuits. His sales amounted to about eighty thousand dollars per annum, one year amounting to one hundred thousand dollars, which was considered a large amount for that day.

Mr. Drake employed during the time he was in the book trade about twenty clerks and salesmen, of whom he can now only recollect the names of Augustus Haven, Henry Spear, and Cornelius Murphy, the survivors. And of the large number of his customers who now survive he can only recall the names of Messrs. E. D. Mansfield, * J. J. Faran, George Graham, * Joseph Longworth, John Kennett, R. A. Holden, H. C. Gassaway, Charles H. Kellogg, J. W. Ryland, Rowland Ellis, Wil- liam Hooper. Judges Fox and Woodruff, H. E. Spencer, John L. Tal- bot, Dr. Aydelott, * Elder W. P. Stratton, John Frazer, S. Kellogg, G. K. Shoenberger, R. W. Keys, E. H. Carter, A. H. McGuffey, L. B. Harrison, S. P. Bishop, Judges Charles D. Drake, A. G. W. Carter, and Charles P. James.

Upon the decease of Mr. John T. Drake, Mr. Conclin, the junior partner, succeeded the firm of Drake & Conclin. Mr. William Conclin was a native of New York, having been born on the banks of the Hud- son in 1796, and always retained a vivid recollection of the places made historic by the important events which occurred toward the close of the revolutionary period. He emigrated with his father's family to Cincin- nati in 1813, via Olean, the Alleghany, and the Ohio rivers, having to navigate those streams in a flat-boat, steam navigation at that date not having been successfully introduced. Shortly after their arrival here his father died, leaving him, still a youth in his minority, to assume the charge and care of the family. This duty he faithfully performed. He was employed by that eminent merchant, Josiah Lawrence, who so much confided in his ability and integrity that he twice sent him to New Orleans with cargoes of produce. By his skill and diligence these ven- tures proved highly satisfactory to his employer. At that time a voyage to New Orleans was one of peril, toil, and hardship, and not the pleasure- trip of to-day. On his return he engaged in merchandising for himself for two or three years, after which he embarked in the book-trade in co- partnership with John T. Drake. Their business connections continued until 1830. This was after the establishment of Mr. Foote's store, the second in Cincinnati devoted exclusively to the sale of books. Mr. Conclin continued the business at No. 43 Main street for thirteen years. That kind of merchandising, then in its infancy as it were, was confined to Main street, which was then considered the most eligible place for it, Fourth street being then almost wholly occupied with dwelling-houses. He was succeeded in business by his brother George; upon the decease of the latter Applegate & Co. succeeded to it, and the present enterpris- ing firm of A. H. Pounsford & Co. were their successors, and is now the oldest house of the kind in the city, while Fourth street has almost wholly monopolized the book-trade to the exclusion of Main street.

Mr. Conclin was an energetic and successful merchant, of the strictest integrity, a member of the New Jerusalem or Swedenborgian church, and one of its founders in this city. Prior to his engaging in the book business, he was married to Louisa, daughter of General Borden, one of the old and most respected merchants. She proved to be a faithful and exemplary wife, and the kind and devoted mother of his children. By her energy and prudence she materially aided her husband in ac- quiring an ample competence. He was far from being an office-seeker, and was not fitted by nature to ply the arts of the demagogue; never- theless, his capacity and sterling integrity made him prominent among his fellow-citizens, who called him into the service of the county and the State. He was elected several terms to the Ohio Legislature, served several years as bank commissioner, and filled similar offices to the welfare of his constituents and honor to himself. Hc was a mem- ber of the noted political firm of Jonas, Cist & Co .; and, although ex- tremely unpopular with their opponents, they were uniformly success- ful at the polls. Impaired health for the last few years of his life com-

* Since deceased.

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pelled him to relinquish active business pursuits. He ended his earthly career March 20, 1858, in the sixty-third year of his age. His vener- able widow, now an octogenarian, respected and esteemed by all, re- sides with her son at the Highlands, near Newport.

There were two or three other book-stores in the decade between 1820 and 1830, but of which I have only a slight recollection. These were William Hill Woodward, a Philadelphian, who had a consider- able stock of books, first in the vicinity of Phillips, Spear & Drake, Main street, afterward up the street near the court-house, where he continued for several years.

Thomas Reddish, a well-known citizen, was also in the business in 1820 at 53 Broadway, in connection with the Sun circulating library and a loan office. He was a native of Britain, and was lost at sea on a return voyage from his native country.

George Charters, a native of North Britain, had a small book-store, in connection with a circulating library and pianos, on East Fifth street, near Main, in 1819.

Many years subsequently Flash & Ryder, at No. 12 West Third street, were dealers in books, chiefly works of fiction, reviews, and other periodicals. They also connected a circulating library with their book trade. They did a prosperous retail business. Their cosy little store was much resorted to by the literati of the day, and occasionally visited by foreign authors, such as Miss Martineau, Captain Maryatt, and other celebrities. They continued in business several years, from 1830 to 1839.

Hubbard & Edmunds, Main street, north of Second, were a firm from Boston, and had a valuable stock of goods about 1841, but did not long continue in business. Mr. Edmunds lost his life by the disas- trous explosion of Pugh's pork-house, corner of Walnut and Canal streets, February 28, 1843.

Jacob Ernst was many years in the book business on Main street, above Fifth, afterwards on the same street, above Third, and again above Sixth, a portion of the time in partnership with Charles W. Thorp. He was a most skillful book-binder, unsurpassed by any other in the city in his day.

A. & J. W. Picket, the compilers of Picket's series of school-books, and editors of the Academieian, had a bookstore on Pearl street about 1834, for a few years, but they were much more successful in book-mak- ing than in book-vending. Their school-books were largely used in the west.

Desilver & Burr for several years very successfully conducted a large establishment at No. I Main street. About 1850 they dissolved their business connection, and both partners removed to the cast.

E. H. Flint, son of Rev. - Timothy Flint the author, had a book- store on Main, above Fourth, and published the Western Review, ed- ited by his father. This was one of the first journals of the kind, and was ably edited. It continued to be a leading journal several years about 1830.

Truman & Smith, booksellers and extensive publishers, were in busi- ness at No. 150 Main street. They published and introduced the Mc- Guffey series of school-books, which proved a gold mine to them and their successors.

Robinson & Fairbanks were also in the book business on Main, near Fifth, and published the Cincinnati Directory.

Jacob W. Ely was in business a few years at No. 10 Lower Market, cast of Main.

C. & F. Cloud dealt in books scveral years about 1841, on Front street, west of Broadway.

Burgess & Crane, on Main street, between Third and Fourth, had a stock of desirable books, and continued the business four or five ycars.

Edward Lucas was proprietor of a good stock of goods and did a good business on Main street, above Third, for several years. Hc was an active and prompt business man and popular with his cus- tomers.

Williamson & Wood had a considerable stock of goods at 175 Main street, and did a prosperous business for several years.

Ephraim Morgan, for sixty years a prominent and honored person- age in our city as a publisher and bookseller, was an honest and just man, and during a long and blameless life a member of the Society of Friends. Ile was the senior member of the firm of Morgan, Lodge & l'ishier, which established the Daily Gazette in 1826, with Charles Hlam- mond as sole editor. It was the first daily newspaper in the State and, it is believed, the first west of the Alleghanies. He afterwards cin- barked in the book trade and book publishing at No. 131 Main street, which he carried on very extensively, and was perhaps the heaviest publishing house in the city at that day. Mr. Sanxy was associated

with him in this branch of business, which they most successfully con ducted many years.

Mr. Morgan was most scrupulously opposed to all injustice and vice in every phase. He therefore objected to the publication of the notices of runaway slaves and lottery notices, and all advertisements of that class, and refused their insertion into the columns of the Gazette. This led to a rupture with his partners, in consequence of which lie with- drew from the publication of that journal.

Conscientious and honest in all his transactions with his fellow men, he never ceased to command their confidence and respect. He died, respected and lamented by all, at the venerable and patriarchal age of eighty-three, in February, 1873.

Another veteran in the book trade is Mr. U. P. James. Nearly fifty years since he established the business at No. 26 Pearl street, and has continued it uninterruptedly to the present time. From Pearl street he removed to No. 167 Walnut street, where he continued - years, until 1872, when he removed to his present store, No. 177 Race street. He has conducted the business for a much greater length of time than any other dealer, probably twice as long as any other in this city. From his long and continuous connection with the business he is an authority on the subject of books and publishing, and may be safely consulted upon it. Being an intelligent gentleman, of studious habits and extensive observation, his studies have not been limited to bibli- ography alone, but he devotes much time to the natural sciences, especially to geology. His knowledge of palæontology in our Silurian formation is, perhaps, more accurate and extensive than that of any other naturalist. His published list of fossils is very complete, as is also his cabinet; and they are both highly commended in our State geological reports.

Mr. Andrew McArthur established a bookstore at No. 162 Vine street, in 1856, which he continued for nine or ten years, when he sold it to Perry & Morton. Although not within the limits of these sketches, I can not suffer the name of this worthy benefactor of our city to pass in silence. He was a native of England, and late in life he embarked in the book trade, a mild, amiable, intelligent and charitable gentleman. His sole relative was a son, a worthy young man, who assisted him in the business, and upon whom his warmest affections concentrated. This beloved son sickened and passed away, leaving the bereaved father alone and desolate. He, too, soon pined away. Alone in the world, with a handsome little competency, he had looked around him for a suitable object upon which to bestow it. Pas- sing by objects in his native home, which from early attachment might claim his benefactions, he bequeathed his entire estate to the Young Men's Mercantile library, to be invested in the purchase of useful standard works. His wisdom is commended to those who have abun- dant means to bestow on useful objects for the promotion of the welfare of their fellow-men, and the diffusion of knowledge among them. In this way he has secured their gratitude, and at the same time reared for himself a monument more durable than marble. All honor to the memory of Andrew McArthur! Among all the benefactors to the insti- tution he was the greatest; he bestowed his "two mites"-all his estate.

At present two or three of the large publishing houses, such as the Methodist Book Concern, and Messrs. Robert Clarke & Co., join general bookstores to their larger business. Messrs. George E. Stevens & Co., in 1869, bought up a book business dating from 1856, and established themselves at No. 39 West Fourth street. Mr. Stevens was about that time the author and publisher of a neat little book descriptive of the Queen City, and entitled from it. His house joins some publishing with bookselling. Mr. Peter G. Thomson, formerly with Clarke & Co., has a popular bookstore at the Vine street entrance to the Arcade, and is embarking liberally in general publishing. His more notable publications are named in our chapter on literature.

Other well-known bookstores are those of Perry & Morton, above mentioned, at the old McArthur stand on Vine street; Mr. J. R. Hawley, at the next door, No. 164 Vine, and Alfred Warren, 219 Central avenue. The two first named make a specialty of newspapers and periodical literature. The city is also abundantly sup-

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plied with second-hand bookstores, of which at least half a dozen, all well worthy a visit, are in the central busi- ness quarter.

CHAPTER XXX. JOURNALISM.

SMALL BEGINNINGS.

The ubiquitous editor came early to Cincinnati. The village waited long for many of the institutions and char- acteristics of civilization; but it did not wait half a dec- ade for the newspaper. The hopes of those who saw a Queen City to be, were early justified in the appearance of one of the chief elements in the growth and mainte- nance of a wealthy and intelligent metropolis. Still the beginnings, like all beginnings in the wilderness, were small.

In the fall of 1793 Mr. William Maxwell, second post- master of Cincinnati, procured and set up at the corner of Front and Sycamore streets, the outfit of a small, rude printing-office. From it, on the ninth of November, 1793, was issued the first number of a newspaper appro- priately called the Centinel of the Northwest Territory, since it was the outpost of journalism on the north side of the Ohio. The Lexington Gazette had been pub- lished for some years in Kentucky; but, except for that and one or two others, we are not aware that any other public journal then existed between the Alleghanies and the Pacific coast. This pioneer of Cincinnati newspa- pers was a weekly, printed on whitey-brown paper, of half-royal size, each page about as large as a small win- dow-pane, and the whole no larger than a handkerchief. It bore the motto, "Open to all parties; influenced by none." Its advertising was very limited, comprising. but half a dozen small announcements. It had no editorial articles, no local news, reviews, or poetry. Its "news," too, was old enough, that from France dating back to the tenth of September, 1792. The issue of April 12, 1794, which has been preserved, has dates from Marietta only eight days old, from Lexington twenty-one, from Nash- ville thirty-three, from New York fifty-six, and from Lon- don to the twenty-fifth of November-four and a half months before the date of issue. So slowly did intelli- gence travel in the day of the pioneer, the sailing vessel, the canoe, and the horseback mail. Naturally much space was filled, for months before the victory of Wayne quelled the savage outbreaks, with narratives of Indian outrage, then the most thrilling and closely interesting news of the day.

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History of Cincinnati, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 76

Author: Ford, Henry A., comp; Ford, Kate B., joint comp Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Cleveland, O., L.A. Williams & co. Number of Pages: 666

Author: Ford, Henry A., comp; Ford, Kate B., joint comp
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Cleveland, O., L.A. Williams & co.
Number of Pages: 666