9,529,000 dollars. The ratio in the whole Union of Scholars to the population was one to every 5.6 persons including slaves, or one to every 4.6 persons of the white population. In Maine this ratio was one pupil to every 3.1 persons, giving to that State a larger proportion at school than is educated by any other state or country. And the ratio of the Republic, slaves included, demonstrates that the United States exceeds all other countries, Denmark alone excepted, in the number of pupils to the population. They had greatly increased in 1856. The cost of Public Schools that year throughout the Union, so far as could be learned, was upwards of 16 millions of dollars. Of this sum New York provided for her schools 3,544,587 dollars; Massachusetts for hers 2,346,309 dollars; Pennsylvania for hers 2,267,090 dollars; and Ohio for hers 2,732,800 dollars!

The number of schools had been greatly augmented in 1855, for we find there were then 10,469 in Pennsylvania; 11,883 in New York; 4242 in Maine, and a proportional increase in New Jersey, and these reliable dat a justify us in estimating the existing Public Schools of the Union at nearly 100,000. And the increase of scholars naturally keeps pace with, it if it does not surpass, the increase of schools. In 1850, the pupils attending public schools in New York State were 675,221, whereas in 1856 they numbered 876,603. In 1850 the Public Schools of New Jersey contained 77,920 pupils, whereas the number in 1856 was 176,350. And it is only fair to infer that the same rate of increase characterizes the schools of the South and West, and that the number of pupils at this time in attendance at the Public Schools of the United States is quite 5,000,000.

In this survey we have confined our remarks almost exclusively to the common schools of the country, not making any reference whatever to the many excellent private seminaries which everywhere abound throughout the Union, and in which a majority of the youth of the South of both sexes are educated. They also exert a power, and with lyceums, libraries, and literary and scientific bodies, are a prompting cause of that insatiable desire for literature everywhere so prevalent in the United States, and also aid in the great work now going forward, of creating a new and vigorous literature at once original and fresh, and glowing with nature and vitality.

CHAPTER IX.

INTRODUCTION AND PROGRESS OF PRINTING.

PRINTING exerts such a powerful influence in creating a taste, as well as supplying the existing demand, for literature, that to omit mention here of its. history and progress in America, would be to leave a defect in our narrative of an important character.

From careful investigation we find that a printing-office was established at Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1638, in which, in January, 1639, the art of printing was first practised in what is now the United States; and although

another press with types were added to the office in 1660, these presses were so fully employed, that many original works were sent to England to be printed -a practice which Thomas informs us, in his History of Printing, was continued for upwards of eighty years. For more than thirty years all works issued in the British North American Provinces were printed at Cambridge; but in 1674, a second printing-office was established at Boston; and in 1686, the third in the colonies was opened at Philadelphia, where, in that year, printing was first executed in the great State of Pennsylvania.

The art was introduced into New York in 1693, and seems to have slowly extended thence through the other provinces, until the breaking out of the Revolution, when it received a wonderful impulse. It is alleged that it was practised in Maryland as early as 1701, by one Green; but nothing of importance was done there before 1726. It was introduced into Virginia in 1729; into South Carolina in 1730; into New Jersey in 1751; into North Carolina in 1755; into Delaware in 1761; and into Georgia in 1762.

Our facilities for ascertaining when it was first practised in the New England States beyond Massachusetts are extremely few, and we are consequently without any positive data in all cases. It is known, however, that printing was executed in Rhode Island in 1732; and there is proof of the existence of a press in Connecticut in 1709. The art was first practised in New Hampshire in 1756; in Maine in 1780; and in the present State of Vermont about 1781. Its progress westward was even more rapid. The first press set up in the territory of the United States west of the Alleghanies was established in Kentucky in 1786; and the second was located at Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1793. In 1795 printing was introduced into Ohio, at Cincinnati, then a frontier trading-post; and in 1811 it was first practised in what is now the State of Indiana. It was first practised in Louisiana by the French, as early as 1704, but not much was done there before 1803, when the territory was ceded to the United States. At that period there was but one printingoffice in Louisiana, whereas, in 1810, or only seven years later, there were about ten. The art was introduced into Missouri and Michigan in 1810; and into Mississippi in 1809. There was a press in Arkansas as early as 1825.

The first printing in Illinois was done at Kaskaskia, by Matthew Duncan, in 1815. It was practised in Wisconsin in 1827, by General Ellis, a pioneer, who, having no press, used a plainer and mallet to make his first impressions. In 1833, this same gentleman procured a press, and printed in that year, at Green Bay, the first newspaper published in Wisconsin. The art was practised in Texas, by the Spaniards as early as 1760, and by the Americans about 1829; and in Iowa, by W. C. Connell, in 1836. In 1832 Iowa was almost entirely a wilderness, and in that year the first house was built in that part of the State adjacent to the present city of Davenport, which place is now noted for its commerce, and no less than three daily papers are published there.

Another instance of the early introduction of the press into new countries by Americans, is found in the history of the State of Minnesota. In 1848 there was not a village in the country. A few scattered log-cabins only marked the presence of the white man. In 1849, April 28, printing was first executed in the territory. The first effort to publish a newspaper was made in 1848, but the printing was done at Cincinnati, and the journal was pub

lished at St. Paul on the 27th April, 1849. In 1856 there were four printingoffices in St. Paul alone; and not fewer than 31 newspapers were published in the Territory. There were three dailies issued in St. Paul. It is believed some effort was made at printing by Mexicans, in California, prior to 1846 ; but we are unable to discover any evidence of the fact. After a careful perusal of several works on that country we are led to the conclusion that the first regular printing executed there was at Monterey, on the 15th August, 1846. We believe the Mormons began printing at the Great Salt Lake, in 1848; and that the art was practised in Oregon a year or two earlier than that date. It was first practised in Nebraska in 1854, and in Kansas the same year. At this time there are not fewer than twenty different newspapers published in that Territory.

To understand the rapid spread of printing west of the Alleghany Mountains, it must be remembered that the whole country thence to the Pacific Ocean was a dense impenetrable wilderness, inhabited only by savages and wild beasts, with here and there an occasional settler, as late as 1780. And that, at a period within the memory of men now living, there was not a permanent white settlement north of the Ohio, from the Wabash to the Pacific Ocean.

We have imperfectly traced the progress of the art in America, and given dates where obtainable; but this does not exactly convey a clear idea of the magnitude or extent of the printing business in the United States. From tolerably authentic sources it appears there were about 40 printing-offices in the country in 1776; about 375 in 1810; and not less than 900 in 1828. This number had increased to about 1800 in 1840; and in 1850, it had reached to about 4000. In this we do not, of course, include what are called "job offices," but such establishments only as possess facilities for printing either books or newspapers.

It is difficult to obtain correct figures respecting the number of persons employed at the art; and the Census of 1850 is evidently in error on this point. That report says there were 14,740 printers in the country then; but this is obviously incorrect. Allowing but five persons to each printing-office— which is a low average-we have a total of 20,000! But this number is doubtless below the mark, great as it may appear. There are offices in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, New Orleans, Cincinnati, and Washington City, which employ from thirty to two hundred printers each.

The following paragraph illustrates in some degree the extent of the business in a practical manner. There are, in the United States, says a recent authority, 750 paper mills in actual operation, having 2000 engines, and producing 270,000,000 pounds of paper in a year, which is worth, at 10 cents a-pound, 27,000,000 dollars. To produce this quantity of paper, 405,000,000 pounds of rags are required, 14 pounds of rags being necessary to make 1 pound of paper. The cost of manufacturing, aside from labour and rags, is about 4,050,000 dollars.

There are no reliable data for estimating accurately the capital employed in the printing business in the United States; but it may be fairly conjectured to amount to 24,000,000 dollars. Of this sum, 12,000,000 dollars, at least, are invested in printing materials.

As a single instance of the increase of the business, we may take the city of

Philadelphia. In 1815 there were 40 hand-presses in that city, steam or power-presses being unknown there at that time. Twenty years later the capacity of the presses was about equal to 80 hand, or 16 power presses. During this period but four Treadwell power presses, an inferior description of presses since entirely abandoned, were in use in book-printing, being the only ones in the city. But from 1835 to 1854, the power presses alone had increased to 90, and some of them throw off 20,000 impressions hourly.

CHAPTER X.

REMUNERATION OF AUTHORS.

AUTHORSHIP has assumed the dignity of a profession in the United States; and, notwithstanding the cynical complaints of a few disappointed aspirants for literary fame and fortune, the well-written American book not unfrequently brings its author both fame and profit.

As early as 1817 authorship was occasionally fairly compensated by American publishers. In that year, George Goodrich and Sons paid Noah Webster 40,000 dollars for the copyright of his Spelling-Book. And, prior to 1837, a Philadelphia publisher paid 135,000 dollars to native authors; 30,000 dollars of the same being for two works only. Mr. Bancroft had received for his Histories, before 1854, quite 50,000 dollars; and up to that year Mr. Barnes had been paid fully 30,000 dollars for his Notes on the Gospels. The Harpers paid Mr. Stephens 30,000 dollars for his entertaining travels, in a few years. Professor Andrews received 6000 dollars for the first edition of his Latin Lexicon and Professor Anthon has been paid upwards of 30,000 dollars for his valuable classical publications.

:

Ivison and Phinney, of New York, pay Sanders for his educational works about 30,000 dollars per anunm; and to Mr. Thompson, the sum of 10,000 dollars yearly, as his share of the profits arising from his Arithmetical books. In the first six months of 1855, there were 244,000 of Sanders' and 38,500 of Thomson's books sold by this firm.

Childs and Peterson, of Philadelphia, have already paid 60,000 dollars, or more than £12,000, to Dr. Kane's family for his Arctic Explorations in the Years 1853-1855. This firm exhibits a liberality worthy the warmest praise. Their allowance of one dollar per copy in this case, to the holder of the copyright, is not only liberal, but generous.

We are informed on the best authority that J. B. Lippincott and Co., also of Philadelphia, have paid to Drs. Wood and Bache 80,000 dollars for their United States Dispensatory; and Little, Brown, and Co., of Boston, can show receipts for 500,000 dollars paid for copyrights. Of this large sum, 200,000 dollars were given to Judge Story and family, as their part of the profits arising from the sale of the works of that distinguished jurist.

The munificent patronage extended to Agassiz, the celebrated naturalist, in the publication of his Contributions to the Natural History of the United

States of America, surpasses any previous similar encourgement given to a scientific man. The work is to consist of ten volumes. Two are already published. The size is a large quarto, and each volume will cost in America, 12 dollars, or about £2 12s.; and although the author never hoped for more than 500 subscribers, he has been rewarded with a list of twenty-five hundred. He himself states these subscribers were obtained "from all the principal cities, and from towns and villages in the west, which a few years since did not exist. From California, from every corner of the United States," they came to encourage him in his work; and the generous patronage thus extended induced him to decline a Professorship at the hands of the French Government.

It is known to all those familiar with American literature, that Washington Irving, Cooper, Willis, Longfellow, and many others of note, live wholly by the profession of letters; and the success of J. B. Taylor is a marked instance of the reward which attends authorship in the United States. When a writer secures public regard, fame and fortune are his. In fact, it may be stated with confidence, and investigation will substantiate the assertion, that, next to the authors of Great Britain, those of the United States are the best paid in the world.

CHAPTER XI.

THE BOOK TRADE AND ITS EXTENT.

We have elsewhere briefly adverted to the business of publishing and bookselling in the United States; but its extent demands that we should devote a separate chapter to its consideration. During the colonial period it was limited. And yet at that early age some rather gigantic schemes were undertaken and successfully carried out. In 1743, Christopher Sower published, at Germantown, Pennsylvania, a quarto edition of 1000 copies of Luther's German Bible, containing 1272 pp., which, it must be acknowledged, would be anything but a slight undertaking at this day. His son subsequently published two large editions of the same work, one in 1762, the other in 1776.

These, however, were rare cases. Until after the revolution, publishing was limited and confined to the reproduction of foreign works. Soon after the establishment of Independence, in 1801, the American Company of Booksellers, consisting of members doing business in New York, Philadelphia, and Boston, was formed. They regulated the sale of books by fairs, and prohibited auction sales by any of their members on pain of expulsion. Since the inauguration of this movement, almost the entire publishing trade of the United States has sprung up. In 1804, the Company offered a gold medal for the best American printing paper, as well as premiums for the best specimens of American binding and printing ink. The beneficial effects of this movement were soon observable in the improved state of American books; and good materials and workmanship having been obtained in all branches of the pub