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Chapter I. Dime Novels
Pre-Beadle novels. The dime novel, what it was and what it was not. Beadle's novels. Beadle's instructions to authors. Western scouts as characters in the novels. "Companion stories" in series.
Chapter II. Authors, Artists, and Readers
Beadle authors among the best of the minor writers of the time. Louisa M. Alcott wrote some thrillers. Compensation paid. Pseudonyms. Illustrations show action. George G. White one of Beadle's most prolific artists. Woodcuts engraved by John Karst. Familiar titles. Albert W. Aiken and Mark Twain.
Chapter III. Early Days in Cooperstown and Buffalo
Wherein is given the Beadle genealogy and the birth of † Erastus. He works for Phinney, 1838, and goes to Buffalo, 1847. With his brother Irwin, he starts his own sterotype foundry, 1850.
Chapter IV. 1851 to 1856
Wherein Erastus enters the publishing field with The Youth's Casket. Irwin disposes of his share of the foundry to Erastus in 1854. Erastus disposes of it in 1855 and moves his publishing office to 199 Main Street. The Home is begun and the office is moved to 227 Main Street, above Irwin's new bookstore. Robert Adams becomes Erastus' partner. James Beadle is murdered. Erastus quits publishing and seeks his fortune afar.
Chapter V. 1857 to 1859
Erastus dabbles in Omaha real estate but returns to Buffalo a poorer and wiser man. The Youth's Casket ends with the year 1857. Erastus, Irwin, and Robert Adams pull up stakes and move to 333 Broadway, New York, late in 1858. Mrs. Victor edits The Home. Irwin publishes dime song and handbooks. Beadle and Adams and Irwin P. Beadle remove to 137 William Street in 1859. Irwin Beadle and Robert Adams unite forces as Irwin P. Beadle & Co., Beadle and Adams drop out of the picture, and Erastus becomes sole publisher of The Home.
Chapter VI. The Year 1860
Irwin P. Beadle & Co. move to 141 William Street, and The Home ceases publication. Erastus Beadle has an interest in the firm. The first Dime Novel, "Malaeska." "Seth Jones." Name changed to Beadle & Co. The Half-Dime Novelette. Dime Biographical Library begun. Ellis engaged as a regular contributor.
Chapter VII. 1861 and 1862
The London branch. Erastus in Europe. The Civil War begins. Effect upon the Dime Novels. Orville J. Victor engaged as editor. "Maum Guinea." Many handbooks issued. Irwin P. Beadle bought out by his partners in 1862. Removal of the firm to 118 William Street.
Chapter VIII. The Year 1863
Irwin enters into partnership with George Munro. Their articles of agreement. Erastus' application for an injunction. The first of Irwin P. Beadle's Ten Cent Novels. More competition. American Tales begun with Sinclair Tousey as Publishers' Agent. Dime Tales, Traditions and Romance of the Border. Renewed activity in advertising.
Chapter IX. 1864 to 1866
The firm of Irwin P. Beadle & Co. becomes George Munroe, 1864. The American News Company formed, 1864. Competition continues. Dime Library of Choice Fiction and Dime Fiction, 1865. Many Handbooks and Songbooks. Beadle's Monthly begun, 1865. Irwin again tries his hand, 1865. Death of Robert Adams, 1866. William and David Adams enter the firm, 1866. End of the English experiment, 1866.
Chapter X. 1867 to 1869
Edward H. Spooner becomes a temporary partner. Beadle's Monthly ends, 1867. Mayne Reid writes for Beadle, 1868. Removal to 98 William Street, 1868. Irwin's final retirement from publishing, 1868. American Tales, 2nd Series, begun, 1868. Frank Starr & Co. bobs up, 1869, and Starr's American Novels and Starr's 15 Cent Novels are begun. Twenty-five Cent Novels issued
Chapter XI. The Decade 1870 to 1879
The old name of Beadle and Adams resumed in 1872. Frank Starr & Co. drop out. Adams, Victor & Co. Adams & Co. Dime Novels end in 1874 and New Dime Novels begin. Period of "Illuminated Covers." Saturday Journal begins, 1870. Belles and Beaux. Girls of To-day. Young New Yorker. A baker's dozen or so of new novel series begin.
Chapter XII. The Eighteen-eighties
Deaths of Irwin Beadle, 1882, Mrs. Martha Adams, 1882, Mrs. Irwin Beadle, 1886, David Adams, 1886, Mrs. Erastus Beadle, 1889. Erastus Beadle retires from the firm, 1889, and goes to Cooperstown. Five new "libraries" started in the eighteen-eighties.
Chapter XIII. The Final Years, 1890 to 1897
Much new competition from the "colored cover" novels. A final effort to win back trade--The Popular Library, 1891. Evil days upon the House. Death of Erastus Beadle, 1894. His will. His fortune much overestimated in popular publications. The firm now composed of William Adams alone. Removal to 92 Williams Street. Death of William Adams, 1896. The Banner Weekly ends, 1897. M. J. Ivers & Co.'s name replaces that of Beadle on the Dime Library and the Half-Dime Library. The old house of Beadle and Adams is no more. (Exeunt omnes
Anonymous Novels and Handbooks
Novels Credited to the Author of Some Other Book
Biographies of Authors, alphabetically arranged
A List of the Principal Publications
arranged in the order of appearance of No. I of each series, and giving the dates of the first and last numbers and the numbers in each year.
Dates at Which the Firm Changed Names and Addresses
A List of the Number of Novels in Each Series
compared with the number never previously published by Beadle
Beadle Reprints
in Ivers' and Westbrook's "Deadwood Dick" and "Frontier" libraries
Pseudonyms of Various Beadle Authors
A List of Some Newspaper and Magazine Articles
dealing with dime novels, their authors, and dime-novel collectors
Index of Titles and Subtitles in Part III
Index of Principal Localities
characters, series, Indian tribes, forts, and types of stories in the first printings of the Beadle novels
Corrections and Additions, Volume 1
Corrections and Additions, Volume 2
An Index to the Songs in Beadle's Song Books, 1858 to 1870
† Correction made as per Volume 3.