1864 to 1866

EIGHTEEN HUNDRED AND SIXTY-FOUR, the year of tile Sanitary Fair and tile Great Sack of Flour Auction, of "John Brown's Body" and the March to the Sea, of the sinking of the English built Alabama by the Kearsarge and the surrender of Captain Semmes, of hair curlers and whisker growers, hair dyes and cosmetics, dickeys and paper collars.

During this year there was no change in the status of Beadle & Co., except that Robert Adams' brother, William, was engaged as Superintendent. Being now twenty-six years of age, and having come to Brooklyn in 1860, it is probable that he had been connected with the firm in some capacity before this time. Irwin P. Beadle & Co., however, while still listed in the directories,⁽¹⁾ passed out of existence as a firm in February. The name still appeared on Nos. 4 and 5 of I. P. Beadle's Ten Cent Novels, but No. 6, issued February 27, 1864, was called Munro's Ten Cent Novels, and the publishers were given as Irwin P. Beadle and George Munro. An advertisement in Harper's Weekly, of the same date, spoke of the series as "Formerly published hy Irwin P. Beadle & Co.' Beginning with No. 7, George Munro alone is given as the publisher. The partnership thus lasted but a short time. (See also under Irwin P. Beadle's Ten Cent Novels in Part llI of this book.)

February, 1864, also saw the formation of the American News Company,⁽²⁾ 121 Nassau Street, as a successor to Sinclair Tousey and Dexter, Hamilton & Co. Sinclair Tousey was president, Henry Dexter vice-president, John E. Tousey secretary, S. W. Johnson treasurer, and John Hamilton and P. Farrelly superintendents. "The American News Co. takes the whole edition of nearly all the leading periodicals, etc.," they advertised, and they did take entire charge of the sales of the Dime Novels as they were issued. Said the Saturday Star Journal:⁽³⁾

Too busy in the preparation and rapid publication of the little volumes, to give the sales department proper attention, the publishers arranged with a well-known news firm for the general agency of BEADLE'S DIME PUBLICATIONS, and this firm having also obtained the delivery agency of the New York Ledger, was thence\-forth such a power in the trade that the American News Company sprung into existence, armed with two weap\-ons, which made it invincible to opposition. From the assumption of the two agencies named does this now great company date the first prosperity. Without them it is fair to assume that the combination of news firms which ensued, never would have been possible.

Competition was now becoming keen. Elliott, Thomes & Talbot were continuing their Ten Cent Novelettes, and Munro his Ten Cent Novels. Then, on January 23, I864, a new rival appeared: James Redpath, of Boston, issued No. 1 of Red-path's Books for the Camp Fires, containing Louisa M. Alcott's "On Picket Duty and Other Tales." On February 13,⁽⁴⁾ T. R. Dawley & Co. issued No. 1 of their Camp and Fireside Library, and in September Dawley's Ten Penny Novels appeared.

Beadle & Co., however, were not idle. Besides Dime Novels No. 64 to 76, American Library Nos. 35 to 46, and American Tales (under the imprint of Sinclair Tousey and The American News Co.) Nos. 3 to 14, they issued Nos. 5 to 12 of Dime Tales, Traditions and Romance (ending the series with No. 12, August 10, 1864), two New National Tax Laws Revised, Dime Song Books Nos. 12 to 15, and the Base Ball Player for 1864. They also began two new series; Dime Library of Choice Fiction on January 12 which ran only six numbers and ended June 21, and Dime Fiction on November 15, of which two numbers were published during the year.

The dime book publishers have heretofore confined themselves exclusively to American literature. In this new series, they propose, in addition to the finest productions of their present popular contributors, to avail themselves of such Foreign romances as are adapted to their use. They will also revive some of the matchless stories of our early authors.

No. 1 was a reprint of John Neal's "The White Faced Pacer," originally entitled "The Switch Tail Pacer," and No. 2, "The Blacksmith of Antwerp," by "Fritz," who was spoken of as "an American author." No. 3 was "The Maiden Martyr," no author given, but actually a reprint of Mrs. Gaskell's "Lois, the Witch." The booklets were of the size of the Dime Novels, but had buff covers with a woodcut on the front. Apparently the series was not satisfactory, for after the sixth number it was dropped and was replaced, November 15, 1864, by a new series, entitled Beadle's Dime Fiction, another short-lived attempt which struggled through nine numbers and died July 11, 1865. A third ill-fated effort, which may have "died a bornin'," was Beadle's Dime Monthly. A light salmon-colored cover with this title, and the imprint of Beadle & Co., 118 William Street, was filed for copyright in January, 1864. The price was to be ten cents per copy or one dollar per year. Whether this magazine was ever issued is unknown.

Finally, at Christmas time, there appeared a ten-cent "Robinson Crusoe," with twenty-eight original illustrations by George G. White. It was apparently intended as the first number of a series of reprints, for it is marked Dime Classic Stories, No. 1. The publication was announced⁽⁵⁾ for Tuesday, December 20, 1864.

Printed in large octavo, double columns, with numerous illustrations from original designs by GEORGE WHITE; comprising the text of one of the best and latest London editions, and printed in a style of great neatness and beauty thus constituting one of the

and one of the cheapest editions of this celebrated book ever offered to the public.

In spite of these three series of brief existence, the firm was prosperous. A contemporary accountof the sales is given in the conservative North American Review.⁽⁶⁾

These works, . . . issued by Messrs. Beadle & Co. . . . circulate to the extent of many hundred thousands. This need hardly be stated to any one who is in the way of casting his eye on the counter of any railway book-stall or newsdealer's shop. But the statistical statement, from authority, may excite some interest--that, up to April 1st, an aggregate of five millions of Beadle's Dime Books had been put in circulation, of which half at least were novels, nearly a third songs, and the remainder hand-books, biographies, &c. ... The sales of single novels by popular authors often amount to nearly forty thousand in two or three months.

Over 350,000 copies of the Dime Song-Book No. 1 have been sold. The Dime National Tax Law has reached a circulation of more than 200,000 copies. The first edition of the Dime Novel "Seth Jones" was of 60,000 copies. Sales almost unprecedented in the annals of booksellers. A Dime Novel is issued every month and the series has undoubtedly obtained greater popularity than any other series of works of fiction published in America.

Ingraham⁽⁷⁾ said that up to July 1, 1865, the American sales on the first twenty Dime Novels was 4,352,000 copies, and in England the American Library, up to January 1, 1864, for twelve issues, sold 1,223,000 copies.

Erastus Beadle was again in London during 1864 (Fig. 11), probably looking after the business of the firm.⁽⁸⁾

Fig. 11. Erastus Beadle sporting burnsides in London, 1864.

End of the Civil War. The Assassination of President Lincoln. Patent eye-cups--spectacles rendered useless. Chuck-a-luck. Velvet collars.

The year 1865 found Beadle & Co.-now consisting only of Erastus F. Beadle and Robert Adams--in the height, of their prosperity. They were regularly publishing the Dime Novels, the American Library, and American Tales. Dime Fiction ended this year with No. 6. During the year there appeared Dime Novels Nos. 77 to 88, American Library Nos. 47 to 58, American Tales Nos. 15 to 30, Dime Fiction Nos. 3 to 9 (last), Dime Song Book No. 16, Dime Pocket Songsters Nos. 1 to 3, Dialogues No. 3, Speaker (Dime Elocutionist) No. 5, "The New House that Jack Built," Base Ball Player for 1865, "National Tax Law" (they had 'em in those days), "Report of Lieutenant-General U. S. Grant," and "The Housewife's Manual." Also published were two numbers of the American Series Song Books ("Guiding Star" and "Banner'' Songsters) with the imprint American News Co., Publishers' Agents, but copyrighted and produced by Beadle & Co. The English branch issued, besides American Library Nos. 47 to 58, a "Six-penny Cookery Book," "Ready Remedies for Common Complaints," and a "Recipe Book."

One thing must be said for Erastus; when he got an idea in his head he had to carry it out. The Home had been his pet paper, and it must have gone against the grain when he had to abandon it. Ill health and increasing business in dime booklets had been given as the excuse for its discontinuance, but it is quite probable that lack of adequate returns was just as decisive a factor. However, the increasing business in dime novels in the middle 1860's led Beadle to another attempt at publishing a high-cIass monthly magazine. On the twenty-first of November⁽⁹⁾ came the announcement that a new magazine (Beadle's Monthly, A Magazine of Today) was to appear on the twenty-fifth, but on that day a second notice appeared saying that in order "to fill orders already received," the first (January, 1866) number would be postponed until December 1.

The magazine was octavo in size (9 1/4 by 6 inches), contained 96 to 98 pages with numerous woodcut illustrations, and was enclosed in salmon or dull brick colored wrappers. It was really one of the high class magazines of the day,⁽¹⁰⁾ and compared very favorably with the contemporaneous Harper's. During the period of its existence, it carried stories and articles by such writers as Harriet E. Prescott, Alfred B. Street, Catharine A. Warfield, Nathan D. Urner, Orville J. Victor, C. Dunning Clark, Mrs. Metta V. Victor, Kate Field, James Franklin Fitts, Frank R. Stockton, Margaret E. Wilmer, Elizabeth Oakes-Smith, and many other well-known writers of the period. It also published poems by Alice Cary, A. J. H. Duganne, Edward Willett, Mrs. Metta V. Victor, John Neal, E. C. Riggs, and others. Only three volumes were issued, the last number appearing June, 1867. A letter of February 10, 1866, on the stationery of the Monthly gives only the names of Erastus F. Beadle and Robert Adams as publishers. Because of inadequate support for this magazine, Erastus ceased publishing periodicals until 1870 when he started his weekly story paper which lasted over 27 years.

Irwin Beadle, who had been missing from the New York Directory⁽¹¹⁾ for 1865, and possibly now had turned to his trade of bookbinding (instead of at the earlier date mentioned by Ellis⁽¹²⁾ ) returned to the field of publishing in the autumn of this year. On September 13 he advertised⁽¹³⁾ No. 1 of Irwin P. Beadle's Comic and Sentimental Song-Book for the People. The firm name was "Irwin P. Beadle," with no "and Company," and the address was 51 Ann Street. George Munro was still at 137 William Street. The Song Book was followed by Comic and SentimentaI Songs, No. 2,⁽¹⁴⁾ October 3, 1865, and by No. 1 of a new series, Irwin P. BeadIe's American Novels,⁽¹⁵⁾ on October 7, 1865. This booklet had a yellow-orange wrapper, otherwise it closely resembled the original Dime Novels. In place of the imprint of a dime, however, there was a portrait of James Fenimore Cooper. Four numbers, in different colored wrappers, were issued in 1865, the fourth being the rare "O-I-Chee. A Tale of the Mohawk," the first edition in book form of a James Fenimore Cooper item. The series ran until 1868, although Irwin was probably bought out before then, as noted in Part Ill. All of the novels were afterwards reprinted with deep red-orange covers. The novels are rare in the original form, the first four numbers being almost unobtainable. Irwin's own announcement of this series, as given inside the back wrapper of No. 1, follows: