OBITUARY.

PHILIP J. A. HARPER.

PHILIP JACOB ARCULARIUS HARPER, the retired senior member of the firm of Harper & Brothers died at the Thorne mansion in Hempstead, L. I., on the 6th inst. Mr. Harper, the eldest son of Mayor James Harper, one of the founders and the senior member of the firm of Harper & Brothers, was born in New York City, October 21, 1824. He was educated at a well-known school of the past, the instructors being Forrest and Mulligan. When he was eighteen he found employment in the house of Harper & Brothers, where his industry and faithfulness were at once conspicuous. James Harper, the senior member, died in 1869, when the son became a member of the firm, and most worthily filled his father's place.

In 1846 Mr. Harper married Miss Harriett Mead, the daughter of Mr. Ralph Mead, one of New York's oldest merchants. In 1856 Mrs.

Harper died, leaving an only son, the present Mr. James Harper, who succeeded his father on his retirement in 1890. In 1859 Mr. Harper married Miss Augusta M. Thorne, and from that time Mr. and Mrs. Harper have lived at the old Thorne mansion at Hempstead, Long Island.

Up to the last six years Mr. Harper occupied himself with the business of the house. He was most assiduous and painstaking, never neglecting any of his many duties. Devoting his attention largely to the various branches of manufacture, he was familiar with all their details, and being gifted with an excellent memory, he knew by name nearly all of the many employees. The custom of recognizing long service and faithfulness Mr. Harper particularly respected. He was ever ready to help those who through accident or misfortune were in need of his personal services. His charities

were numerous.

and Brooklyn, among them fifty employees from Harper & Brothers. All the public buildings in Hempstead were draped in black.

The

The officiating clergymen were the Rev. Creighton Spencer, the Rev. J. N. Maynard, the Rev. S. H. Marcy, the Rev. F. M. Kerr, and the Rev. Mr. Kelly of New York. pall bearers were O. E. Stanton, Benjamin A. Haff, Edward Cooper, W. S. Powell, W. N. Deuyz, H. L. Nichols, E. J. Pray, G. N. Adams, G. D. Van Vranken, G. W. Terry, and Henry Powell.

Many members of the Fire Department and of the Masonic lodge of Hempstead attended in a body. The Masonic services were conducted by R. W. Roberts, who was associated with Mr. Harper in his lodge. Mr. Harper had been treasurer of the Masonic lodge of Hempstead for twenty-five consecutive years, and was one of its oldest members.

JOURNALISTIC NOTES.

Recreation and Playtime are the titles of two new magazines for the blind published under the direction of the British and Foreign Blind Association, 33 Cambridge Square, Hyde Park, W., London.

John-A-Dreams is the title of a magazine to be published shortly by The Corell Press, 21 University Place, New York. It will cater to the conservative iconoclast and the practical dreamer, devoted to mere literature and to classical typography."

The Wet Dog, "a paper for people with money to burn," is the title of a new weekly published by Dinsmore & Beal, 109 Purchase "It barks alike at the just Street, Boston. and unjust, merely for amusement, it kicks up funny antics, and it bites all the unjust within easy reach."

MARCUS WARD & Co. are to publish in England a new quarterly to be entitled Marcus Ward's Magazine. It will pay special attention to trade matters pertaining to books and stationery, and thus form a combination of an advertising medium of their own publications and a trade journal.

"Though public attention invariably is called forth when a man is engaged in an important business, Mr. Harper always avoided such notoriety. Many places of dignity and trust were offered him, but he declined such honors. He was, however, elected trustee of the village of Hempstead for not less than nine terms, in five of which he acted as president. His last term of service was in 1886. Many resolutions The Cypher is the title of the organ of the presented and accepted by the Hempstead Cypher Club, of Chicago, a bohemian organiBoard of Trustees record his probity and gen-zation made up of authors, journalists, artists, erosity. When Mr. Harper retired, passing on the work to younger hands, the incoming president, recalling Mr. Harper's many years of service, thanked him for his 'liberality in erecting at his own individual cost those most elaborate and beautiful buildings for the entire Fire Department, and for his devotedness and kindly acts of beneficence.'"

His life was a methodical one, and such relaxation as he delighted in he found in his own immediate home circle. In all respects he was a model of piety, integrity, and charity, and fashioned after the type of the good old past. Mr. Harper had been in poor health for several years preceding his death.

The funeral services were held in the Methodist Episcopal Church in Hempstead on the afternoon of the 9th inst. The church was crowded to its utmost capacity, many prominent persons being present from New York

and actors, which caters only to the higher class of literary and professional talent." The club meets every Monday evening, and invites literary and professional people throughout the country to meet with it when in Chicago. The Cypher, which is edited by Warren Dean, and published weekly by the Warren [Dean] Publishing Co., Manhattan Building, Chicago, devotes itself entirely to the interest and progress of this club. Aside from the club work it deals in a measure with the topics of the day, wherever they have a connection or in any way affect the interests of the club members.

A WRITER in the Chautauquan says that there are in round 'numbers 20,000 periodicals in the United States, that their combined circulation is 4,681,000,000 a year, and that they pay out $68,601,538 to 1c6,095 employees and $38,955,322 for paper. As at least $15,000,000

of the sum paid for paper must be paid out again by the paper manufacturers for labor, the periodical business of the country must expend $83,000,000 a year on purchasing labor, to say nothing of other indirect payments, such as type-founders, press-builders, inkmakers, etc. The circulation reduced to per capita would give 67 periodicals a year to every man, woman, and child in the country. Another curious fact stated in the article is that the receipts come in about equal proportions from advertising and sales.

BUSINESS NOTES.

NEW ORLEANS, LA.-A. H. Hawkins & Co., now at 1034 Canal Street, having lost most of their library through fire on the 3d inst., request publishers to send their latest catalogues and price-lists.

LITERARY AND TRADE NOTES. OVER a small shop on lower Fourth Avenue is a sign reading: 'Empty Your Purse Into Your Head," the phrase being quoted, and under it the dealer's name and the words "Books, Prints, etc."

AN important manuscript written by Karl Marx has been discovered among the effects of the late Frederick Engels, who was one of the persons charged with the publication of the eminent Socialist's posthumous works. Mrs. Aveling, the daughter of Marx, may be expected to see the book through the press, and when it appears it will present a vivid description of the Germany of the forties. It is entitled "Revolution and Counter-Revolution."

JAMES CLEGG, of Rochdale, Eng., has published a directory of "Bookmen, members of learned, antiquarian, and literary societies in the United Kingdom," with their postal addresses. The book contains 9458 names and addresses, not ordinarily accessible, and representing the members of upward of forty learned societies in England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, collated and arranged in alphabetical order. Duplicates, foreign, and trade members have been eliminated.

NEW YORK CITY.-It appears that the plant of the four auxiliary companies of the United States Book Co., which we spoke of as having been unaccounted for in the recent reorganization, in reality was the property of the United States Book Co., Lovell, Coryell & Co., and the International Book Co. The other companies were selling agencies only, and as such owned no plates or stock either bound or in sheets. The American Publishers' Corporation is still forming, and has not yet elected permanent officers. John M. Forbes has succeeded Mr. Gould as nominal manager, although Mr. V. M. Coryell is practically the act-Surveying, including the elements of descriping manager. On the 4th inst. Charles W. Gould made application for permission to transfer to the receiver, Edward F. C. Young, of New Jersey, the proceeds of the property sold under the order of the Supreme Court of New York.

NEW YORK CITY.-The affairs of Joseph W. Wilson, bookseller, will be settled finally in the Supreme Court (Pt. 1), held in the County CourtHouse on April 15, at 11 A.M. A. B. Porter is attorney for the assignee, Thomas Kilvert, 154 Nassau Street.

ORLANDO, FLA.-Vaughan & Dovel have moved their news-stand and stock of books and stationery from Charleston to this town.

PARIS, ILL.-W. B. Sheriff & Co., booksellers and stationers, have sold out to W. H. Beebe and C. E. Allen, who will take over the business March 1.

POMONA, CAL.-G. H. Given has succeeded to the business of Pillig & Temple, booksellers. PROVO CITY, COLO.-Skelton & Co., booksellers, have been sued for $205.

THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT PRINTING BUREAU, Ottawa, has published an interesting work by E. Deville, entitled "Photographic

tive geometry and perspective." The author has charge of the Canadian Surveys, the most plied. He gives clear and full directions for extensive to which photography has been apovercoming the difficulties of the art, and estimates the camera method as but one-third as costly as that of the plane table. His first chapters concisely present the principles of descriptive geometry and perspective-indispen sable to the photographic surveyor.

Was soon a shadow of my former self,
Whilst you lay snugly on my dusty shelf.
Heigho!" he sighed,

"Thou wert my pride

And ruin." Quoth the book: "Not so;
You died too soon to really know.
I have become

A rarity, and worth a wondrous sum,
And through me now

RICHMOND, VA.-West, Johnson & Co. have made an assignment to Charles A. Rose, who later was also appointed receiver. The firm failed last June, and settled at 334 cents on the dollar, 15 cents being paid in cash and 18 cents to be paid in five monthly parts, begin-You wear the laurel on your brow!" ning in October. The concern defaulted on its time payments, and has been under further extension. The present liabilities are about $10,000.

TRURO, IA.-Beal & Bardrick, stationers, will dissolve partnership.

WILLIAMSPORT, IND.-Theo. Winker, bookseller, has been succeeded by J. H. Stephen

son.

E'en as the volume spake

A mortal came, the little book did take,
And as the spirit watched him from the shade,
Some twenty pounds for it he paid.
"Egad!" the author cried, as back he sped
To Hades. "I have on my head
Enough of hay entwined to feed a horse!
I'm proud of it, oh, yes, I am, of course,
But what a shame to decorate

An author's pate

And leave his stomach to disintegrate!"

-JOHN KENDRICK BANGS in Harper's Monthly.