The various popular series known as the “Railway Library,” the “Popular Library,” &c., comprising many hundred volumes of standard works, afforded the chief business at Smith’s bookstalls, and were, through Mr. Routledge’s complete network of agents and connections, scattered broadcast over the country. Among the first books they brought out at a shilling were the works of Fenimore Cooper, Captain Marryat, Washington Irving, and Mrs. Stowe. Of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” half-a-million copies are said to have been sold. Of Russell’s “Narrative of the Crimean War,” 20,000; of Soyer’s “Shilling Cookery,” 250,000; and of “Rarey on Horse Training,” 150,000 copies were disposed of in a very few weeks. As an example of the energy and enterprise of the firm, it is stated that when the copy of “Queechy” was received upon one Monday morning, it was at once placed in the printer’s hands; on Thursday the sheets were at the binder’s, and on the Monday following 20,000 copies had been disposed of to the trade. Besides these cheap works, Mr. Routledge has issued a multitude of more expensive volumes, illustrated by the best artists, and “got up” in the most luxurious styles. Among these it will be enough here to mention his numerous Shakespeares, Wood’s “Natural History” and Wood’s “Natural History of Man,” and Routledge’s “English Poets.” How extensive the Fine Art business of the firm must have been may be gathered from the fact that before 1855 they had paid one engraving house--the Messrs. Dalziel Brothers--upwards of £50,000. In 1854, Mr. Routledge established a branch house at New York, and in 1865, Mr. F. Warne--his brother had previously died--on the termination of the partnership, established a fresh business in Bedford Street, Covent Garden. With his two sons--Mr. Robert and Mr. Edmund Routledge--the founder now carries on the business at Broadway, Ludgate Hill, having removed thither when the railway improvements took place in Farringdon Street. NOTE.--For these statistics and much of our sketch we are indebted to a writer in the _Bookseller_, who “obtained the information from trustworthy sources.” [Illustration] [Illustration] _PROVINCIAL BOOKSELLERS._ _York_: _Gent and Burdekin._ _Newcastle_: _Goading, Bryson, Bewick, and Charnley._ _Glasgow_: _Fowlis and Collins._ _Liverpool_: _Johnson._ _Dublin_: _Duffy._ _Derby_: _Mozley, Richardson, and Bemrose._ _Manchester_: _Harrop, Barker, Timperley, and the Heywoods._ _Birmingham_: _Hutton, Baskerville, and “The Educational Trading Co.”_ _Exeter_: _Brice._ _Bristol_: _Cottle._