Great Fortunes, and How They Were MadeMcCabe, James Dabney
History
Great Fortunes, and How They Were Made
McCabe, James Dabney
United States -- Biography
The new establishment of Harper & Brothers is one of the wonders of the
great city in which it is located. The buildings are of iron and brick,
and cover half an acre of ground. The establishment really consists of
two buildings. The front building faces Franklin Square, and is a
magnificent iron structure, painted white. Behind this is the second
building, which fronts on Cliff Street. A court-yard intervenes between
them, spanned by several bridges, connecting them. Each building is
seven stories in height, and completely fire-proof.
There are no openings in the floors for communication, but the various
floors are connected by circular stairways of iron, placed outside the
building. The front building, or that which faces Franklin Square, is
used for storerooms, salesrooms, and the editorial and business offices
of the establishment. In the rear building the various branches of the
book manufacture are carried on. The author's manuscript is received
here and sent back to him a complete book. Every portion of the work is
done under the same roof, and it is well done. The building is filled
with the most costly and complete machinery for saving time and labor.
Besides the machinery used in other departments, it contains in its
press-room forty-three Adams presses for book work, and five cylinder
presses for printing the "Weekly" and the "Bazaar." About 600 persons,
250 of whom are females, are employed in the establishment; and it is to
the credit of both employers and employés that but few changes occur in
this force. Many of the employés have been with the firm since its first
entrance into business. The old man in charge of the vaults--a curiosity
in his way--has been in the service of the house for fifty years, and to
leave it now would, doubtless, break his heart; for none of the Harpers
are as proud of their reputation as he is. The most perfect system
reigns throughout every department, and every thing goes on promptly and
in its proper place.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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