ragg & Co. issued many new and successful books and remade
many, including the McGuffey Readers and Speller, Ray's Arithmetics and
Harvey's Grammars. Most of these met with acceptance and this was so
full and universal throughout the central West as to give opportunity to
the competing agents of other houses to honor Van Antwerp, Bragg & Co.
with such titles as "Octopus" and "Monopoly," names that were used
before "Trusts" were invented. They also called the firm in chosen
companies, "Van Anteup, Grabb & Co." These were mere playful or humorous
titles in recognition of the fact that this firm had, by its industry,
skill and energy, captured a larger share of the patronage of the people
than was agreeable to its competitors, and they, in despair of success
by fair means, resorted to the old-fashioned method of calling their
antagonist bad names. The best books, if pressed vigorously and
intelligently, were sure to win in the end, and the people who used the
books cared little what name appeared at the foot of the title-page.

In all important book contests the firm that holds possession of the
field is much in the situation of the tallest man in a Kilkenny Fair.
His head sticks up above the crowd and therefore gets the most knocks.

[Revisers and Editors]

The latest revision of the McGuffey Readers, five books, was prepared
and published by the American Book Company in 1901, under the same
general direction as the revision of 1878; but the actual work was done
by Dr. James Baldwin who was the author of the Harper Readers and of
Baldwin's Readers. Even in this latest edition there are in the higher
books many selections that appeared in the earliest. Care was taken to
maintain the high moral tone that so clearly marked Dr. McGuffey's work
and to bring in from later literature some valuable new material to
displace that which had proved less interesting and less instructive.
These books acquired at once a large sale, and the sales of the previous
editions are still remunerative.

Of the men connected with these successive owners of these copyrights it
seems proper to name those who directed the revisions which took place.
It is evident that none were undertaken without long and anxious
discussions as to the need of revision and of its nature. In such
decisions all partners would take part; but finally the actual direction
must come into the hands of some one partner whose experience and
qualification best fitted him fo