Bibliophemera

  Poor William M. Stuart. He must have had high hopes for his book manuscript when he sent it to Bobbs-Merrill for publishing consideration in 1927. He had four questions in his accompanying letter for which he sought constructive feedback: 1. Does the sex interest hurt it? 2. Is the history stressed too much? 3. Does the "double" motif hurt it? 4. Is it well written? The letter and manuscript found their way to Anne Johnston, likely an editor at some level in the publishing firm. She began with a polite response that seemed headed for a graceful exit without having to critique Mr. Stuart’s writing. She even indicated there was no problem with the first three questions. But her response to the fourth question did not pull any punches: “I’m afraid I must confess—as it seems to me--the most striking defect in your work is the style, which is simply not that of the craftsman. This won’t give you any help, I know, and I’m sorry. I haven’t anything to suggest, either, except study...

Conrad Witter was a prominent St. Louis publisher of German language educational books in the late 19th to early 20th century. Some of his books found their way to a German community in Texas in 1912, as indicated on this billhead, less than a decade before their use for instruction in public schools was outlawed. Actually, in 1909, three years before this order was placed, the Texas legislature passed a law mandating English as the primary language of instruction in public schools. Rural schools whose teachers taught a bilingual curriculum with the primary language being German, carried on as usual despite the law. Enforcement was problematic in the rural farming communities and the schools themselves may have been funded by their communities, creating a loophole in the law meant for public schools.  Germans began immigrating to Paige, Texas and the surrounding communities in Bastrop County and Central Texas before the Civil War. After the Civil War, German immigration experienced...