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 for literary work.

As has been seen, Mr. Winthrop B. Smith was for a few years, while the business was still in its infancy, the sole owner and the manager of every part of his business.  Mr. Pinneo contributed aid from 1843 to 1856; but even before his work was finished Mr. O.J.  Wilson’s skill became recognized and his mind was dominant in literary matters so long as he remained a partner—­until 1877.  But in the meantime he had carefully trained a successor in the editorial work, and from 1877 until 1907 the responsibility fell upon him.

[New Competitors]

The story of the revisions of 1843 and 1853 has been told.  The books were apparently in satisfactory use in a large part of the West; but about 1874 the firm thought it wise to exploit a new series.  At its request Mr. Thomas W. Harvey prepared a series consisting of five books.  This series was published in 1875; but the experience of a few years with the Harvey Readers showed that the people still preferred the McGuffey Readers and after long discussion and hesitation it was agreed that these should again be revised.  This determination was hastened by the publication of the Appleton Readers in 1877, and by the incoming of a number of skilled agents pushing these books in the field that had for many years been held so strongly for the McGuffey Readers as to baffle the best endeavors of two or three Eastern publishers who had tested the market.

The Appleton Readers were prepared by Mr. Andrew J. Rickoff, then superintendent of the Cleveland schools; Mr. William T. Harris, then superintendent of the St. Louis schools, and Professor Mark Bailey of Yale College.  They were largely aided in the lower readers by Mrs. Rickoff.  These books, with this array of scholarly and well-known authors, illustrated with carefully prepared engravings, well printed and well bound, became at once formidable competitors for patronage and went into use in many places where the McGuffey Readers had served at least two generations of pupils.  The Harvey Readers stood no chance in this competition.