Mershon Company
William Livingston Mershon (1857-1942) began as a printer with his brothers in 1873 in Rahway, New Jersey. The outfit quickly expanded to being a printer, binder and electrotyper. In 1877 it published the monthly "Leisure Hours" periodical. By 1878 a number of books with the W. L. Mershon & Co. had been printed. A second periodical, the semi-weekly Rahway Advocate, was started in 1882.
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In 1890 the firm incorporated as The Mershon Company. A large percentage of its work was being done for the Cassell Publishing Company. The latter firm in 1893 went into receivership when its manager Oscar Dunham embezzled funds and disappeared. This action forced Mershon to suspend its operation temporarily. Subsequently William Mershon reorganized Cassell and took over as its president. In 1897 Mershon left Cassell and established a new Mershon Company.
In 1897 Mershon began to publish books in series. Standard Series, Sterling Series, Plymouth, New Edinburgh and Library Edition.
In January, 1905 The Stitt Publishing Company was organized by William M. Stitt, W. L. Mershon and Joseph Scammell. It published some Mershon books and was the selling agent for Mershon. The Stitt Company dissolved early in 1906 and the plates (imprint) of the books published by Stitt returned to Mershon. By October, 1906 Mershon has sold its plates to the Chatterton-Peck Company and its printing and binding business to Quinn & Boden.
This bookmark advertised "About My Father's Business" which was published in 1900.
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The Books:
The Mershon Company published numerous juvenile series, publisher’s
series and individual books. The first of the series were published in
1897. The publisher’s series printed that year were: Standard Series ,
Sterling Series, Plymouth Series , New Edinburgh and Library Edition.
The only series for juveniles published in 1897 was the Henty Books.
Dating Mershon books can be done (at least approximately) by looking at the title page.
The title page of books from 1897-1901 only note New York. The volumes between 1902 and 1906 note New York and Rahway, N. J. on the title page.
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Early editions of the "Henty Books” (1897) only have the Rahway, N. J. noted on the title page. Other early (non series) books also have been seen with this imprint. No books published after 1897 have been seen with only Rahway on the title page.
I do not know whether other 1897 publisher’s series have the Rahway only title page.
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The Stitt Company books mostly had a characteristic title page during its year (1905) of activity. Several horizontal rectangles which include the book title, author, and imprint are on that page. In most, but not all, this title page is seen with 1906 Mershon juvenile series books.
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Distinguishing dates between 1898-1906 can sometimes be done by examining the ads in the book. If the jacket is present, it lists the Rover Boys’ books on the front flap and the last Rover Boy title can be dated.
Shown below is the front flap from a dust jacket. There are three Rover Boys listed. Rover #4 was published in 1900 and Rover #3 was published in 1899. Thus, the book is probably from 1899. Also note there are three "Flag of Freedom Series” books (Bonehill) shown. #4 in that series was published in 1900. Thus, more proof that this book is an 1899 edition.
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Mershon published many Horatio Alger titles. With the exception of the "Flag of Freedom Series" and the titles that appeared in the "Wideawake Library”, the books, although they may have had common covers, were not designated as series by Mershon.
Examples:
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