Coggins: Yes. There was no binding machine here on the 



eoast* All of oiir books were bound by hand* In 

 New York at that tiioe, the machine would cut thi 

 boards « paste it» fold it up and be all readj to 

 put on the sheets* 



Gilbt The binding must have been a very high percentage 

 of the cost* 



Cogglns: Yes* The printing and paper weren^t so high as the 

 more complicated B»chanical process* 



Another bookseller-publisher here was 

 Alec Robertson, who was a character; everybody 

 knew him* When he wanted to be, he was hard of 

 hearing. He also had the habit of never answering 

 letters* One time e man eaiMi down frcoi somewhere 

 in the mountains. He raged into the store and 

 confronted Robertson with "You're a hell of a 

 businessman; I've written to you three times snd 

 I haven't heard from you* Now I've come two 

 himdred miles just to get an answer*" He thought 

 Robertson would wilt* Instead, Robertson said, 

 "You know, you've proved s(»aething I've contended 

 all my life, that if you leave every letter alone 

 it will answer itself*" 



