OUR SENIOR BOOKSELLER

Evening Star, Issue 20033, 26 November 1928, Page 5

OUR SENIOR BOOKSELLER

KB JAKES CAFFIK In tho seventies the firm of Wise, Oaf fin, and Co. had tho principal bookselling business in Dunedin, its shop at tho corner of Princes and Rattray streets, known then and for a generation subsequently as “ Wise’s Corner.’' Mr James Caflin, one of tho member, of the firm, is still with us, living with bis son, Mr C. R. Caflin, at St. Kilda, and enjoying robust health, although in his eighty-eighth year, and it was tho pleasure of a ‘Star’ representative to have a chat with him the other day. Mr Caflin first carne to New Zealand in 1867, being sent across from Melbourne by Bauds and M'Dongnll, manufacturing stationers, who had a contract with the New Zealand Government cn supply the Government printer will) all tho paper ho required; also to provide all departments of tho Public Service with stationery. For tho duty of representing his Melbourne firm Mr Caflin had had a thorough training, as ho came of a business family. His father was a draper in England, and went to Victoria with his wife ami children in 185-1, and in the Old Country as well at in Melbourne young Janies got the education and experience that qualified him for a commercial life. Ho remained in Wellington until the- Government decided to purchase its paper and stationery in London, through tho AgentGeneral. Bands and M'Dougall thereupon closed their branch in Wellington, and Mr Caflin went hack to Melbourne. Not, however, for very long. His firm made him its commercial traveller, and instructed him to revisit New Zealand. Whilst engaged that way he came into contact _with Mr Henry Wise, who induced him to resign from Sands and M'Dougall’s service and become a partner in the_ Dunedin business. Hence the formation of tho firm of Wise, Caflin. and Co. Mr Wise started in Dunedin in 1862, Ins shop being in Princes street smith, nearly opposite where the Public liust office now stands but at the time that Mr Caflin joined tho business was shifted'to the Princes street site known ns Wise’s Corner, now occupied ■by the Government Life Insurance department. The position at the time of Mr Caflin being made a partner was that Mr Wise had tho publishing of a New Zealand directory on his mind, and was finding that tho work it involved meant too much for one man unless tho bookselling was neglected. \ s it was. both sides of tho business flourished,' The directory has been published continuously ever since, ami [s now a very big affair, tho property of a company The bookselling of tho firm was tho principal business of tho kind in Dunedin, tho only other laigo shop in the trade here being Mi Jas. liorsburgh’s. After being for eighteen yc.us "HI Mr Wise, from 1875, Mr Caflin returned to his previous employment as in Now Zealand for bands and MdDougall, and continued that wort HU ] Tho arrangement no nan wiill his' firm was to carry on uijon commission, without salary, mdc ; tt -hat ho required for New Zealand needs direct from England, and paynv. his own charges. Having m 1920 reached tho ago of seventy-nine am finding his memory not so good as it had been, ho voluntarily retired, and has since lived quite To a question as to how ho is beepin' 1 ' so tit—for ho walks a young man, ami is mentally as bright as cvei I_Mr Caffin replied that lie large y owes bis health to regular and systematic pedestrian exercise. _ In his >' third year ho sot himself tho task of walking fifty miles every week, & portion of it every day, ram or hue. By December ill. next month ho will ha-vo completed live years at tins enjoyable means of physical culture, which mea.us a total jaunt on foot of 13,000 mi es. In the course of tho chat tho veteran: spoke of changes that have come about in his timo in bookselling. Ho remembers, for instance, the day when novels were usually published m threcvolmno form, 10s Gd each volume, and ho says that tho first publisher that lie knows of who instituted a price reform, thcrchv bringing novels within the roach of ordinary buyers, was Macmillan. A member of that firm camo to New Zealand, on a tour of the Empire, to sco how tho idea, was likely to bo received, and ho saw Mr Caflin amongst othes. Tho outcome of tho tour was Hint Macmillans published, for circulation in tho British dominions new novels that were priced at 2s Gd with paper covers and lis Gd hound in light cloth; The price in England was 6s for the same books.