s which had never before been dreamed of. After leaving
Cooperstown, he began business for himself in Buffalo, publishing
magazines, and on his removal to New York, in 1858, discovered, in the
publication of "The Dime Song Book," the field which he afterward made
so profitable. To the song books were added, in rapid succession, the
"Household Manual," the "Letter Writer," and the "Book of Etiquette." In
the summer of 1860 the Dime Novels were started. These little
salmon-covered books became immediately popular all over the country,
and the business grew to vast proportions, until Beadle had about
twenty-five writers employed in the composition of stories for his
imprint. The business was afterward expanded to include the publication
of popular "Libraries,"--the Dime Library, the Boy's Library, the Pocket
Library, and the Half-Dime Library. After his retirement from business,
as a resident of Cooperstown, Beadle did much for the development of the
village.

[Illustration: MAIN STREET

Looking west from Fair Street, 1861. The Clark Gymnasium displaces the
two buildings at the left.]

The village had troubles of its own during the progress of the war. In
the spring of 1862, a disastrous fire, the largest conflagration in the
history of Cooperstown, destroyed at least a third of the business
district. The fire started near the Cory stone building, which alone
survived of the stores and shops in the path of the flames that spread
on the north side of Main Street, and extended from the building next to
the present Mohican Club as far east as Pioneer Street. The fire then
crossed to the south side of Main Street, destroying the old Eagle
Tavern, originally the Red Lion, and burning westward as far as the
present Carr's Hotel. Up Pioneer Street, on the west side the flames ate
their way as far south as the Phinney residence. The buildings at the
eastern corners of Main and Pioneer streets were several times on fire,
and were saved only by supreme efforts of the village firemen. The
survival of the Cory building was due in part to its solid stone
construction, but chiefly to the efforts of two plucky men, David P.
House and George Newell, who stationed themselves on the roof, and while
the fire worked its way around the rear of the building, succeeded in
defending their position, although so terribly scorched that for weeks
afterward they went about swathed in bandages.

A few nights later the Otsego Hotel and adjacent buil