"imitators." The following significant remarks are taken from the
president's annual address to the members of an old and honored book
club:--

"Fame brings its penalties, and during the last year many of us have
suffered considerable annoyance, both individually and as members of
the Club, through the exploitation of books advertised sometimes as
publications of The ---- Club, and more often as publications of the
---- Society. These have usually been offered in connection with works
of distinguished authors in numerous volumes, stated, as a rule, to be
limited to a thousand copies, and described as the contents of the
private library of a lady, which the agent declares to have been
placed in his hands to dispose of as quickly as possible, regardless
of cost. No widow's cruse, apparently, could be more unfailing in its
supply than this 'private library.' While annoying, the device of a
'---- Society,' though manifestly designed to confuse the public mind
and trade on the reputation of this Club, can scarcely deceive our
members or even the book-loving public. It, nevertheless, is an
annoyance, and the more vexatious because scarcely calling for other
remedy than exposure.

"It is possible, however, that harm to the good name of the Club may
be wrought through the advertisement, in an English newspaper, to
which my attention has been drawn, of a so-called '---- Society of
Great Britain,' which is declared to have been recently formed in
conjunction with the '---- Society of the United States,' which is
described as having been established in 1884, and to have occupied its
own Club House since 1888, and to have published handsomely printed
books for sale exclusively to the members. It is announced, however,
that the '---- Society of Great Britain,' although intending to act in
conjunction with the American society, 'will work upon somewhat
different lines, at any rate at first.' It may well be that this
cleverly deceptive advertisement will require some attention from us,
either directly or through members resident abroad.

"This, however, seems to be the only fly in our ointment, and we may
congratulate ourselves that there is nothing more serious to disturb
our enjoyment of the anniversary which we now celebrate."

Another and more palpable fraud has been perpetrated in copying the
name of The Bibliophile Society, but with a slight prefix, just enough
to afford a loop-hole through which to escape legal prosecution.