HARVARD UNIVERSITY Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1890, BY WILLIAMS & ROGERS, In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C. E. R. ANDREWS, PRINTER AND BOOKBINDER. PREFACE. I N these pages will be found the result of the latest and best efforts of the authors to provide a text-book on the theory and practice of book-keeping. The BOOK-KEEPING has been a phenomenally successful book. While it was designed primarily for use in the school from which it emanated, it at once secured popular favor and a wide introduction into other schools. Since its publication, ten years ago, it has been the leading class-book upon this important topic, and has reached the enormous sale of two hundred thousand copies. The book has been changed and improved in minor parts from time to time as occasion seemed to demand, and during the past two years it has undergone a complete revision. The first part of the book was revised during the past year, and the tests given it by many teachers have fully demonstrated the wisdom of the changes which were made. The revision of the advanced portion of the book has just been completed, after much careful study, patient investigation, extended research among business houses, consultation with commercial teachers, and thorough tests of the matter selected; and it is presented to the public with confidence that it will be found thoroughly practical, replete with the best ideas of the day on the subject, and presented in a logical and teachable manner. It is the design of this work that the student's mind shall be constantly directed to the matter in hand that of learning practical book-keeping—and not become confused by theories that can be of no possible use to him in pursuing the course of study, nor of the least value to him in after life. As in the former work, therefore, it has been the aim to avoid unnecessary theorizing, yet to give a competent reason for every step to be taken, in the belief that the pupil, if he have the ability to master the subject under any circumstances, will be able to secure from the explanations and illustrations given, a thorough knowledge of the science of accounts. The claim made for this work to superiority over other publications of its character, is based, particularly, upon the manner in which the transactions selected as a basis of the student's work have been graded, the fullness of explanation of every step to be taken, the placing of such explanations in immediate proximity to the transactions, the system of references to the illustrations adopted, the encouragement to progress in penmanship afforded by the engraved pages, the ability of the pupil to rely upon himself, and the material lessening of the labor of the teacher. |