Northern Lands by Oliver Optic — Read

The party that remained in Dresden went to Leipzig in the afternoon, and found very comfortable quarters in the Hôtel de Pologne. They visited the usual round of sights; but it must be acknowledged that they did so rather from a sense of duty, than because they were interested in most of them. Doubtless they were troubled by that bugbear of travellers -- the fear of missing a sight about which some one in the future might inquire. If they failed to see it, tourists more fortunate in their own estimation would assure them they had lost the most interesting object in the city. Lincoln missed his good friend, the doctor, very much, though, as far as company was concerned, Miss Julia Gurney was an excellent substitute. But Mr. Kinnaird was exceedingly well informed, and was able to impart all needed information.

The population of Leipzig is nearly a hundred thousand. The productions of the printing press form one of the most important branches of commerce. Three fairs are held here every year, the principal of which is just after Easter; and the commercial transactions at all of them amount to nearly fifty millions of dollars. Like the fair at Nijni, they attract visitors from the most distant parts of Europe, and even from Asia, and formerly, during the Easter Fair, the population of the city was doubled. On this occasion the booksellers from all parts of Germany, with many from adjoining countries, assemble to make sales and exchanges of books, and to settle their accounts. The booksellers of Leipzig have an exchange, or _bourse_, of their own.