The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • Page 107

vffv Books Crossword IF Gardening. 8F Gossip 2F House Plans. 8F Music 9F SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 7,1982 Section Mills Celebrates Love Affair Witt) Ms itS i vjl i I'S fWi I 7s raff 1 'mXzra r1: -Til U'L-- wf it 3 trom at 90 Staff photo by Bill Welch Surrounded by the books they love, Bernie and Adele Schweid will celebrate the 90th anniversary of the founding of Mills Book Stores with an open house at their store at 1817 21st S. from noon until 5:30 p.m. today.

Mrs. Schweid's father, the late Reuben M. Mills, founded the store in 1892. By LOUISE DAVIS NASHVILLE has been a book-buying town since its earliest days, and today the oldest bookstore now operating in the City celebrates its 90th birthday reaching almost half-way to the city's founding. Mills Book Stores with three Stores in Nashville now will jiold open house from noon Until 5:30 p.m.

this afternoon at the An exhibit of framed prints by photographer Edward Steiehen opens today in conjunction with HHUs9 90th birthday. See sto ryonpage2E. Hillsboro Village store on 21st Avenue, with souvenir gifts presented every; hour and a drawing for three grand gifts at 5 p.m. Mr. and Mrs.

Bernie Schweid, owners of the store, will be hosts for the celebration. i Every visitor is invited to register for the grand prizes, and each winner will receive approximately $1,000 worth of books at the 5 p.m. drawing each gift eluding 100 books in one of the windows of the three book stores. TO REMIND customers of the 1892 era when the late Reuben M. Mills opened his first book store on Fourth Avenue, the Union Station Barbershop Quartet will sing during the afternoon celebration.

And Mills' daughter Adele (Mrs.Bernie) Schweid, and her husband will stir bookish memories with their display of 90 best sellers one from each year the store has been in business. "Most best sellers are forgettable," Schweid said. "They range from cook books, diet and health books to romances. They are almost never lasting, books. The best seller in 1895, for instance, was.

Bonnie Briar Bush by Ian McLaren. Have you ever heard of that?" Though titles change and writing styles change, readers have not changed markedly during the 90 years of the store's history, Schweid said. Women, for the most part, read for pleasure-mostly romances. Men like books of violence, intrigue, espionage. SCHWEID SAID he is engaged in a running battle with male customers, business men especially, who say they don't have time to read fiction.

They prefer to read about sports or economics or politics. Schweid reminds them that fiction has much to teach about human nature insights that any business man could put to good use in his day-to-day buying or selling or management. Many men, as well as women, say they cannot find time to read the books they long to read, but Schweid passes along the wisdom his father-in-law, Mills, imparted: keep a book in hand wherever you go to the dentist, to the airport, to a business appointment and read during the moments of waiting. "I used to keep a book in the car when I picked up our two sons at school," Adele Schweid said. "I got a lot of reading done while I waited for them.

It was the same way when I took them to the dentist." BUT FOR THOSE who already know the delight of reading, there is a special bond with the bookseller. A trusted bookseller can steer a customer away from a best seller that is hardly worth its price. He can introduce him to books the customer is likely to treasure. The bookstore, in a way, becomes a place to exchange ideas. It is unlike any other selling business, Schweid says.

Ideally the book store is a place to relax, later Berry and Tannehill formed what was to become the famous Berry's Bookstore. The fame of Nashville as a book-loving town was wide Stewart said. Ralph Waldo Emerson is said to have written Thomas Carlyle that Nashville was second only to Boston in book sales in this country. 4 In the 1850s, there were five bookstores in Nashville, and only the Civil War put a stop to the continued influence of Berry's" Bookstore, which finally closed in 187641 years after it opened. SIXTEEN YEARS later, irt 1892, an 18-year-old lad named Reuben Mills opened his first bookstore on Fourth Avenue, between Church and Union streets where drinking and gam bling were rampant.

Mills stocked not only paperback books and newspapers in (Turn to page 2-F) enjoyed a wide patronage almost from the beginning of the city. In fact, the earliest settlers brought their bundles of books with them, along with their furniture and pots and pans, and the thirst for new books had supported a total of 179 different bookstores by 1978, David Marshall Stewart, head of Metro's public library system, said in an article published in the Tennessee Historical Quarterly that yea r. The earliest bookstore Stewart discovered was founded in 1810 by a native of Scotland, Duncan Robertson, a generous civic leader (called "the most benevolent man that had ever lived in to whose memory the city erected a monument. In 1814, 1815, 1818, 1829 and 1835, new bookstores were established here. But none attained quite the club-like atmosphere that William T.

Berry's famed bookstore on the public square offered in its 41 years (1835 to 1876). In the to browse, perhaps to discuss a favorite author or issue of the day. At Mills, as with Zibart's book store another, long-time family business in Nashville, which recently sold its Green Hills store to a chain of bookstores after 85 years here customers sense an almost clubby atmosphere where the sales staff remember individual likes and dislikes. "There is not only a special feeling for customers," Schweid said. "There is a special pleasure in discussing books with publishers' representatives who come to see us regularly.

Sometimes we. wind up by inviting them to our home for the evening, and no matter what the conversation, we always wind up talking about books." IT IS DOUBTFUL if any other bookstore in Nashville history has remained in one family for 90 years, but there is ample evidence that booksellers here have Weekend costs $95 per couple, which includes champagne, dinner for two at either of the hotel restaurants, a full breakfast in the restaurant or continental style through room service. For another $35 guests can stay a second night. KRAMM SAID six to 10 people take advantage each weekend of the Mariott's less ex Season 0 t- 5, Hotels Enliven Winter With Weekend pensive Honeymoon Plan at $59 a night, which comes with champagne and breakfast. If they want to go first class, couples can rent a luxury suite for $175 a night.

A new plan, called the Eagle Escape, is available at the Nashville Marriott to military and government personnel. It includes the same price and amenities as the Honeymoon Bob Kramm, director of marketing for Nashville's Marriott, said that hotel offers an "Escape Weekend" because of the economy. "It's forced people to take shorter, weekend he said. About 14-20 people living within a one-hour radius escape to that hotel each weekend. A basic, one-night Escape store's handsomely furnished reading room, the city's leading citizens drank tea and discussed authors of the day.

Berry was son-in-law of one of the city's book-loving bankers, Wilkins Tannehill, a noted orator who spoke at the laying of the cornerstone of the state capitol on July 4, 1845, made a welcoming speech when Lafayette visited here in 1825, greeted President Monroe when he visited here in 1819, and twice served as mayor of the city. AT ABOUT that same time, Tannehill was associated with a "Mr. West, manager of a book store." Whether Tannehill and West were partners in a book store is not clear. But in 1826, 13-year-old William T. Berry moved to Nashville from Hickman County to take a job in Tan-nehill's printing company.

By 1833, 20-year-old Berry had married Tannehill's daughter, Mary Margaret, and two years Plan but adds an Eagle Escape Bonus. Guests are given discount coupons good for dollars off at the hotel or several area attractions, such as Twitty City or Printers Alley. This month the Marriott offers "Football Fling" weekends at the rate of $39 per night or $60 for two nights with advance reservations. There's a Pep Rally before each game and a post-game Victory Party. Shuttle from hotel to Vanderbilt stadium is available at extra cost.

SPENCE MANOR has come up with its own "Football Package." Manager Edna Bloodworth said the $99 per couple price includes one night in a one-bedroom suite, a cheese board, continental breakfast and roundtrip transportation for an in-town football game. Or, for $120, a couple can request the Honeymoon Package, which includes a king size bed, a "special" cheese board, according to Bloodworth, fresh flowers, a bottle of champagne and "breakfast in bed if they want it." Most of their honeymooners are "local people," said Bloodworth, "who have eight o'clock weddings" and leave next day for a trip. Spence Manor provides transportation to the airport. THE HERMITAGE Hotel gives newlweds booked in the $125 a night bridal suite his and her bathrobes, plus candy, flowers, a fruit basket and Escapes' There's also a "Luxury Package" for $79.50 per couple per night which salesperson Brenda Steely said attracts "a lot of people from surrounding towns." Visitors attending an event at the Performing Arts Center will sometimes stay over, she said, and "make a weekend of it." LYNN BRILEY, director of sales at the Maxwell House, said that facility offers "Love Packages" at $95 a couple with an advance booking. "We get all kinds," he said.

"That's the reason we didn't name it a honeymoon package." Included in that price are overnight accomodations on the VIP floor, a bottle of champagne, two free cocktails, hors d'oeuvres and room service breakfast. This month the Maxwell House discounted its standard rate for a room for two. The $34.50 per couple per night rate includes health club privileges. GREG HOUENSTEIN, director of sales at the Radisson Plaza, said their traditional Honeymoon Package "could really be called a honeymoon anniversary package." The $90 per night rate for a corner suite includes champagne, cheese and fruit, a carnation and breakfast for two. The Hyatt Regency's special winter rate will continue through Feb.

15. The $39 per night price tag covers accomodations only. It's advertised as "affordable over By VICKIE KILGORE EAST AS THE tourist season winds down and visitors from afar are few between, Nashville hotels look for business closer home. This fall several are opening their doors wide to entice honeymoon and anniversary couplesand those in between with specially packaged getaway weekends. John Hogan, general manager at the Sheraton-Nashville Hotel, said that facility usually serves more local people during the off-season now through spring than during the rest of the year.

These visitors are often Nashville area residents "from Murfreesboro to Goodlettsville who were not able to take a two-week vacation." INSTEAD THEY "make it a mini-vacation," he said, with a weekend away from home. The Sheraton expects to book its one millionth room by next February. To celebrate the hotel's 14 years in Nashville Hogan said, "The person who actually sleeps in the millionth room will get the night free and a trip for two to some warm weather climate." Details have not been finalized, but Hogan said, "It will be a really fancy trip." Additionally, room rates will be reduced to $29.95 from Dec. 15 through February "as a way to say thank you to Nashville," according to Hogan. CURRENTLY THE Sheraton offers what Hogan calls a "bare bones" package at $34.95 per couple per night, which includes two "welcome cocktails." i l- i night elegance.

champagne..