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I'm not a serious collector of books although, I have hundreds of books. I just enjoy seeing and reading old books.
Someone prior to me obtaining this book, adhered a clear plastic cover, possibly trying to protect the original book cover. I'm sure to a serious collector, it would make it less desirable. It didn't stop me from adding it to my collection. This book is:
Poems For The Million , by Francis S. Smith (1871)
In the front is written:
Presented to
Mr. Francis A. (I can't make out the last name)
by his sincere friend,
Francis S. Smith
His photo is signed
The page before the table of contents is printed:
TO THE PATRONS OF
STREET & SMITH'S NEW-YORK WEEKLY,
WHOM KIND APPRECIATION ENCOURAGED ME TO HOPE THAT MY
EFFORTS IN THE FIELD OF POESY MIGHT BE RECEIVED BY THE
GENERAL PUBLIC WITH SOME LITTLE FAVOR,
THIS VOLUME OF
"POEMS FOR THE MILLION"
IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED BY THEIR HUMBLE SERVENT
THE AUTHOR
The book contains 87 poems and is 271 pages. All the edges of the pages have been gilded.
The New York Times, February 2, 1887 published the authors obituary.
Parts of which state:
FRANCIS S. SMITH'S DEATH
APOPLEXY TAKES AN OWNER OF THE "NEW-YORK WEEKLY."
Francis Shubale Smith, who with Francis S. Street has been proprietor of the NEW-YORK Weekly for nearly 30 years, died yesterday morning t the Windsor Hotel of apoplexy. He had been unconscious since Sunday morning last, when he was found lying in his room suffering from the effects of an apoplectic fit.
He was born Dec. 29, 1819 and was the son of Capt. Mosos R. Smith, a sailing master in the United States Navy, who served with credit during the war of 1812.
At 13 he became an apprentice to the printers trade, after which he worked as a compositor on various papers in the city, eventually drifting to the NEW-YORK Dispatch and eventually became a reporter.
In 1858 he, along with Mr. Street purchased the "Weekly" which was struggling for existence. When he had this paper under control, he published most of his poems and stories in its columns and 20 of the latter have been given to the world that way. His most famous story was: "Bertha, the Sewing Machine Girl". His last published story was, "Daisy Burns: or, the Fortunes of a Mill Girl". Mr. Smith also wrote a great number of poems, several appearing in book form and entitled, "Poems for the Million". Another volume of his poetry was published under the title of "The Young Magdalen and Other Poems."

Thanks for looking,
Dave