A H Wheeler And Company Pvt.

A H Wheeler And Company Pvt. Ltd. It was during the unsettling phase of the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 that a Frenchman, Mr. Emili Edward Moreau, came to the sanctified pilgrim town of Prayag (now called Allahabad), to seek his fortune. One of his greatest passions which ruled his life, was his love of reading. Although, a Frenchman by origin, he actually spent his childhood and received his education in England. In fact, he came to Allahabad as a representative of Bird & Company, Calcutta, and an English firm. This love for reading led him towards establishing varied contacts with the printing/publishing world in England. His long standing, influential relationship with Arthur Henry Wheeler of England began thus. Then, for some reason not known to us, Mr. Moreau, decided to leave Allahabad. His one main hindrance to do so was his unwieldy personal collection of books, journals and magazines. This anthology, being of inestimable value to him, he had to decide to dispense with utmost care. By a stroke of providence, Moreau reached Allahabad Railway Station one day and keenly observed the attitude of the long-distance travellers, especially the English. He noticed how these passengers, enthusiastically approached the book-laden almirahs.After observing the extreme popularity of magazines and journals with the numerous passengers of the Allahabad Railway Station, Moreau single-mindedly, decided to stay back and establish a bookstall business. Realizing the suitability and impact of using an English name for his firm, he approached Arthur Henry Wheeler to lend his name and goodwill as he was already a well-established figure in the realm of the English book trade. To this proposal, however, his friend readily agreed. Thus, was introduced the name ARTHUR HENRY WHEELER into the Indian network. Moreau began expanding his business with the regular supply of books and journals which his patron sent over from England. After getting the permission from the Chief Commissioner of Railways, Government of India, they managed the Railway companies, and paid taxes to the Government out of the profit earned. But, when the bookstall business of Allahabad began in 1877, the work on the expansion of the Railway tracks had just commenced. Within a short period of time, Moreau succeeded in making his venture profitable not only in the major stations of Northern & Eastern Provinces, but, his business flourished till the farthest towns of the then undivided India. The Head office of A.H.Wheeler was established in Allahabad where it is still housed, even after 135 years. With its prosperity came along several prestigious names of well-known writers and publishers who began to communicate with the reading public through the “House of Wheeler”. Thus, within a short span, the Wheeler book-stalls became a genuine, and central attraction for the passengers, and the general book lovers, too. During this period, a young author who would soon become world famous, got his first series of books published by the house of Wheelers. He was an Anglo-Indian gentleman called Rudyard Kipling and his book called Plain Tales from the Hills’ and six other stories  were issued as the “Indian Railway Library Series” by A.H. Wheeler. These were the first publications of Kipling’s collection of stories. The National Contribution For Twenty two years, the stalls of Wheeler exhibited an over-whelming collection of foreign books and periodicals. 95% of the buyers were the English and the English-speaking nationals only. The Indian participation was extremely lukewarm. Even the higher grade employees of the head office and the branch offices at Bombay and Calcutta, under the wheeler’s supervision were mainly Englishmen or a few Anglo-Indians.