Smyrna times., 1866-06-06
An Eccentric BOOkhunter.


A curious case of eccentricity is described in
the following facts which have lately fallen nm
der our notice. A good many years ago,
gentleman who filled prominent situation in
one OF our banks, at a good old aye. married
his servant. The pair lived happily together
for several years, when the old gentleman died.
leaving by his will fl000 to his widow, in ad-
dltlOn to an annuity Of e3O0 per annum and
house, which he had built and furnished in
tlrstrate style, situated in the best part of the
South-slde The house is a fine mansion con-
tanning ten or eleven rooms, all elegantly. or
one elegantly furnished and is situated in the
midst OF garden, surrounded by high stone
wall. Shortly after her husbands death, the
widow became notorious for two peculiarities
The first was, the rigid exclusion of all visitors, of
whatever kind, from her house-th the invariable
answer to all entreatleS to see her being that
she was not at home, or could not be seen; the
second was her constant attendance at all book
and most other sales which took place in Edin-
burg, where, during the season, she might dai-
y be seen carrying large blue bag in which
she deposited and carried home her purchases.
These, We may mention, were generally of the
most miscellaneous description, and apparent
y made without any taste or discrimination. -
Matters went on thus for nearly twenty years.
Tine Sunday the old lady, in her usual health,
went out to her garden to take the air, and, as
she dd not return so speedily as was her wont,
her servant looked out at the main door, when
she found her mistress sitting on the stone
steps dead. This unexpected event speedily
cleared up the mystery which enveloped her
domestic relations. On the house being enter
ed by warrant from the sheriff, it was found
that she had converted the whole house into
vast magazine for the conservation of the pur-
chascs OF the last twenty years; and such
scene presented itself as we believe seldom be-
tore met mortal eyes The lobby, handsome
one, had been decorated with statuarv figures
standing, with the pedestal, some eight feet
high; but these were totally hidden by piles of
books, intermiXed with rubbish Of every de-
scnptlon, heaped up on either side of the lob
by-a narrow track alone being left in the cen
ire, through which, with great difficulty, pas
sage could be made. Every room in the house
was IN similar state. Immense piles Of books,
rotton mattresses, stuffed dogs, female dresses.
made and unmade, cheap jewellery, old bon
nets, pictures and prints, with great variety
OF other articles, intermixed with straw, hair,
shavlngs, etc, covered all the floors to the depth
OF several feet and similar piles filled the beds,
and lay heaped on every article OF furniture in
the house The smell from the mass oftester-
lug rubbish, as may be conceived, was intolera-
ble, and it slckened some Of the men who first
entered the house.
From height to which the books had been
piled up, 1t was found impossible to enter some
OF the rooms until portion was removed and
upwards of five tons weight of books had to be
carried away before this could be effected. No
description could give an adequate idea of the
state OF the house; but some approximations
to it may be made if our readers will suppose
the contents Of twenty pawnbroker's shops
east lndiscrlminately into heap, and after be-
ing thoroughly mixed by means of pitchtork,
tossed III heaps into circumscrlbed space.
The deceased seems to have made purchases
merely tor the pleasure OF purchasing, as most
OF the smaller articles were found tied up i'll
bags of parcels precisely in the state in which
they had been brought home. She seems to
have burrOwed in whole which she scooped
out amidst a vast quantity of rubbish in one of
the rooms and there, on the hoor-with only
hair mattress beneath her, the tick of which
had rottcd away on one side-she took her rest
i'll the dress she daily wore, without blankets
or covering of any kind. 1t may be mention
ed also that the deceased, though purchaser
of books to so large an extent, never read any
of them, nor knew anything of their value; and
when asked by individuals at sales, as occasion
ally she was, what she did with so many books,
her answer invariably was, that she bought
them to present to ministers, or the children Of
her friends. The tenacity with which she pre-
served the secrets of her prison-hOuse may also
be judged of by the fact that her present SER
want, young Highland girl, has never Though
she has been six months in her service been
beyond the walls of the garden; and when her
brother came from the country to see her, the
police had to be called in before thai could be |
accomplished. The girl was carefully locked
up every time the deceased left the house, un-
til her return; and she never was allowed to 90
out of her MISTRESS sight.-ScotSmdn.