New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-06-08
T,ur TRUE STORY OF HUxBoLDTsLIB LIBRARY


N, Albert Cohn. of the firm OF A. Asher a
s nhe original buyers Of the Humboldt horary'' n'
,h following explicit statement OF facts naae nuOei
of the National Zeitt1ng. He says
n, en-, ip,erest Of the firm Of A. Asher CO.. OF whcn
!" menber bought in the Summer OF 1860, IRON MI
sTert Humbodts trusty retainer, the wn3e noi haa
su sonncathed 10 Seiert by Humboldt and paid MN
for the entire coection-not lO0o thalers as nss ~
~ aSGnisifion some 100 diplomas which had been con
tcrrcd upon Humboldt by the various acadelnes anu s
Nes OF which he had been a member Beginning Wlth
The diploma Of the Academy OF Berlin datea lSS anu
closing with letter OF CONCENTRATION from the n
Academy dated MAY 2S 1882 being the last winch ne re-
d =, Ir,sent am almost unbroken file Of these docu-
au t yficb would have been so valuable to a scientific
comper. / also secured the colossal bust OF hum
bodt executed in marble by David Dangers, and pre-,
cnted t him Nv the artist The diplomas and the bust
bought september $780, at the auction sale OF MS ai
The other objects embraced in this collection such as
medals Instruments minerals, SC, which Herr LowS S
Ionged to the library at all, and at TINS SAFE became
property OF various persons Inc J bnt of IA 600 not
counting collection Of 1000 scentlhc tel i are
especially valuable by the IaGt i@a' 5 Mere printed in
limited numbers to supply private deIhanui ,hoIdt
them also, aut0graphicaly 1e'cate =. tons
m the bors persons whose names were often uusIos
an science and contained interesting notes anu w ~ xi
,nade NV iIumboldts own hand. There may DC III cAS
tsnce other libraries comprising as many or more NUi
utnes of equal value books, pt thee hSNt M@ ~
iher so marked by the cosmopolitan individuality OF us
original owner this one 1t Is PLAN tna t mos,
tng resting place would have been tne nauNe cry "
end were Intellectual. .nora
In certain circles quite GOODNESS prevailed in regard
g. the posthumous reputation OF hu3Doue von Enss
the publication Of his letters to Narnhageh h9n lis
but the rest Of the world thought dlneerTen,g'
aud many strangers came to see TINS WOlaero t th A.
Among these Mr. COgsweu, the manager oI tg -
tor Library In New York, who expressed stOs wish 20
ana N 10 that other Library in America when ONeu ts
rgn 10 German. He had some negotiations Win SUI;
styens the American Library agent in London, who al
last toward the close Of 1890 bought nom us inc Moe
collection consisting OF the library charts GpoInas;
aud hust OF the latter had copy taken peIoIe IL
a purr A.
RoVal Museum of Berlin We now relolccu III INC N.Y.
that though lost 90 Germany THIS precious oIdI9 Win
moi he broken up and scattered around the WOld pu
come hc property Of appreciatiNe country Wnlch hds
styled Humboldt It's second diScONerer But IL hiu
arrived In London before the American clN war Dohe
a. M rendered II, transfer an impOSSibiity.
Mr. stevens who thought most people dd, tnat the
disturbance would be of short duration, kept the Library
am hand for considerable time, but was at last ODgeu
o. sell IT, number OF the larger WORMS "ete
Of i England and in America. think that the ulpoas
aud bust also went TO America inc eoilee to 3L
was subjected % critical examination 10y tiS B ii
Museum, which proposed 10 buy all OF Which IL uiu o
already possess copies. ~, $500, ,,--. T.. 80.
u o,sesion of third of the books must be meant 10
apply 10 this minor part OF the Library but az us
lctufe affairs took fatal turn. The rest OF te DOCKS
wer packed boxes and given into the care OF the auc
tuueers, sOiheby, Wilkinson Co.. 10y whom they WeIe
pu up for sale But the third day after the opening
which was in June 1865, the aueuonroons OF the
urn took fir, and everything beohElhg 10 lhe
Humboldt Library, which had not been already
for this; for myself in London at the time, and
well remember that not only the Humboldt books were
burned but also Lord Charlemonts magnncent library
and collection of Mss and the books aud papers com
prsng the celebrated Antiquarian Library Of IccneheI
Of PARIS and the equally valuable one OF MT Onr, az
strnyed Not one book of the Humboldt collection, as
came into the hands OF the auctonee Went under tho
hammer. Ii is therefore, easy from the facts wHlch
LaVr stated 10 compute that but very small portion
the library has been saved