Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1874-03-13

tuelr cars tnat lulcy 1uOllZe 50 OaO
and barbarous a weed; or at least.
wise over.love so loathsome a vani
tie;) by a Volley of Holy Shot
Thundered from Mount Helicon.'
From this singular title it may well
be imagined that this old poet "goes
through" the vile weed in very
savage way. But l must conten,
myself with merely mentioning the
titles, with the dates of publication,
of a few of his more noticeable
works. His fine folio copy of"Scn-
eca"-the only complete English
translation-was published in 1920;
''Machiavelli," folio, in 1895; "Let.
tcrs of John Calvin" folio, 1875;
"Calvin's Complete Works. thick
folio, about the same date; "Bacon's
Advancement of Learning" folio,
1910; "Hudibras," illustrated by
the great Hogarth, vols, svo.,
1854. very scarce and valuable
edition; Hume,s England first
edition, quarto, l759-6l; Dryden's
"Poems and Plays" quarto, first
edition, 1901; together with vast
number Of others.
The Judge not only has most of
the celebrated authors of antiquity
in the original language in which
they wrote, but the most approved
translations-several editions each
of the writings of Pope, Milton,
Shakespeare, Cowper, Dante, Tasso,
Petrarch, etc.; encyclopedias and
lexicons; books printed as far back
as 1928, valuable now only as curl
osities, together with the best spec
linens Of modern literature-En-
glish, French, German and Italian.
His library comprises about 5000
volumes. One-third of it is here,
while the other two-thirds are stow
ed at his residence in Iowa. The
Jud ge is no mere collector of books
with simply a miserly bent in that
direction, but ripe, thorough
scholar, who knows the contents OF
every volume in his library. His
knowledge OF books is immense,
and only surpassed by one man
that l ever met-the Hon. Charles
Sumner, who probably has more
knowledge in this direction than
any other man living, and extend
ing into all branches of knowledge.
Judge Tabor has been frequent
contributor to various medical
magazines, having been educated
for the practice of medicine. He al
SO wrote a small volume upon some
subject connected with his studies,
which he published anonymously
some years ago. But he has now
nearly completed very elaborate
history Of tobacco, from the earliest
period OF its use to the present day,
with the fullest details of its uses
and abuses, and its effects upon the
human economy. He has compiled
and arranged the photography of
the weed, as an addcndum to his
work, which comprises the title of
every book and every noteworthy
article that has ever appeared upon
this subject. The text and biblio-
graphy will comprise all of the his
tory, poetry, physiological effects,
uses and abuses of this plant which
have been written or discovered up
to this time. 1t is a rare and inter-
esting production, unlike anything
that has ever appeared, and trust
he will soon find publisher who
will bring it out in good shape. tor
l have no doubt that it will prove to
be work Of standard and abiding
interest and value. But 1 must
close my notice of Judge Tabor and
his valuable collection. l had not
met him for ten years, until a few
evenings ago, when l called with
friend to pay our respects 10 him
and see his books, for we knew by
sort of instinct that he had gone
right on as usual increasing his col
lections. will only add that he is
as kindly and genial as he is learn
ed, and that if any of your Western
readers who have taste for books
ever come to Washington, his resi-
dence is one of the places at which
they should call, and they will re-
ceive a most friendly welcome.