Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-06-12
WHAT is FAMEl
Names for n Cent Apiece that We're
Not Born 10 DIE.

NHuAGa Tut - OtAt ADaeCe tnNL Hefi
Not Torn 10 DIE.
New York World, June 81
Messrs, Bangs & Co. YESTERDAY
afternoon began the sale of a col
lection of autographs, comprising
2134 names, of which some five
hundred were put up, the majority
selling at the rate of a cent or d
nickel. The first was the neat and
careful one Of Mr.. Jacob Abbott
author of the "Rollo Stories" II
was valued at 10 cents, as was also
that Of Mr.. John S. Abbott. The
handwriting of Mr.. Lyman Abbott
born in 1885, and described in the
catalogue as an author and LAWYER
Of New York." was next presented
to the buyers and brought | cent.
John Quincy Adams postal frank
brought 10 cents, while the hand
writing of Professor Agassiz was
sold for $1.25. 1t wasn't until the
name Of John Armstrong was
called that any such price was again
obtained, though many as good a
sounding name interviewed, includ-
ing the euphonious one of Cakes
Ames, which was disposed of for a
8 centpiece. BenedictArnold whose
title of traitor in big letters pre-
ceded all other descriptions of him
in the catalogue, brought $1.25,
without the last seven letters of his
christian name. Isaac N. Arnold,
Sixth Auditor of the United States
Treasury, didn't bring a cent,
neither would anybody buy Mr..
George E. Badger, though a mem
Der Of Harrison's cabinet; nor
Henry Baldwin, nor many other
names beginning with a B, P. Il.
Barnum, however, sold for 20 cents,
and General Nathaniel P. Banks
for 5 cents.
Several of the famous signatures
to the Declaration Of Independence
were put up, and it was rather
curious the different valuations
which were put upon each, when
all might seem to be equally yalu-
able. The highest price in this list
was paid for the name of .Joseph
Bartlett, NJ. D. The largest price
procured during the sale was So
given for an autographed letter adj
dressed to William Penn by John
Blackwell, governor of the province
of Pennsylvania, and which bore
date 1859. To dispose of Senator
Blaine's signature it was found
necessary to lump it with the hand
writing of Francis P. Blair, in
which connection it sold for five
cents. This was not, however, a
circumstance to the ~unfeeling treat
ment Of Benjamin f. Buffers sig
nature. IL was offered in that most
interesting of all forms, upon the
back Of a bank check, but there
were no bidders; ther it was Jumped
with the interesting cognomen of
one Robert NJ. Bugg, a member OF
congress from Tennessee, and still
no one cried for it. AS a last resort
the first B. F. Butler, of Jackson's
Cabinet, was appended to the lot.
In vain, however, were all the
efforts of the auctioneer; General
Buffers name would't sell. This
wasn't the case with Zaohariah
Chandler; his name was eagerly
snapped up for a five cent piece.
Caleb Gushing, catalogued as At
torney- General for the United
States, United States Commissioner
to China, Judge of Massachusetts,
Supreme Court, Mayor of New
buryport and Brigadier- General in
the Mexican war" sold for a dime,
which was five cents less than was
paid for the signature of Charles
A. Dana. JEFF Davis signature
was valued at $1.05, while General
Dix (who is said by the catalogue
to have been born in 1880 fetched,
after considerable exertion on the
part Of the au%ctieneer, ten cents.