Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1881-04-28
THE GUTENBERG BIBLE SOLD.
-. 900 Paid for 1t, and 5000 Brought
by John EliOt'S Indian Bible

by John E1iOt'S Indian Bible.
At the Brinley book sale yesterday
afternoon number of books printed
in the various IRdian languages of
North America were sold, Soon after
the opening ofthe session Eliot's Indian
Bible was reached. This book, "Con.
tanning the Old Testament and the
New, translated into the Indian lam
guage, and ordered to be printed by
the commissioners Of the United Col
onies in New England, at the charge
and with the consent of the corpora
ton in England, for the propagation Of
the gospel amongst the Indians in New
England printed by Samuel Green
and Marmaduke Johnson at Cambridge,
in 1868, in the original smooth dark
morocco binding, tilleted and panel
gilt, and with gilt edges, the size of the
leaf being y by 81 inches, has, accor-
ding to the catalogue, long been
known to collectors rs one of the
largest finest, and most desirable of
all known Royal or dedication copies.
Only twenty copies of this description
were sent to England, by order of the
corporation, for presentation to the
universities and to such persons as the
governor of the corporation should
think fit" Mr.. Brinley paid 1915 for
the copy. It was started yesterday at
800, and rose by so bids to 800, at
which price it was secured by DR..
Ellsworth Eliot of this city. Mr..
Brayton Ives was the unsuccessful com
petitor. Applause followed the falling
of the hammer and the announcement
of the sale of the book.
A copy of the second edition of this
Bible, printed in Cambridge in 1855,
formerly belonging to Gov. Stoughton
and the Rev. John Danforth, was
bought by the Pennsylvania Historical
Society for $500; and Jonathan Ed
wards copy OF the same edition was
bought under the name of Birch for
$3.50
Other notable books sold during the
afternoon were John Elliots English
Grammar, 1910; John Cotton's spirit
ual Milk for Babes" translated into
the Indian language for the use of
Indian children, Cambridge, 1871, $40;
and sermons by Increase Mather in
Indian, Boston, 1898, S1l5.
The Gutenberg Bible the first book
printed with type, was reached in the
evening. description of it has al
ready been printed in the Sun 1t is in
Latin and Gothic type with illuminated
capital letters and decorations. There
are two volumes in the original binding
OF thick oak boards covered with
stamped calf and ornamented with
bra 3 corners and centre pieces. The
book was printed by Joannes Gutenberg
at Mentz n l45O-55. Mr.. Bartlett made
the first ID of $1,000. The bid was in
stantly raised by a bookseller of the
city who offered IS 800. Mr.. Brayton
Ives offered So 5000; a gentleman with Il
smooth face in the back part of the
room, who held half smoked cigar in
his fingers, offered 81, 800. There was
a long pause, The auctioneer said that
the Bible ought to bring $4,000. Mr..
Ives bid $3.50. The smooth faced gen
tleman offered $1,000. Mr.. Ives after
another long pause, made bid of
81, $50, which was instantly supple
mented by the smooth-faced gentleman
with bid of 81 800. Ten minutes
elapsed, the auctioneer pleading for n
larger figure. At lenght Mr.. Ives looked
up and Mr.. Sabin repeated his hardly
audible bid of 81 ,750, and looked with
a smile at the smooth fla ed gentleman.
Everybody else turned around and
looked at him. He smiled and said
$4,000. That was the last bid. The
hand of the auctioneer fell three times
deliberately upon the Gutenberg Bible,
and it passed into the possession of Mr..
Hamilton Cole, a lawyer, of this city,
at the price named.
A few other books were disposed Of,
and the sale of the third part Of Mr.
Brinleys library was concluded, 1t is
estimated that the prices will aggregate
in the neighborhood of $50, 000.--New
York Sun