Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-10-14
OLD BOOK STORES.

Washington a Center Of Trade I'm
Old HOOks-yghat Dealers Told n star
Reporter-'Ehc Fine terary Taste of
Neutrality-suspicious. - Growing Interest
In Foreign Languagcs-Antiquar
BOOK Hunters and Their Ways-Ehe
Demand for Departmental Publica.
tiOns
An old book store is a literary grave yard.
As men go to tine grave, so books. no matter
how highly they may De valued by the owner
while living after his death nearly ALWAYS find
their way to the shelves of the anti
Quarian book store. Sometimes straitened Cir
eumstances necesstate the sale of the highly
priced collection. and sometimes those who
come after do not appreciate such treas
ures and much prefer the ready cash. no matter
how little it is. to the apparently worthless rub
bish- reporter of The STAR dropped into a
well-knOwn old book store the other day, and
Ing from floor TO ceiling and from one end of
the long stOre-roOm to the other.
WHERE THE OLD BOOKS COME FROM
"Where in the world do all these old books
come from ?" he asked the proprietor.
WELL" replied the proprietor, '.by far the
majority of them buy at public sales. while the
number, OF books brought to me for sale are
comparatively few. / buy from sales in Lon
don, New York. Boston. Philadelphia and Oc-
casiOnally. from the western cities You have to
know yourself what books you want"
"HOw can you manage to attend these saleS?"
Queried the reporter
II don't attempt to attend them. / know
from the catalogues what books | want, and
how much want TO pay for Them / send nv
bid TO the auctiOneer if know him. Or if not
20 some friend. You see. the catalogue is an
Important feature in this business. When /
commenced 1t, ten years ago. read nothing but
catalogues of public aud private sales for two
years, and now would almost as soon read q
catalogue as novel But then, you see. have
to- keep posted"
''But are you not often called upon to cata-
lOgue libraries which are to be sOld?'
.'Oh yes" said the dealer land it very fire.
quently happens that there are different editions
OF the same book, varying greatly in value. and
must be able to describe the differences. OF
Course. am paid for the work but | would
much prefer to bid on a library that / have not
eatalOsued- ! could frequently buy these
books for less if | hadn't cataIogued them"
How do you keep supplied with cata-
lOgues?"
ION. they find out very soon where and to
whom it is worth while to send catalogues"
"Do you have many orders for books from
other cities?"
A great many Ny orders are from ocean
10 ocean You see Washlngton's population is
changing all the time. thousands of people who
come and go hear of my old bookstore, and
when at home again they hear of somebody who
wants particular book, my name is suggested.
and along comes an inquiry, often followed by
m order
WHAT WASHINGTON PEOPLE NEED.
'What do you think of the literary taste Of
the citizens of Washington" asked the re-
porter.
1T is very elevated SIR" said the old book
man. The vast majority of our people are
full1abreast with the times; they want the best
and the latest The higher class of literature
such as essays, is first in demand; next comes
books on tine most recent scientific discoveries
and works upon the various branches of SC ence
Next IN ORDER are works on travels and recent
discoveries. Then the professions law first. fol-
lowed by medicine. and then way behind theology
We are very weak theology am sorry to
say OF late the better class of government
publications are very much in demand en-
DracIng government surveys and geological ex-
Positions, the publications of the Smithsonian
Institution, including their strictly technical
contributions to knowledge; and then follow
the more popular annual reports. Very valuable
works are those of the mechanical and scientific
bureaus of the War and Navy departments, in
which they are doing some of the finest work in
The world in connection with the subjects of
guns. torpedOes. testing of metals. &c. Among
the series Of publications called ordnance notes
and papers OF the War and Navy departments
are some of the latest and highest Of that class
Of inquiry"
Don't you have trouble in obtaining these
works.
Frequently / do. but I am nearly ALWAYS
able to supply some in exchange which would
De more valuable To them, and in that way get
what want"
DO You do much in ficti0n?"
"Ies, a fair trade. Fiction is an item Int not
The most Important"
II see you have quite a number of old en-
CRAVINGS on hand do you make their collection
al object?"
No 4 h-l.l ,T.
ind that the legitimate book business is all that
can attend to- But, by the way / forgot to
say that remarkable interest is taken by the
people Of Washington in works i'm foreign Ian
guases French, of course, takes the Lead but
there Is much greater demand Of late for
works in Spanish than formerly. | suppose it
Is on account OF the growing intercourse with
Mexico. In no city in the country are there SO
many finguists as in Washington You would
be surprised at the number of our ladies' who
are DESTROYS of gaining knowledge of foreign
languages, and who acquire more than a smat-
tering OF them too, as their inquiries for the
best works of the day will attest"
PECULIAR CUSTOMERS.
81 presume" said the reporter, s'that you
have some peculiar customers, who are regular
old book worms?"
Yes! men have hobbies In literature rs well
"a anything else" he replied. They are gen.
orally men who possess Libraries. and valuable
ones. TOO. and are continually on the lookout
Tor valuable additions They come here as a
matter OF habit or taste and look over the books.
They meet congenial friends and discuss their
favorite authors When they find q book that
they want they don't haggle over the price at
all They know when it is valuable and are
generally willing to pay for IL. Now there is one
mvregular customers. pointing to an old gen.
tleman standing on the top step of the ladder.
and carefully examining a shelf OF books ..he is
man Of national reputation He drops in Just as
Caleb Cushing used to, who would climb ladders
and look over books BY the hour. ;,-rrectly re-
gardless Of time or ANYTHING else but the books
before hin"
The reporter stepped aside to watch the cid
gentleman. He wore an old "a III beaver
DOmewh the worse for did