Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-09-07
BOOK RAeRLE.
A Few Remarks for the Eye of the
Book We-=
A Kamble About Memphis First
and Second Hand Book stores.

A AkambIe About Memphis First
and Second Hand Book stores.
Because Memphis failed to raise the
amount necessary to secure the estab.
lishment Of the Nash Library, an out
slider might conclude that this is not a
literary public, but in this he would
be mistaken. With a population Of
about 1900, Memphis has noless than
six first class book stores, besides in
Vulnerable news stands and other
places where books are bought and
sold. At one of the latter there are
at least ten thousand volumes, some
Of them perfectly new, and a great
number by celebrated authors.
At present the booksellers have no
call for lany special book, though a
greater number of scientific works are
sold than for years before. The de-
mand for the cheaper forms is not
nearly so great, but a steady business
is done in well bound books of all
kinds. A desire is expressed for
ornamental and substantial bindings,
and prices are moderate enough for
the general reader. AT the pawn
shops, junk and second hand stores a
vast quantity Of books have accumu-
lated, and furnish a rare treat for the
book worm. But at what a cost
Trifing, it is true, to the
dealer but rather trying to the former
possessor. 1t is related Of a certain
gentleman in the southern portion Of
the city, that his thirst for whisky
deprived him, little by little, of all his
possessions except a choice library of
books, which he finally began pawn.
ing one at a time, but always retaining
one Of each set whenever there was
more than one. The broker of course
found great difficulty in disposing Of
them, on this account, and gave the
former owner more time in which to
redeem them. At last the latter
pawned his wedding ring and with the
proceeds recovered his beloved books.
But his passion for drink triumphed
in the end Over his love for books, and
they can now be'seen% covered with dust
and cObwebs, on the brokers' shelf.
PilferiDg servants swell the stock. The
books of the learned mar are turned
into money by his sOrdid heirs, and in
rare cases actual want adds a treasured
volume to the dealers shelf. A lover
Of books would find much to amuse
and a great deal to distress him at any
Of these places. With a wild reck-
lessness which the student cannot
comprehend, the dealer mixes indis-
c~riminately the works Of the philoso-
pher and the weak sentimentalist
those Of the poet with the weird
imaginings of the minstrel song writer.
He is a great l%eveler-a true republi-
can, m might say a communist.
The student would be amused to
find a volume Of Millions Paradise
Lost" jammed in among some odd ones
Of the Boys Own Library Voltaire
and Wesley struggling, side by side,
to keep from being crowded off the
shell by the Last Of the Mohicaus."
"The Two Orphans" leaning affec.
tionately upon "Dombey and Son."
The Spy" peeping out from a pile Of
"England's Great Men," A copy Of
Bret Harte's poems ~hobnobbing with
"Homer's Illiad;" DarWin's "0rigin
Of Species" half hidden by Artemus
Ward; Talmage, Ingersoll and Huxley
standing with their backs together;
while in another corner Robinson
C%rusOe" is jammed securely by Napo-
icon. He would be grieved to see the
lqueer dress in which some Of these
worthless display themselves 10 the
public. Byron, elegant Byron, with
no covering at all; an evil eyed spider
standing guard over Scott, and
Shakespeare bathed in ink; the VIII oil @
host, grave and gay, wise and thought
less, covered with dust, ragged and
soiled, and motley as a troupe of boot
blacks.
Should the visitor price a few Of
these books, he will have further g a
son for establishment. Binding is
everything. The dealer is a man Of
the world, and like the world believes
that the tailor makes the man.
He therefore believes that the
binder makes the book.
THE Great American Card Player"
if better dressed than Macauley, will
cost more money. Diapers Intel.
%lectual Development Of Europe" il
faded, IA be bought cheaper than a
we'll bound copy Of ladies' magazines,
and so on.
The second hand dealers carefully
erase all evidences Of former owner
ship, and do not scruple to tear off the
cover Of a book, if necessary, in order
to effect this; and, considering that
they are nearly all badly abused, the
prices asked are high e~nough-sc
much so, in fact. that it would proba.
bly, be best to purchase new at once
New Crop Fresh Imported