The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1883-07-31
AUTOGRAPH FIENDS.
Extracts From the Collection Of q
Persistent Hunter.
Characteristic Letters and Senti-
ments from the Obliging and
Bothered.
New York Star.

bothered.
New York Star
Edward w. Box, private secretary
of the attorney of the Western Union
Telegraph company, is an indefatigable
collector of autographs. P. T..
Barnum wrote to him: by extra
ordinary and sometimes annoying and
persistent persuasion and patience.
supplemented with audacity, you have
succeeded in obtaining a collection of
autographs of which any person might
be proud. By accomplishing go much
at the age of 10. I must envy you
the possession of such an autOgraphic
treasure as you will probably secure
by the time you are So" But that
was written nearly two years ago, and
since that time the collector has kept
on with indomitable perseverance. until
now his collection numbers eleven
hundred authors, artists, poets,
scholars, musicians. actors. actresses.
clergymen, politicians, capitalists, and
other persons whose names are in the
worlds history. He makes it point
not to purchase autographs, and has
only one in his collection that Was
bought. He has not only collected
names, but 10 many cases characteristic
letters. He found little difficulty in
getting autograph notes from Senator
Ferry, E. Z. Hoar, j. D. Cox. B. H.
Bristow. w. w. Belknap. Marshall
Jewell, Edwards Pierrepont, John A.
S. Creswell, Zach Chandler, Hannibal
Hamlin, the fraudulent president. r.
81. Hayes, and his fraudulent cabinet.
Hayes, with his customary hypocrisy,
wrote:
I regret that these few words are
not worthy Of the valuable space you
propose to give in your collection.
The Oldest autograph letter in the
collection Is one from Thomas j Jefferson,
dated January Z, 1870. There il one
dated January %, 1895, from Presi-
dent John Adams. to his son, Thomas
Boylston Adams, who was abroad at
school. It is a fatherly letter. filled
with good advice. One paragraph
reads:
You may do well to form some
connection with gentlemen of letters.
AZ well as persons in trade, with whom
you may correspond hereafter through
life upon subjects of science as well
as business to your profit.
Another paragraph reads:
Speculation in land goes on rapidly
IN this country.
There is an autograph letter from
Charles Francis Adams, enclosing a
letter from John Quincy Adams, to his
brother, Thomas B. Adams, dated
London. Dec. 26, 1895. 1t is a
beautiful specimen of chiography,
written very legibly in jet black ink.
Part of it reads:
Your opinion that a peace will not
be procured by the excuses of q
London mob was correct. They find
it rather a dangerous thing to tamper
With the strength of such q govern
ment as this.
The autograph of James Madison
s in the form of a check for $3.50,
payable to A. E!zey, dated April 2.
1917, The signature of John Tyler
is dated Aug. is, 1929, and is ap-
pended to q note about law case.
That of William Henry Harrison is a
check on the bank of the United
States for 800. There is a note in
the collection from President James
Buchanan to p. A. Browne, in
October. 1867. Franklin Pierce sent
his autograph with three-cent postage
stamp enclosed. This practice is OBJ
served by the great obituary bard.
George Washington Childs, A. NJ,
who feels 30 much honored by a de-
mand for bis autograph that he sends
a postage stamp with it. Mr.. Child's
letter evidently fsceious. IS he dis
claims the authorship OF those re
markable obituary verses which have
made him famous. Mr.. Child's
wrote:
Philadelphia, June 25. lsS2.-My
Dear Sir: Your polite favor is just
received, and it gives me pleasure to
comply with your request. l have
never written any poetry in my life.
think I was about Is years old when
commenced to collect autographs.
GEORGE w. CHILD.
The collection embraces q letter
from Martin Van Buren,, February 4
1885, to G. Stebbins, Albany; one
from Willard Fillmore, and one from
President Andrew johnson. Garfield
and all his cabinet fell easy victims t.
Mr.. Box. Blaine asked, 'How much
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