The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1883-06-29
BOOKS AS FURNITURE.
Literature by the Yard For Decorative
Porpeses-some Queer Book Buyers.

Literature by the Yard For Decorative
Purp"sos-some Queer Book Buyers.
From the New York SUM-
What are books worth dozen
good ones, you know-standard and
right up to the mark-for cashf"
The question was propounded by a
somewhat over-dressed man in an up
town bookstore. The emphasis which
he placed upon the phrase "for cash.
revealed the esteem in which he held
that article as compared with the COM
modify for which he intended to ex-
change it.
do gentlemen often buy books by
the dozen?" asked the reporter.
oh, yes" replied the salesman,
when his customer had disappeared.
Il have been sent for several times this
year to measure the shelves of libraries
in new houses, to find out the humber
OF books required to fit them up. Books
are an important item III house-furnish-
ing. The comfortable, oldtime sitting
room has made way for the formal Ii
brary. AS library without books
would hardly do, house-owners are
bound to have them whether they
possess literary tastes or not. Besides,
they add tone and color to the room. A
customer recently said to me frankly
enough: L don't pretend to read any
thing except the papers, but there's a
home feeling in having books around ;
they look well, too, and sort of encour-
age the children He told me to be
sure and "chuck" in few big ones to
put on the tables.
"The customer who just went out
ordered books for eight four-feet
shelves. He said that he did not care
much for literature, but that now a.
days library was almost as necessary
as a billiard-room. All buyers are not
so frank in speaking about the matter
The majority not only want books for
their decorative qualities, but to give
an appearance of culture.
Another harmless fellow, who
wanted the reputation of a man of cult
ure, always directed us to put in some
books that had been used little.
He once told me that he was bound to
have library as big as his neighbor's,
and whenever the latter ordered n new
stand-up showcase, he was going to do
the same.
"Some of these folks have queer
ideas. One of our customers insisted
on having his books bound after the
same pattern and numbered. Some
time afterward friend told him that
people were asking if he kept circu-
lating library; so he had morocco labels
stuck on over the figures. But this
only made the matter worse, for his
guests were particular to ask him what
the labels were for At last, in sheer
desperation, he sent the volumes to an
auction-room, and we received his order
the next day for so many feet of books,
each one differently bound. He wouldn't
have even two-volume edition of any
thing.
A wealthy man once sent i'll great
haste for a neighboring dealer, saying
that he wanted his library closed out
Immediately and new one bought.
He was Spectator in produce, but
some one had sold him law library.
He liked the uniform appearance of the
volumes, and had made the purchase
without reading the titles. His new
books were to Ice illustrated, all of
them.
"When L first went into the business
l was surprised to see at customers
house an eXtravagantly-bound copy of
Shakspeares works in the German
language / knew the man did not
understand German, and the circum-
stance puzzled me. | found afterward
that bookseller had loaded him up
with very unstable article 10y telling
him that every gentleman ought to
have a copy of Shakspeare's works in
the original. The same man once
came to us tor book to present to his
wife at their silver wedding. And what
do You think he chose? Fountaine' S
work on How the Earth was Peopled.
There was some excuse for him-he had
eleven children"