Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-02-23

work. lie locked the manuscripts up In the
family iron-bound chest at his bankers in
London, and went to Paris where he mar
red, and in five years from the issue of his
book died. His widow, in the same year,
removed the papers from the bankers, TAX
ing them 10 her husbands former lodgings
, over tailor's shop, where, Mr. Stevens says
I they lay on top shelf in loose bundles for
seventeen years-bOth those which had been
used aud those which had not. In 1910 II
gentleman who had been lodger with Tenn
pie Franklin in this house rescued them, and
! Kept them ten or twelve years. lie knew
they were valuable, but never having leisure
to examine them, he did not know, nor did
any one else, apparently, that they contained
large amount OF unpublished matter. They
were offered to the British MUSEUM and sue.
cessive American ministers, but in vain, ap-
porently, for the reason that they were sup.
posed to be merely the originals Of published
matter. They were purchased in 1852 by
Nlr. Stevens who has thus Ina them in his
possession thirty years, during which time
he las kept them almost Il sealed book. In
TACT they have been in pledge good part of
that time to various London bankers and
others Tor loans, which were made necessary
by the constant pecuniary difficulties which
MIR. Stevenss biblOmania got him into. They
were hnally forced to sale, and through the
efforts OF those who understood their value,
an opportunity was afforded our Government
to buy them.
MIR. Stevens, who likes little mysteries has
never given the name of the gentleman from
whom he got the collection, but has agreed
to furnish II at some future time. He has
allowed very little access to the papers, in-
tending to make use of them himself, which
NJ doubt accounts for the fact that Temple
Franklin's reputation has been allowed 50
long to take care of itself.
There is no doubt in the minds of the State
Deplrtment officials and there can lie none,
apparently OF the entire authenticity of this
collection. The proof is overwhelming
There are not only hundreds of documents
III franklins own hand, but many of
OF them bear the pencil marks,
showing they were used by the
printers as copy" in printing Temple Frank
ms work, and have many notes and marks
IN his hand-the same as sthat of the -defin.
tive treaty of peace Of 1888, which,. Temple
Franklin wrote as Secretary of Legation at
Paris, aud which is in the archives OF the
Department. Here are also whole letters OF
which Temple Franklin used only portions
In his book, and which still bear his erasing
marks. There are innumerablc items of evi.
dcnce Of this kind b. sides which the mass of
letters and documents is u fabric too closely
interviewer with the history CT the time to
mike any deception possible.
The collection includes two typewriter
copies OF every manuscript which can be
used for purposes of reference while the orig
lnals are preserved from the dangers of hand
ling. 1t now remains for the historians and
Oiographers to ascertain the proportion of lit
erdry value in the unpublished papers to
those already published. Mr.. Stevens dec
lhres the untouched portion to be fully as i'm
ortant as that published, leaving the auto
biography out OF view.
MIR. Stevens showed his hibliomania to the
last. After he had sold his collection to the
Government at fixed price, he spent several
hundred pounds in binding volumes in the
best style of the art and in having many of
the precious sheets and leaves carefully in
laid for better preservation. This is, of
course, clear loss to him; but Tie oocc-
ton comes to the Government in perfect or
der and hands )mc dress and the blblioman
lac cares nothing about money. A book
might easily be written about the eccentric
guardian OF fhis treasure, who 1t is said wa,
very SLOW 10 part with it even after the
money was waiting for him. Henry Stew
ems, g. NJ b, he often signs and prints
himself the last letters standing for Green
Mountain Boy" The 'boy" is very large.
rather big around, has a long beard and is
over sixty years old. As photographer he
is famous, and has written, compiled aud
edited books innumerible. lie is as learned
as he is eccentric. On the title page of one
OF his books he posts himself as follows
Henry Stevens, q. NJ. b., FSA., etc. blk
bid. Athnm. Clb., LNDN." which means
'black-balled by the Athenaum Club" Per
haps the description he gives in one OF his
prefaces of his father, a famous Vermont
character in his day, Will serve in its way as
portrait of the son: "a kind neighbor, he
pasiured the widows COW protected the faith
erless and annually supplemented his min
ister.tax with one load OF hay land two bush
els OF white bea1s. Educated in the good
old school Of answering integrity and no
breeches pockets, he could not b, ar to see
The rising generation standing around the
stores, taverns and railway stations, Wearing
whskcrs, chewing tobacco, with had, in
their breechcs. One of the pleasantcst
things about Henry Stevens is his intense
Amefcanism, which leads him always TO
sign himself either as JUS. described or as
''of Vermont" D.pL.