The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1883-04-22

Iissrassss ~ sss Yssa ~ Dsssssssvs Rus.
pssse-ssoe sesesv DssA Dvysss.
what arc books worth Q dozen - good
ones. you know-standard and right ND to tho
mark-for cash p
This question Was prop0unded By some
what over dressed man In an uptown book
store. The emphasis which he placed upon
the phrase FOR cash" revealed the esteem in
which he held that article a. compared with
the commodity for which he intended to ex-
change It.
DO gentlemen often buy books By the dozena"
asked the reporter.
customer had disappeared. Il have been sent
for several times this year to measure tho
shelves Of libraries In new houses. to find out
the number Of books required to fit them up.
Books are an important item In house furnish
ing. The comfortable. od-time sitting room
has made wav for the formal library. As q
library without books would hardly do. house
owners arc bound to have them whether they
add tone and color. to room. A customer re-.
Gently said to me frankly enough; / don't
but there's a home ieeiins in having books books
hney GGx well t9 9"a ana sort OF sn
tables. ~. -
| he did not care much for literature. but that
nowadays library, was almost rs necessary as
speakins about the matter: The majority not
| only want books for their decorative qualities.
Another harmless fellow who wanted the
reputation OF N nnn Of culture always directed
little. HG, once told mo that no was bound TO
have library "a Dig AS his neighbours. and
he renS to DO tho same
Some OF these folks have queer ideas. One
Of our customers insisted on having all his
| books bound after the same pattern and num-
bered. some time niterward y friend told him
that people, were asking II he Kept circulating
the figures, But this only made the matter
worse, for his guests were particular TO ask
desperation. no sent the volumes to an auction
room. and We received his order the noxt day
bound. He wouldn't have even a o-volume
edition Of anything
A wealthy man once sent In groat haste for
his library closed out Immediately and new
ono bought. He was q speculat?r in prod4ee, but
| some one had sold him u law library: He liked
| the uniform appearance OF the volumes. and
had made the purchase without reading the
When. first went into the business was
travagan tly, boani copy ' Of shakespeare's
works II the German l"9GSaage kps % the
cnmstance puzzled, me; found aitorward
that bookseller had loaded him up with very
unsaleuDle article py teliins MN !nht every gen
WsrHs in TN orsns Thss sn
svss for hook t. Msss a MS W tSn
he ch"seg Foantaine,s work on How the
earth was Geopled.' There was some excuse
No: house furnishers do not often buy the
books for library, but they frequently give
elegant. and well-contrnsted colors, or, for
heavy antique morocco or Russia bindings
the ' owner e Of tho house thinks himself comps
tent to buy his own books. though he seeks
nskeS ont
no acquaintance with, books. but he looked
standard 'thorites in anyway and ho would
Msshes' which hs suppossd TO be a book on
az me WAS vn no asse
wouldn' have the biographies Of the PrSsidents.
rowgrass Papers on the ground that they,
not want any books about vegetables. and The
together; The man who once purchased The
NM the to Ss az
that Beauties Of the British Dramatists' was
The he ss sShs 20 ma
full Of portraits q The man
He had not once thought OF opening the work.
These men do not bother US much. for they nre
easily satisfied; but what do you think OF q
gentleman WHO refuses to pay his bill because
important work Of al!,--from n complete edi-
ton OF old Daniel Websters works This
chronic disease with n certain sort Of buyers.
" The house furnishers sometimes have good
IDEAS about bindings, but they are apt TO go to
very fantastic work for library to be furnished
in Gothic style. But, after all there is some
reason In this fancy for binding books 30 that
they may BIO in harmony with their surround
ings. and 1t helps business. Scholars may
smile as much as they like about books for dec
orative purposes. but elegant bindings II nicely
chosen and arranged. do add greatly to the