The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1885-11-13
MONEY In OLD SAINTS.
QUEER CONTENTS OF A DRAWER m
A BOOK CELLAR.
Old Engravings In Demand by Secret So
cieties and Tradesmen En-
gravers, Book Publishers and Dec
orative Painters as Customers.
New York Times.l

A card pastel on q drawer in the bass
ment shop Of Sixth avenue dealer la liter
ary antiquities contained this inscription in
large copy book letters: "Ths Saints and
Martyrs Selected with Care" The cellar
was one of thoss numerous out-of-the- way
ground holes that can seldom be founi with !,
diligent search. but are oftsn stumbled upon !.
by ACCIDENT, twelve steps below the pave,S
nent without a strees number, AM fairly
frowned out Of countenance by seven stories
Of brick and plate glass that lowered above
The proprietor was a man past the
iprims, as quiet and unpretending as his lit
tie shop but with an uumistakably ency-
clopeiic manner about him that seemel to
invite Interrogation.
In response to questions from a casual
visitor, the antiquarian pulled open the
drawer containing the careful selection OF
saints and martyrs and began to talk with
the easy Assurance of a man who had bsen
over tue ground q great many times.
Neatly tied together with red twine AMI as
sorted according to his own ideas of chron-
olosical propriety and convenience, he had,
among score, Of other SAINT familiar TO all
people who do and many who do not read
the Scriptures, photographs or engraving'
of St EuStach,. St Crispin, St Laurent,
st. Louis, s.. Vincent de Paul. St Pierre.
81. Thomas d'AGuin, St Dunstan, AMI sew
eral more.
STOCK AND CUSTOMERS.
Most of the pictures were yellow and
stained with age; some OF thsm were torn
by rough u. ase and carefully mended with
thin paper, a. psople repair a tattered s.
bill. They flIel tho littl, room with
mu ty smell not altogether plea anti,
neophyte, but sweeter than the perfums OF
fresh roses to an iucura ble bibliomaniac.
The bookseller said that it had taken years
OF patient search t. finl his saints, and that
all things n sidered he was thankful that
it was profitable specially.
"F r every one py that | sell" he said,
II loan five copies at q small compensation,
usually covering the origiaal C 'sr Of the
picture, with the agreement that it must
be returned TO me 'un!njursi. / have some
engravings here that have paid for them
selves over and over again. i could not re-
place them il they were destroyed, for they
are long out of print Nv customers ars
principally jewelers., enyraver+, designers,
printers. book publ ihers and decorative
painters
@I was induced to make a speciality OF
the saints," continued the dealer gazing at
his fade, trea ure' with an air OF reminis-
C6ub py ah iuSA AShO eaho
occurred w ,ca | waS a yolns man in the
business A delesate from prosperous St
Patrick's society came to me with a note
from customer He was in search OF an
engraving from which to make a large his
torical painting to put in the hall OF a new
building Just finished by the society. A
committee decided to have picture OF the
remarks BILE scene of the death of St Pat
rick. when according +, the bost authori-
ties. he cooIly took his head In his mouth
(some accounts say under his ARM aud
swan across tine Shannon. The chairman
of the committee that made the selection
was positive that hs had porsi in amate-
ment and admiration for hours over such
an engraving when he was boy in tho
old country. The society lesre |. % far a.
possible, TO be historically accurate, and :
was asked to get copy of that, or similar
engraving, at any reasonable sum
IN SEARCH OF A PICTURE.
aWell, sir" continued the dealer. II be-
gan to pore over catalogues AMI to watch
trade circulars as n stock speculatsr watches
the market Never mind the disappoint.
ments and skeptical scoffiny / encouIterel
in my search. Suffice To say that after
some correspondence founl badly mutt
lated copy Of the engraving de rel In n
London auction room. anl the society pail
me hands ,mely for my trouble. My apps
tite grew by what it fed uron. l became
pretty we'll informed on the lives Of tn,
saints, and amid a great deal of trash |
have beeh able to pick out not a few bar
gains
@Many Of thee saints were considered
patrons Of some particular trade or pro-
fession. A well known shoe manufacturer.
Clk r.t.
the soles Of hi goods, got the design
for his trade mark from an oil en-
craving in my collection, and he paid me
we'll for it An insurance company in
search OF something obi requested a printer
to furnish 1t with lettsr-heais ami cal
andars representing St Christopher waiing
through a river, with ths infant Jesus Oh
his shoulie AMI leaning on a Towering
staff. The order wa file through pct-
ure loaned from my col,otira.
aSome of my copies of the aints are In
constant use among trade men who do wori;
for Roman Catholic societies. Portraits ot
st George, with the dragon or vulturs st.
Augustine, St Paul, st Peter, st Mark.
and St Luke, are in frequent demand from
organizations bearing their nameS Ihave
frequent calls also for engravinys OF mYtho-
logical divinitie, and heroes-Bacchu', tbs
c,d Of wine, Apollo. Minerva, Neptune
Mercury, Atlas, and various other' Thess,
however. are not so hard to get "a the
saints, and usually sell them outright
EARLY AMERICAN PORTRAITS.
Collectors OF old engravings are almost
as numerous in New York as collectors oi
old book, and they are quite as competent
| Judges between o real treasure and a spuri
| Gus imitation. Indeed. / often have com
missions from men VIII, possess rare frs
| editions for an engraving OF the author
about the time the book was printed II
paste In the volume. An adept can place 1
between the leaves of . volums so that i
can hardly be distine euishei from the wors
OF the binder. Some collectors place auto
| graph letters in the books the same way.
get my old engravings, AZ book dealers go
their rare volumes. by watching trade cat
alogues and stten ling auction sales, but, a
competition il not so lively, / can secur'
better bargains.
aEarly portraits of American al thor
whose works now rank with the classics are
much sought for. Good engravings OF sol
disrs conspicuou, In the country's early
history are also good property rs a mere In
vsstment. They are getting scarce and in
few years viii command high prices 1t
almost impossible to-day to get clean hand
proofs Of early American wood -cutI Thi
business like all others, requires constan
attention and careful study to insure sue
cess. The saints ara, with me. only an inc,
| dent of H. but as said before prove quit