Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1885-02-12
BooK-BUYERs' FANCIEs.



The rage just now among book
buyers, = said Mr.. A. S. Clark, the pro-
prietor of the Literary Junk-Shop. .
to Mail and cypress reporter this
morning, is for copies of the early
American editions of standard authors.
Next in order is a great demand for
historical books and pamphlets in rela-
ton to New York CITY, OF pamphlets
alone, the most salable and greatest in
demand by buyers are those pertaining
TO slavery. A great interest is shown
IN everything touching on the rebellion,
also, while pamphlets containing any
thing in relation to the early history of
the Mormons are largely sought after.
Il learned curious fact in relation
to the Mormons, added Mr.. Clark.
from a gentleman who called here the
other day He had just returned from
the West, and stated that while there
he had been shown the original manu-
script of the Mormon bible. which.
singula1ly enough, was not in the pos
session OF the Mormons. 1t is owned
by an old westerner, who lives near the
place where the Mormons first settled.
known. He will not sell it for less
than $4,000, and this sum the Nor
mons will not give for it, so the gentle
stills holds the precious document
"fou must have some curious Gus
toners in your business, remarked the
reporter.
''Well, you would say so were you to
see some of them, or read some of the
letters that ] receive. Only Yesterday
one OF my oldest customers was here.
lie Is an old gentleman of this city, and
Is collector of advertising calendars.
He boasts of having the largest collec-
ton in the world, the number reach
ing into thousands. Another odd one
Is little old man with white hair, who
Is veritable antiquarian in appearance
as well rs i'll ideas He is a collector
OF published articles and resolutions on
the subject of President Garlield's
death When he began his collection
he sent a printed postal card to every
postmaster in the country, requesting
that all publications or resolutions on
the subject be sent to him at his ex-
pense. found him one publication
that pleased him greatly 1t was a
resolution passed on board a steamship,
only few copies of which had been
printed on hand-press while the yes
sci was on her voyage.
"How many of these special collec-
tors have you on your list?''
Between two hundred and three
hundred. They are scattered all over
the country, and are a curious set. For
instance, there is a man in Iceland who
for the past four years has been collect
ing everything he could find relating to
American history. In Oregon, there is
one gathering everything written by
Balzac, the younger, and Dakota res
ident wants everything in print about
Orange County, New York. In Denver
there is one who is collecting early
American Biographies, and / know of
a collector OF grammars, over so years
Of age, who has between 5000 and A.
900 Of them. A Appointment man in the
pension department wants everything
published about the rebellion; Texas
man wants all he can get about his
state, another man wants everything
relating to colleges, and my latest Gus
toner is one who wants everything
published pertaining to the New York
police force.
"A curious instance of how a man
gets into the way of becoming a book
collector was that of resident in Bos-
ton, who started a series of copy-books,
but was sued by the originator of the
Spencerian system of such books. In
order to make a good defense and show
that the managers of the Spencerian
system did not have prior right, he
began the collection Of copper-plates,
copy-books, and every thing that could
help his case, which he finally won.
He was between three and four years
al this work, and now he is most en-
thusiastic collector of eopy-books of all
descriptions
"One of the most interested literary
collectors is gentleman of this city,
who for several years has been collect
ing everything he could obtain relative
to Hawthorne and his writings. Scarce
ly review article or note on his favor
lite, in monthly, weekly, or daily, here
or abroad, escapes him. He is prepar-
ing photography of Hawthorne, which
will give the page and volume of every
thing published about Hawthorne eth
er in this country or abroad"
Have you ever had remarkably
large sums offered for books?n was
asked
Sometimes. yes, when a collector is
particularly anxious for n certain vol
ume. | was once offered 800 to OBJ
tain copy of a newspaper which was
supposed to have contained legal adj
vertisement needed to make clear the
title to large property. The lawyers
in the case spent over $500 in trying to
obtain it, but were unsuccessful, | be-
lieve. | told them to 90 to the British
Museum, for, strange as it may seem,
one can find there better collection of
American publications, and especially
works on our colonial history, than can
be found in the United States. n-New
York MdI and EIpYeSs.