The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-06-23
SECONDHAND BOOKS.
A BIG BUSINESS DONE BY THE DEAL
ERS AT THE CAPITAL.

A Curious Feature OF Washington
Books from All Quarters of the Coun-
try-Chat with an Antiquarian-
Books on Special Subjects.
Tie second. hand boo! stores Of Washing
ton are q curious feature OF the city. There
ere number OF them, some OF which do
business OF tens of Thousands Of dollars
yearly smaller ones you will find in out-of-
the-way places scattered hero and there,
and in any one of these you may buy many;
valuable and rare looks One near tho
treasury has the rooms Of four.story brick
building lined with books Entering it5
ground foor is like going into large puoF
lie library, where the Looks are classified by,
sub ;ects, and where you ask for set OF tfe'
congressional cebates, from the beginning
OF the government until to-day, and it Will
be furnished you. 1t will compromise sew.
eral hundred volumes, and its price will be
$UU. You take your purchase to your
home and look over it, and your mind goes
back to the times OF the past as you read
the curious marginal notes which you may
find in some Of the volumes, and look at the
various autographs inscribed on the fly
leaves of others These books have been
gathered from all parts Of the country. One
volume may have belonged to Andrew jack
son, and you see his dashing autograph on.
tho title page Another MAJ have come
from Stephen A. Douglass library, and in
many cases you will find books from. ,the'
collections of Carroll, Of Carrollton, and
| other men whose autographs have now q
! mercantile value.
A IIIGH-PRICED ALMANAC.
The state department paid $3.50 at
book auction, not long ago, for an almanac,
and it would have readily given SlUu for It.
1t was one that jefferson had used, and It
contained many notes in Jeferson's hand
writing upon its pages This almanac was.
part of Virginia collection made by Mr.
Shouey, one Of the stenographers Of the
senate, and the second. hand book man Of
whom Sbouey bought the almanac tells me
be so d it to him for 81. This man has shop
near the posto!iice department, and while I,
was Luying book or him talked with him
about his trade. Said he: SECONDHAND
book selling is curious business, and to the
careful dealer there is money in it Books
fuctuate in value according to the demands
of the times, and one to-day which will not.
bring 10 cents may tomorrow be worth as
many dollars Anything rare comes high,
and the srringing up OF interest in the old
congressional questions brings the literature
OF the times when they were formerly dls4I
cus.ed into the market just before the:
Garfield campaign began book collector:
named Parish had room full OF Credit
Mobilier reports which he was thinking Of
selling to the waste-paper men. Garfield
was nominated, the question was brought
into the canvass, and he sold them for sew
eral dollars apiece. Just now all reports
and speeches relating to the silver question
are of value and some old reports which
We invoiced at nothing, bring several dol
lars copy. .s
.Here. Tor instance, Is a valuable book,," :
continued the antiquarian, as he picked up
a volume Of about l0J pages bound in
leather, ut is worth $50 at auction, and ts'
a government document, too. ltis report
on the Alaskan lands, by Henry w. Elliott,
and it contains many tne sketches. Only
sayenty-ive Of these books were printed,
and it is almost impossible to procure
them"
"What class. of people collect booksT
asked. land what are their hobbies!'
They are mostly scholars and readers;
though, indeed, now and then you will find
some ignorant fellow who cares for tho
binding more than tine contents, and not q
few people buy books for the pictures that
ars in them rather than the reading There
are MANY picture collectors in Washington,
and in soaie cases find that it pays better
To tear book to pieces and sell its engrav-
ings by tie piece. People who would not
rive 81 cents for the volume will pay cents
apiece for the twenty or more engravingS
which it contains.
MAGAZINE PICTURES FOR MOUNTING.
"a great many men buy old magazines
for the pictures and have large sale OF :
harper and Scribuer's on this account.
They take the full.page pictures from these
macazincs and cut OH the white margin to
where the engraving begina They, then
mount this engraving upon cardboard az
carefully as the mounting OF photograph,
end at u very small expense procure choice
collections OF ongravinss The world has,
never surpassed the magazine Illustrations
OF to-day, and you may find genius lurking
in many OF the pictures OF aH outof-the-
way periodical =
"Many Men collect hooks on special sub
:ects here are g number of epicures in
WASHINGTON. who want everything we can,
find on wines and gastroaomy. The man to
whom sold jeirerson's almanac took, for j
one year, everything on Virginia, and at
another time he made speciality OF WHIST !
collections, and bought every book that re- 1.
lated to whist or whist players. Old
county histories sell we'll here ut Washing.
inCton, and state historical collections bring
more than when they were first printed
al branches of americana sell well, and,
indeed, if you keep any kind OF book for
q number OF years you are sure to nnd
buyer in the end"
Speaking OF second-h hand book stores,
Washington has .nanr book auctions every
winter, and u very valuable collection is to
lie sold during tie present season IN the
shape Of tn. looks Of ths late Ex-Governor
Thomas urtlcy. OF OHIO Bartley was a
crear collector, and lie had a library or
cuoc. volumes running into tho thousands.
Such b.os auctions are always held in the
evening, ami you may find supreme court
Judges, senator's, congressman, and htera-
teurs mi ell up in tue crowds which attend
them. The Looks are sold ty catalogue and
each man has catalogue il his hand as tho
sale goes OIL. The bidding is always spir-
tied, and standard worNs bring their full
value. There are a number of collectors
who send to such auctions orders for books,
giving the limit Of their bids, and in certain
casas the aiclloneer is authorized to bid
certain books Oh to them at any price.
Judge Bradley buys boocs at these auctions
Justice Woods is often attendant Upon thein,'
and the au"tioneer has sometimes orders
from the historian, BancrofI-"Carp' In
Cleveland Leader.
che End of the World.