Daily Yellowstone journal., 1889-03-20
QUEER THINGS AMONG OLD BOOKS.

How People Buy and Sell Them-A True
Story That Sounds Like Fiction.
"There is probably no dealer in old
books" said one of the best known
men in that business in this city the
other day, "who has SO much expert,
ence and sharpness as not to be caught
mapping o and then. / spend the
most Of my leisure time going about
among other dealers, and it is wonder
full to see what valuable things they
will sell sometimes for a small price,
and what absurd sums they will charge
for things hat are worth next to
nothing. The other day / was looking
over the books placed outside the door
Of a shop and l found, tied up in a
bundle, a file of a little paper published
at Brook Farm, that experiment in CO.
operation tried years ago at West Rox-
bury, Mass. 1t is now one of the rarest
of American periodicals. The bundle
was marked so cents / couldscarcely
believe my eyes. is that the price you
ask for this bundleF / said to the
dealer.
"He looked at the bundle and then
said carelessly: oh, no, no; you can
have that for thirty-five cents, if you
want it,
"And in buying books people don't
know, often, when they are getting a
good bargain. Here is an old French
book that few know anything about,
but it is exceedingly curious. Libra
rians sec it on my catalogue, but they
never heard of it before and think II
isn't worth anything. Well, if some
body doesn't buy it l shall double the
price of il in my next catalogue, and
If it doesn't sell then Ishall double the
price again, and by that time some one
will be sure 10 want it,"
do you never get hold of books
that you find it impossible to sell at
all3"
mo, never; l have had SO much ex-
perience that / can tell when / see any
book whether | have ever had calls for
il or am likely 10 have any.
"a good many queer things happen
in this business, but here is one that
sounds almost like fiction, though it
is every word true. Aman came into
my shop here one day and introduced
himself, saying that though he had
had a good deal of correspondence
with me, he had never seen me, but
being in New York he thought he
would call, though for no otherpurpose
than to say good day. as he did not
want TO buy anything at present. We
talked pleasantly for a few moments
and he looked about the shop. What
is in that big basket he said at last.
The basket that he pointed to was
the same one that is there behind you
now, and it was full Of old legal doc
uments.
"'0h, nothing Of any consequence
/ replied, setting the basket on the
counter for him to look at.
HE turned over the papers, and
finally asked me what / would take
for them. i don't know / said;
what will you give for themY
"T1l give you $40 for the lot he
said, and / took the offer at once.
He picked out two of the papers
and put them ir is pocket, and then
said: Send me the rest any time;
there is no hurry
but now that you have bought
this stuff and paid for it, / said, 4
suppose you won't mind telling me
what you want of it.
"'Not in the least was the reply.
i am the executor Of an estate up in
one of the northern counties, and it
has been impossible to prove the title
to certain parts of it. Nobody ever
disputed the last owners title, and he
was careless about his papers. And
now, here IN your basket, / find the
genuine deeds Of the property
my customer was naturally de-
lighted with what he had found, and
he wrote TO me afterward to say that
he had collected over $50, 600 in rents
hat he could not get before for want
= those deeds. New York Tribune.