The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1889-04-04
AMONG OLD sooKs.
A New York Dealer Tells story nat
Sounds Like Fiction.

Sounds Like Fiction.
'sThere is probably no dealer mold
books" said one Of the best-known
men in that business in this city the
other day. who has so much experi-
ence and sharpness as not to be caught
mapping now and then. spend the
most OF my leisure time going about
among other dealers, and 1t Is wonder
full to see what valuable things they
will sell sometimes for small price,
and what absurd sums they will charge
for things that are worth next to MOTH
ing. The other day / was looking
over the books placed outsidethe door
Of a shop and I found, tied up in bum
die, file Of 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 fifty cents. I could
scarcely believe my eyes. is that the
price you ask for this bundlep ! said to
the dealer.
HE looked at the bundle and then
said carelessly: oh. no, no; you can
have that for thirty-fve cents, II you
want it.
"And in buying books people don't
know, often. when they are getting q
good bargain. Here is an old French
book that few know any thing about,
but it is exceedingly curious. Libra
rians set 1t on my catalogue, but they
never heard Of It before and think IL
isn't worth any thing. Well, II some
body doesn't buy 1t ! shall double the
price Of 1t in my next catalogue, and II
1t doesn't sell then I shall double the
price again, and by that time some one
will be sure to want it."
'.Do you never get hold Of books
that you find it impossible to sell at
alp"
''No, never; I have had 30 much ex-
perience that can tell when I see any
book whether have ever had calls for
1t or am likely to 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. A man came into my
shop here one day and introduced him
self, 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 that he would
call, though for no other purpose than
to say good day. as he did not want
to buy any thing At present We talked
pleasantly for a few moments, and he
looked about the chop. What is in
that big basketp' he said, at last.
oh, nothing of any consequence
I 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. 4 didn't know said, what
will you give for themY
I'll give you ten dollars for the
lot he said, and I took the offer at
once.
He picked out two OF the papers
and put them in his 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, l said, i
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 I find the
genuine deeds ofsthe property
my customer was naturally de-
lighted with Whist he had found, and
he wrote to me afterward TO say that
he had collected over $50. 900 in rents
that he could not get before for want
of those deeds."-N. Y. Tribune.