Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-04-13
BIBLIOMANIA.

Mr. b. T. Cable and the Book Mad
ness with which He il Said 70 be
AfYected-Interestfn Instances.
Eugene Field, In the Chicago DAILY
Nesos, has been writing something abou,
bibliomsnia. in which connection he
makes Mr. BIT. Cable, of this city, an
interesting subject. Field says: 'Iu
answer to numerous letters that have
come to US Of late we will say that biblo-
mania affects different people SO differ.
emily that medical science has come to
regard and to treat the several maladies
as distinct mental diseases. There are, az
we are told, eight classes of biblio.
msniacs." He then describes the sew
eral different forms and says:
Our friend, Mr.. Ben T. Cable, of Rock
Island, presents one Of the most interest
ing cases Of bibliomsnia we have ever
met with. His mania was the clear,
straightforward case of bibliophile I'm
til curious complication set in abou,
the middle of last winter. Some time in
January he bought the George Wash
ington copy Of the first American edition
of Burns poems (Albany. 1888. For
this veritable treasure he paid only $3.50,
and when it Is known that the sale had
been concluded certain Chicago friars de
voutly wished themselves laymen tenn
porarily, In order that they might in
Avl vutf oil In
pletives which their disgust seemed to
demand for its soothing and satisfaction.
As soon. however. as Mr.. Cable became
possessed of this Washington Burns, or
shortly thereafter, he learned that only
one other copy Of the first American edi-
ton was in existence. and he determined
to hunt that other copy down and buy 1t.
He talked to us about it, and, after the
manner Of the ssgacious family doctor,
we piled him with questions In order to
discover all the symptoms, for we sus
pected that our friend was threatened
with bibliophobiac Cor bibliocidal) com>
plication.
$50 you want that other copy'" we
asked.
II am determined to have it," said Mr..
Cable, eagerly. II will pay any price
for it,"
But you already have one copy" we
said. What demoniacal greed, what
febrile lust, instigates you to the COM
prehension Of another copyr
81 am determined" answered the un-
happy man, ''to make my Washington
Burns q uniquel Do you understands"
unfortunate mani what would you
dor What frenzy has possessed your
Can 1t be that you would destroy-that
you would first purchase and then obliter-
ate this costly treasurer"
81 should burn it up" said Mr.. Gable.
solemnly. II should remove forever
every possibility of its ever becoming a
blot or a stigma upon the fame of that
other book. Pray, what value attaches
to unique if there is duplicstef But,
mind you. the destruction of that second
copy shall be no commonplace, ribald
affair; 1t shall be consummated solemnly
and with becoming pomp."
''Wha; do you meanf" we asked.
II shall give a dinner at Delmonico's, +"
said Mr.. Cable. "and there shall be pres
ent a goodly company of msniacs as
hopelessly insane as myself. 1t shall
be understood that the occasion is the
funeral. or, If you please. the in
cineration of q notable book We shall
have an address from Mr.. Stedman upon
the Justice of Death and q poem from
Brander Matthews. Extemporsneous
remarks will be made by Mr.. Steddard.
Mr.. Glider, Mr.. Hawthorne, Mr.. Howells,
Mr.. Lathrop. MIR. Buell.. and many others
who will extol the many virtues of the
moribund volume. Then. while my
friend, John Paul Webb. delivers an Or
iginal thanatopscal ode, the guests will
file around to take last view of the re-
mains, after which the volume, reposing
upon q silver salver. shall be consigned
by me to the flames OF q sandalwood fire.
In TO which the servants shall anon cast
copious ibations of frankincense. spikes
nard and myrrh. After the conflsgration
the remains shall be gathered up and
sealed In u bronze vase which ultimately
shall be cast into the East river. So you
see that the obsequies of this tenderly
hated and irrecopcilably beloved volume
will really he most honorable and impos-
ing"
Mr.. Cables ease Is, as you see, q most
interesting one. We were NOT able to
diagnose it and we had to lay it before q
commission de bibliomanis inquirenda.
consisting Of DR.. Poole. Lawyer Ed. Ma
son and Mr.. Franklin H. Head. This
distinguished commission decided that
Mr.. Cable was bibliophile suffering tenn
porarily with an acute attack of mono@
bibliophobia. And there the matter
rests.