Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1889-03-27
"Dack-Number Rudd.
An OIL Business Out of Which n New
York Negro is Making Money
Rapidly.

a dimly- lighted, musty smelling
cellar at the corner of Broadway ano
Thlrty-third street Is the headquar
tiers of stalwart, rather good-looklna
colored man, who carries on a profita-
bic business by saving old and curious
numbers OF New York papers, ano
selling them at fabulous prices. lie !;
known TO all newspaper men, and, In
fact to every body as "Back-N umber''
Budd, aad his business is the out
growth or an old hobby of his for saw
ing old newspapers. Ten years ago be
came 10 New York from Washington,
and started IN as bootbiack.
Il reporter called at the place few
days ago, aud while looking for ar
ancient paper .Back-N n umber" Budd
told something about his queer busi-
ness.
After l had blackened boots for
two years." said he, 'the thought
flashed across my mind one day about
saving all the old papers 1 could find.
had grown a little careless about my
boot-blacking business, and eight years
ago L started with but s. in my pos
session. L opened little stand at the
place where Palmer's theatre now
stands. 1t was very hard pulling al
first, and got the window man in the
Gilsey house 10 save me all his papers,
which bought 10y the pound. 1t was
awful sloS work, for L hardly made my
bread and butter out of It. Ny friends
advised me TO sell out. but l was obstI-
nate and was bound to make a COM
plete nle as far back as L could. As
the file Kept on growing larger and
1arrar m fn
and resolved to stick il out at all haZ-
ards.
'.As soon as found was likely to
succeed | made uniform set of prices,
as follows: a copy of paper one
week old, D cents; a copy OF any cent
paper one week Old, s ce-ts; a copy of
any paper thirty days old, 10 cents.
For each month after thirty days add
cents: copy of paper one year old,
80 cents. For each year after the first
add % cents. An exception TO these
prices Is made when a paper is very
rare or out of print.
"Yes, and l always stick to my
price, aud my customers kick, too. a
short time ago a prominent lawyer
came here and wanted a copy OF a
paper printed in 1877. L got il, and
asked my regular prices. He was
very indignant and said L ought 10
starve, but when L explained that II
was my mode of living he paid the
price and left. The lawyers are my
principal customers, as they often win
big cases by getting back numbers OF
papers for evidence. They are big
kickers, but l know they must have
the papers, and therefor remain firm IL
my price.
"My principal files are the Sun from
1888 to date, the World from 1850, the
Herald from 1888, the Tribune from
1S41, and the Times from 1851.
81 have also very complete files OF
many dead papers, including Truth.
Dial and Others. 1 put twenty copie:
away of the World, S,m and Herald
| have more calls for the World than
any other paper"
''What is the highest price you were
ever paid for paper?"
"a lawyer paid me $40 for two
copies of a paper publishedIn In 1861. and
1 have often received Sl5 and SIS fol
old and valuable papers. Newspapel
men often come here and give me from
81 to 5S just to look over valuable
paper. a large part of my trade is IL
the country, but / never send paper.
OuI ullll lLCs lOl.
Grant came to me shortly after the
Grant & Ward failure and bought 4
two months fine of the daily papsr!
containing an account of the affair.
charged him 10 cents copy; and gO
every cent of il.
''I'll show you some curiosities. ,
said Budd. as he led the reporter to thu
back part OF the cellar. which is known
as the curiosity shop among the faded
and dusty papers were a Herald o.
Aug. 20, 1850, which contained ful
account of the opening OF Centra
Park; a copy OF the Sun of June 20
1884, with turned column-rules for tn,
death OF a Lafayette: Police Gazette o.
May 20. 1866. with badly-drawn pic
ture of the capture of JEFF Davis OF
the front page; a Frank LeSlIe's o
May. 1866, gave picture of two meI
throwing body wrapped in a shee
INTO the water. 1t was entitled 9Th,
| Assassin's End" meaning Booth, thi
murderer OF Lincoln. Ee had also the
copies of the World, Herald Sun, anC
hundreds of other valuable relics.
The reporter then went to Raven
wood. Long Island where Budd haC
! 1000, QUO copies of papers stored away
He has system by which he can read
| lily turn to any paper desred withou
loss of time. He is now maxim.
money very rapidly, and his back file
are increasing in value every day.
|