The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-12-04
MEN ABOUT TOWN.
Some Grave, Some Gay, Some
Wise, Some Otherwise.
One Who Sold Charles Lsmps Library-Curi-
GUS Collections of Books-The Mckinley
Bill-An Angry Reporter.

Book-collectlng has never before assumed
such proportions in the history of the
world as at present, and while it is neces-
sarily costly amusement, it is INDUCED in
to n very great extent by men of moderate
means. The sale for $50 few days ago,
to gentleman of this city. of a book that
once belonged to Charles Lamb recalls the
fact that the greater portion of the latters
library was sold in this country and many
of the volumes are to be occasionally met
with in the hands of collectors. scattered
about the various cities of the Union. Such
as are for sale command fancy prices, while
the major portion of them is in the hands of
men who could not be induced to part with
them for any moneyed consideration. De-
spite this fact. however, according to E II.
Moore of this city, who assisted at the orig
inal sale, the entire library was purchased
by Mr.. Wexford, who was in his day the
most widely known book-dealer in the
United States.
He CHANGED to be in London" said Mr.
Moore, soon after the death of Lamb, and
calling one day on a large dealer, the latter
directed MIR. Welford's attention to a num-
Der of books heaped promscuously in cor
ner. They belonged he said, to Charles
Lambs private library, and he suggested that
they might command a ready sale in Amer
lea. The idea struck Mr.. Wexford as good
one, and be purchased tie entire lot for
$50, or $50 in our currency. They were
shipped at once to New York, and l assisted
in disp0sing of them. | do not think we
realized more than $500 for them ALL after
parcellng them out TO odd purchasers.
Some of them fell into the hands of James
Field, the Boston publisher, and a few are
now IN the possession of George w. Childs
of Philadelphia. Together to-day they
would bring thousands of dollars"
SAN FRANCISCO COLLECTORS.
In speaking of booh-collecting, however,
it must be admitted that there are compare
lively few collectors in San francisco who
devote much time or money to this peculiar
hobby, but II is growing in favor, and there
are already some very creditable collections
in the hands of individuals. Nothing of
course, like the collection of rare and
curious editions of the Bible owned by
Senator Charles Farwell of Illinois can be
found IN this city, but that is due. perhaps,
to the fact that no one has ever taken to that
particular fad.
Captain Lees of the detective force is
collector IN his way, and has good-sized
library OF books relating to the history Of
great crimes and criminals. Another IL
brary in the hands of a private individual
deals exclusively with the history of Cali
fnrnla, and comprises more than 1000 books,
pamphlets and newspapers, and yet there
are thousands more hot included in the
collectlUn drifting about in the hands of the
secondhand dealers. A subject which is
attracting certain lass of book "cranks"
is the Civil War, about which thousands of
volumes have been written. To exhaust it
would require liiet me and fortune In
money.
a mere list of the books and pamphlets
make up catalogue of 600 pages, while the
number OF newspaper articles, if gathered
would number among the hundreds of thou
sands. Dictionaries, the history of Christ,
the Crusades, Napoleon, American Indians,
and hundred Otner subjects have their en-
thus:aSti admirers. who spend years and
fabulous sums of money in accommodating
whatever has been written about them.
AN ANGRY REPORTER.
There Is among the San Francisco news
| paper men one who for the sake of con-
Venlence Will be known to fame rs Smith, a
| reporter for certain morning paper, who
| IS mildly angry. and not without reason
! Recently-the date is immaterial-he wrote
Tor the newspaper from which he draws his
livelihood an elaborate and. as he thought,
| q peculiarly able and interesting article, re-
| latlng to subject with which he was very
familiar. 1t was printed, and, as it de-
| served. attracted much favorable comment.
| a week later 1t appeared in the New York
| World without the proper credit having
been given, and in this form it travelled back
| TO San Francisco. The managing editor of
| the paper in which it had originally ap-
| peared espled it in glancing over the World,
and his trained eye recognized its literary
| value snip! went the editorial Shears and
on the following Sunday it appeared in the
small daily with flaring headlines in the
| literary supplement as reprint from the
| New York World. The tears of the re-
porter, who had Graded it in his brain,
| flowed freely at the thought that il had
| passed unnoticed by his chief.
| THE MKINLEY BILL.
| "A certain class of merchants said + 7,
| Iharp In conversation with a CALL repre-
sentative, have used the much talked about
Mckinley bill for mo other purpose than to
| wrongfuly extort meney from the public.
| trusting 10 the general ignorance of the pro-
| visions OF that measure to cover up, for a
| time, their methods of doing business Take
| for example the single article of champagne,
| which has advanced in price from 80 cents
to % cents bottle. Now the Mckinley
| bill Is cited as an excuse when in reality
the increase in the duty is only cents a
bottle. The other 43 or IS cents, which the
customer is compelled TO pay, is simply an
imposition On his credulity, and the Amer
| lean people will soon demand return to
the cd price, which would still allow a
| handsome margin of profit"
LIVERPOOL sTREET-CARs.
l.. r. Ebert has been looking up the cues
ton of franchises, and the fact that so many
have been given away by the San Francisco
| SUPERVISORS without any return has set him
Thinking Now. in Liverpool he said,
Inc city authorities give away no fran
| chlses for street Railways, but build and
| own every mile of track in the city. A COM
| pany composed OF private individuals may
he formed to operate car line, but they are
| compelled to pay fair rental to the city for
the use of the tracks and to keep them in
| repair. In this way the city derives con-
| slant revenue from that source, and can at
| any time prevent combination of the va
rious lines TO the injury of the public"
1