The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-02-09

The New York Herald Of January -
1871. contains The following spirited
wrlte.un # book sale. which 1t entl
ties Morals of Fashionable Lisera-
ture:N
New York Is one of the strang'st Il
strange places In every respect. bat in
no one more so than as regards sales al
auction. and particularly book auctions.
rhe Noikeis are great az Bargaining
aud crazy for bargains. They never
read Or. johnson 5 definition Of a bar
gain, or. il they have, they take 10 heed
tOit. The oldcyric said that bargain T.
an article worth ten shi.iings bought
for nlne. which we never want. keep
seven ears and never find use form
preference TO buying an article worth
live which we cannot well do without
for the sum asked for it by an honest
lradesman.
Among the many sales Of rare aud
Extraordinary article that have lately
taken place. the one which has excited
the greatest attention among the ne
ran. mil.iouaires. bibli0man SIS and
fashionable would-be wits and eau 't-oe
gentlemen. w8s the sale Of old books al
ROYAL Gurley's last week. Here wert
collected about one thousand eight hun
bred volumes. which were s0lI M three
EVENING", aud the total proceeds
OF the sales amounted 10 Sll6),
or very nearly an average OF 81 per
volume. The book which brought the
highest price was Ffehefi Tneatrum,
which WAS sol for S26 to Mr. Remsien.
a fashionable millionaire. and the low
ct pr. ced book WIS the Whole BODY
of Divinity. or Christians sure
Guiie TO Heaven which was bought
for 10 cents by an luhdel: while the
"Am0urs Of Cupid and Pysche. and
Lives and Surprising AmOurs e the
Expresses OF the Twelve Gears, and
similar books brought from 80 90 -
for every small i2mo volume. old.
dirty ard torn, and the poeiicll works
Of G.. Cotton. "A small l2nO hook OF
similar ch lracter. brought 30 p.
Among the purchasers ut TINS curious
safe was the agent of tie New York
Lyceum, Mr.. Embury. The cashier OF
Brooklyn. W. Coleman. the BOOKSELLER
General Whilcomb. of the Land Office,
Washington: John Forsyth, Secretary
If S'ate. NJ. Laustree. who. u d SAIL.
bought Tor Martin Van Buren,. AID VINO
bid higl for a work called Tine l4abors
Of Here lies. or the Au2esu Stjblt
Cleaised;' Mr. R9sencranrz and Mr
O'Herne. merchants: yonug million
anenam,d RemsJen. the heirot the lite
Peter Remsden's wealth. Town, The ar
chtect. aud oli book and painted Ian
uelomarist. Amos Kendall. DR.. sawyer.
the great pteacher against "A place 0i
eternal torment. young SIR. Cram, tbe
distiler, the Celebrated curiosity collie
tor, Billy Hilton. MaJor Douglas, ihe
T. gioeer. Captain Hastings. one OF the
epgiucers Il the Croton Wafer Works
L0riug II Chaplin. late member OF As
sembly. KerIigan. the celebrated col
iector of travels, Maccabe, the collector
OF curious works on divinity, & &.
The struggle for some # the books
was tremendous, aud the vast disparity
bete cen the prices brought 10y various
boo b Of the same siZ', age aud relative
cost Of putlishIui, 0ccAsloncd genera
c0mmelr.
b0 Ks ellen ed some curioul scenes; fol
many Of the scarce books there were
several claimants. and they mad To b.
cut up again and sold much higher
Gurley bemg proveib al tor his ioleg
rlty AMI straightforward bIsluesslik'
conduct, many persous ieft orders Nl'i
him 10 buy books at any price. whci
they would never have done TO his shaw
ng predecessor, Conan, who wal
noted for his queer tricks in knocklol
down books tO BInkum-a practice
now exploded ia the Long Rom. Toe
young millionaire. K msden. order
/ the "Cheyaller d. F,ublas, al ans
price: and some scamp. who hat NOR,
lndtc mt curiosity IMAM honesty .clappe,
the four vol mes Under hls cloak an'
walked off with them. As there Is Ol
this one Eagiish copy Of this work ~
the county. and a- the thnf has. No
| doubt. shown 70 40 someone, be cal
easily be- Gftcc.td.