Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1890-10-02
LITERARY AUTOGRAPHS.
The Signature Market aud Its Current
Prices.


1t is curious how you can judge the
popularity of authors with the grea;
public from the prices which their auto
graphs or letters bfiag in open market.
was talking recently with prominent
New York autograph dealer, and he told
me some interesting facts about literary
autographs Literary autographs are
way down at present, said this auto
graph veteran. "A letter by Bryant and
Longfellow always brought from So TO
SO; now each can be had for $3.50.
James Russell Lowell is pretty steady
at $3.50, while DIR. Holmes, owing to his
generosity in answering letters, sells for
90 cents letter. Emerson is scarce, and
sells for from So TO $10 Hawthorne's
letters bring about $5 apiece. Four
pages of his manuscript, signed recently,
brought $125. Louisa Alcott can be had
in plenty at 90 cents, while Mrs. Adeline
d. 7. Whitney, on the other hand, sells
for 81. George Eliot's letters are worth
$40, while one by her husband scarcely
brings 50. Mrs. Browning commands
easily So, while notes by her husband are
easily had for 30 cents. Funny, isn't it.
Take Carlyle: A letter by him brings So;
one by his wife, $40. Tennyson is steady
at $l0 and hard to get at that figure
Charles Dickens always sells readily for
$40, also, while Thackeray's chirography,
just signed to letter, commands $25. A
signed quarter of a page of his manu-
script is worth $3.50 | sold three of
John Keats's love letters only last week
for $3.50. An ordinary Keats autograph
is worth about$25. Shelley sells for $40,
and Byron and Tom Moore about the
same. Walter Scottis higher, and brings
$50, while Southey and Coleridge COM
mand $15.
stalking strictly those authors of the
present day, and Tennyson's autograph is
the highest in value Swinburne is next
at S. for a letter, while lola will bring
the same ! sell a number of the latter
to young girls. Ouida is the highest
among literary women, for she rarely
signs her name for autographic pur-
poses, and good specimen letter of hers
will easily bring So Mrs. Oliphant,
funny enough, is very high, for she re-
fuses, as does Ouida, to oblige autograph
hunters. Mrs. Stowe brings So for good
letter, while Mrs. Southworth is barely
worth rs cents. Whittier will sell for So
and George Bancroft about $5. How
ellis? Oh, rs cents will buy letter of
his. Marion Crawford is had easily at
an even dollar Edgar Saltus? About
90 cent for letter, while his literary
chum, Edgar Fawcett, brings 25 cents.
Ella Wheeler Wilcox rarely exceeds 40
cents. Amelie Rives is plenty at a half
dollar Daudet is scarce, however, at
So. 90, and Guy de Maupassant is at the
same figure. Jules Verne is also rather
hard to get in open market, while Dumas,
on the other hand, is only worth IS cents.
And so it goes. Ibsen, month ago, sold
for 81 or S5; now So. When Henry James
was the rage / sold all / could get at
81. 90 apiece; now you can't get 90 cents
for one of his letters. Tolstoi is rather
high, for he rarely writes letters. Kip
ling? I haven't one of his, but have
over 20 orders for anything in his hand
writing, and l shall charge S5 for good
letter by him. Strange business2 Yes,
but very interesting, watching the rise
and fall of the literary idols. "-[ Edward
Box