Evening journal., 1890-02-19
OLD PLAYelLLs.
Money Values Set by Buyers Of Odds and
Ends on Their Fads.

Money Values Set by Buyers Of Odds and
Ends Their Fads.
About thirty persons interested in scarce
playbilis and other relics gathered at the
auction rooms of Ellis E. Shaw, in Arch street.
TO assist in the sale Of the treasures that
formed part OF the museum Of w. W. Long
As rule the playbilis which were sold first
brought low price. 5 and 10 cents each being
the rule. One, however, OF Edwin Forrest
as Coriolanus, Academy of Music, 1864, with
a wood cur OF Forrest, brought 81 cents, and
a scarce bin of the American Aquatic the
atre, Quilted States hagship Cumberland,
Feb. 20, 1861, was sold for % cents. Mr..
Charles n. Mann, the well known Philadel-
phia collector, was required to pay 20 cents
for benefit bill Of Thomas A. Cooper al the
Chestnut Street theatre in 1925
A large number OF house bills Of the Chest
nut and Walnut Street theatres for 1922 Ia
small lots was divided between Mr.. Mann
aud the Historical society at prices ranging
from 10 10 % cents, but Mr. Mann was
required TO pay 90 cents for benefit
oil Of Edmund Kean, as Lear, Walnut, April
IL, 1871, and 40 cents for Mr.. Herbert.
benefit, as Richard III, Chestnut March 10.
1890. The latter has Il wood cut of Herbert.
a forgotten actor, probably the only one in
existence The highest price realized by any
OF these early bills was $3.50 for a benefit Of
Joseph jefferson. grandfather Of our Joseph
in 1.-The Rivals" Chestnut, March "a. 1919
Mr.. Thomas Donaldson was the purchaser.
While the sale Of these early Philadelphia
| bills was in progress two curious bills were
| interpoiated ia the catalogue which coca
stoned some spirited bidding. One Of these
was play till Of THE Libby Prison Min.
stres, Dec. y, 1868 The performers were
Union prisoners ia Libby prison, and the bills
were printed on the press of The Richmond
Examiner. This specimen brought So. The
| other was a bill Of Ford's theatre, Washing
ton, April IA, 1861, the night Of President
Lincoln's assassination. This particular bill
was taken from Mr.. I.incolns box after the
murder II was sold for S3i. Its authenticity
was certified.
After this diversion prices again fell, aud a
portrait Of Billy Wright, COMEDIAN
brought only 10 cents. A so.called engra wing
Of Daddy Rice as Jim Crow, Bowery, New
York, 1850 brought S1.S0, and a portrait Of
John II. Scott was sold for O. cents. A
Autograph of Mr. and Mrs H. b. Conway
was sold for the absurdly low price Of 10
cents. The rest Of the play bill sale calls for
no remark.
The sale Of old newspapers did not start
brilliantly, a copy Of Tho Berryville lNa)
| Conservation, containing Gen. Johnston's Of
fetal report OF the battle Of Bull Run, bring
ing only 40 cents, while The .Wincoester
Gazette, Jan 10, 1900 fetched s. cents.
Copies OF The Philadelphia Evening Post,
1875, were sold for 80 and 80 ceuts
each, Benjamin 1owhe, a traitor and an
idiot, being the editori Of The Philadelphia
| Gazette iIil, Of which Benjamin Franklin
was publisher aud editor s. % each, and one
copy Of the forernnner Of The Pennsylvania
Gazette of which Samuel Keimer WINS pub
Usher and editor, March IL, lI2S 5000 At
the same time The New England Weekly
Journal, April q, 1928, brought only So
Thirteen dollars was very cheap for an issue
of The Charleston Mercury, Dec. 90, 1860,
containing the South Carolina ordinance Of
secession, but % cents was enough for
l09 war envelopes 35 cents for a lot of war
songs, 81 cents for two curious litographs,
1.-The Battle Of Bull Run" and the Last
Ditca,n and 49, 10 for over 400 war envelopes.
| Philadelphia Times.