Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-06-20
Written for The Evening Star.
PRICES FOR AUTOGRAPHS.
Letters and Manuscripts Of Distinguished
Persons Have Brought High Figures.


Letters and Manuscripts Of Distinguished
Persons Have Brought High Figures.
WHILE THE sTAMP-COLLECTING FAD
w periodically looms before the public and
| as suddenly sinks back iuto obscurity its con-
temporaneous fad, that Of collecting auto
graphs, has always maintained quiet but
steady increase in the number Of those devoted
to it, especially in the latter part Of this CEN
| fury. The value of autographs is determined
in two ways. Rarity is the chief factor
and the contents Of the writing natur-
ally affect the autographed value
Besides portraits and a knowledg OF the
lives of famous persons we desire to possess a
specimen of their handwriting in order to de-
tect and familiarize ourselves with the use or
abuse OF good penmanship, to satisfy our
curiosity in regard to their peculiar style OF
writing and to further our desire of forming
collection Of such specimens. 1t is imagined
by some that the author Cor other factor of
public interest has but to use time, paper,
| and postage stamp, and invent a crisp and
witty phrase, but a knowledge of the frequent
repetition of such requests would soon rid one
| of this belief. To such degree has this idea
| been illustrated that among some members of
that mysterious genus crank it is assumed that
| the word autograph took its origin from the
| evident meaning of the first two syllables,
| fought to-"
FABULOUS PRICES PAID FOR AUTOGRAPHS.
Some almost fabulous prices have been paid
| for old autographs Four volumes OF manu-
script, containing letters by Bradford and
| other reformers, were sold for $4,000 within
the last twenty-five years. In 1865 an auto
graph letter was sold in New York for more
| than $4,000 The original manuscript of
| Washington's Farewell Address was bought
by James Lennox of New YOyk for $1,000.
At sale of autographs in 1866 letter written
| sum of 81 ,473. The unfortunate queen letter
consisted OF four pages addressed to Count de
| la Marck. The original manuscript of the
| "Elegy," by Thomas Gray, consisted of two
small one-half sheets of paper, mutilated and
| torn This was recently sold for 1855.
The British Museum has paid for an auto
graph of Shakespeare the almost fabulous sum
| of 81 ,572. This autograph Is now laid on vel
vet in sloping mahogany case, with plate
glass before 1t and curtains of blue silk to pro-
| tect it from too brilliant light. An agree
ment signed by John Milton was sold by Sir
Thomas Lawrence for 1915. This soon after
| ward sold for 5525 This was the agree
mont between Milton and Samuel Symons for
the sale and publication Of PARADISE Lost"
JOSH BILLINGS $500.
| Another instance where $500 has been paid
| is mentioned in the following extract OF letter
written by Josh Billings in reply to an anxious
correspondent who asked for his autograph:
1--WE never" wrote the humorist, furnish
ortograffs in less quantities than bi the packig.
| 1t is a bizZness that CRATE men have
| got into; but it don't strike us as being
| profitable nor amusing. We furnished a near
| and very dear friend our ortograf, few years
| ago, for ninety days, and it got into the hands
ov on ov the banks, and it kost us five hundred
| dollars teu get it back. We went out ov the
| bizZness then and have not hankered for it
| since"
At sale of Sir Walter SCOTS manuscript in
| London, twenty-threc years ago, one entitled
ANNE Of Geirstein" brought its owner the sum
| of $685.. Fragments of ''Ivanhoe'' and ''Wav-
erly Novels were sold for $685. "Marmion''
was sold for 1887. The Lady of the Lake"
| brought 81, 1856 and "Rokeby" was sold for
1855. in July, 1869. two letters of Washing
ton brought the high price of S662 and one by
| Oliver Cromwell to Col. Walton sold for $3.50.
Another written by Cromwell sold for $685.
| manuscript entitled The American Re-
| public" written by Benjamin Franklin. re-
Gently brought S10l, and some letters from the
| pen of Queen Elizabeth were sold for $500. At
| the same sale Robert Burns manuscript of
''Scots Wha Haze Wi Wallace Bled' was sold for
$50. At meeting of the Edinburgh town
| council on July Is, 1880, the lord provost
| said that there was for sale the original
manuscript of ''Scots VIVA Haze WI Wallace
| Bled." which was recently purchased by Mr..
Il
| it was in danger of going out Of the country,
| but that Mr.. Kennedy desired, before removing
| it to America and placing it in a museum there,
| that the metropolis of Scotland should have an
| opportunity to obtain it at the price that he
| paid for it. The council thereupon agreed to
purchase the song for $3.50.
HORACE GREELEY's OFFER.
Horace Greeley gives in his "Recollections of
Busy Life" the correspondence which passed
between himself and young man who applied
to him for autograph of Mr.. Poe. He
| says: "a gushing youth once wrote to me to
| this effect:
!" .Dear Sir: Among your literary treasures
! You have doubtless preserved several auto
| graphs of our country's late lamented poet,
| Edgar Allen Poe. fso. and you can spare one,
please inclose it to me and receive the thanks
| Of yours truly, -
81 promptly responded as follows:
"'Dear Sir: Among my literary treasures there
| happens TO be exactly one autograph Of our
| countrys late lamented poet, Edgar Allen Poe
| 1t is his note Of hand for $50, with my indorse-
| ment across the back. 1t cost me exactly
| $50. 10. including protest, and you may have it
for half of that amount. Yours respectfully,
| "'HoRACE GREELEY
"That autograph, 1 regret to say. remains on
my hands. and it is still for sale at the original
| price. despite the lapse of time and the de-
| probation of our country"
| 1t was stated by writer in an early issue of
one OF our popular magazines that the interest
| felt in the writer was one of the three factors
which governed the value of autographs, but
| at recent sale the fact was disproved that
eminence, whether political, social or
literary, controlled their value. At a
| sale in London on the 22d of
| last month q letter written by the
queen, together with another penned by her
uncle, the Duke OF Cambridge and the field
marshal commander-in-chief of the British
| empire, sold for shilling. At the same time
| an autograph Latin poem by Dr. johnson
| brought nearly f20. A letter written by Glad
stone to Lady Herbert in 1861 was sold for II
| shillings. Several letters from Keats to Fanny
| Browne have brought $40 each.
letter signed by George Washington and
| addressed to Robert L. Lee was sold to W. E..
| Benjamin (the editor Of an autographs maya
zine and also possessor of the largest collection
| of autographs in this country for $780, A let
| ter of Patrick Henry was sold for $40 Fac.