New-York tribune., 1891-03-06
SELLING Mr.. IVES'S BOOKS.
THE GUTENBERG BIBLE GOES FOR sl4sOo.
+ W. ELLSWORTH, OF CHICAGO, SECURES IT
OVER FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS REAL
lied FOR. THE DAY.

rumor that the rarer books would be protected mas
been officially denied. Mr. Ives WILL neither in person
nor by agent, buy any OF those volumes which have
cost him so many years OF labor to collect Naturally
the interest Of the afternoon centred the Gute
berg Bible. which bought some years ago from
Hamilton Cole for $4,000. When the auchoneer
reached No. go those present In state OF nervous
suspense. For moment after Mr.. Kirby ceased speak
Ing there silence. voice CRED "S4ooo'
Quickly the bids mounted TO Sl4,SO0 at which price
j. W. Ellsworth, a merchant of Chicago. bought IT,
Mr. Ellsworth is already known as the purchaser o'
Rembra andt's "Gder."
The other object Of special interest the Spanish
edition of the letter Of Columbus, the vaIuiy Va
which has called forth so much correspondence from
Mr. Ives and Mr.. Quaritch. The published dehai Ho"
Mr. Harrsse Of the authenticity of Mr.. lVeSs 'op'
added interest to the SALE What Mr. Ives palu ioi
tbis is a profound secret, known only to himself MI
Ellis and Mr. Pierce. at whose Office 1T changed hahuS
Before the sale Mr.. Kirby read letter from MI
In which he offers to take the letter IN case IL
shonld be proven TO be spurious within years u'o @
The first hid was 81 O0O which quickly rose 10 Sfoo0
vbon the letter went to Dodd. Mead Co. III Is sup
nosed that this firm is acting for Mr.. Church. OF 6ooA
lyn. A.. or+ q,
The first book to arouse enthusiasm on the part -
the bidders was the large paper copy OF the sa'.e
ton G5oU of Aesop. This finally went 10 inc '''''A
ellis for 1925. 80 A. ur,. y,
Marie Antoinette brought S102 so. The worhs VI
Apuleius. Rome Q469), the first edition. "nich o.'
over the subsequent ones the advantage Vi "
without correction, bought by the "l'Nluis ~
S165. The copy Of Sir NJ. NJ. sykes on 'enu'n "
Aristotlc's "History of Animals first La'ih eo'oI
from the press Of John Of Cologne, was "anVeu ~
Mr.. Benjamin. lie got 1t for $500. 49,
Tho first arithmetic published Treviso 14'o' from
the Woodruff Library. sold for $500. hrholo
"Chronclen bound by Coverley, proved 10 oc VI III
terest to Mr. Mitchell and IL passed into his possession
at $780, Ash's Carolina" London loo2' DrouSh'
$50. Mr. Barow's copy sold for S77 3d.
The rare Augustinus from the Subeaco Press, 1857,
,b. first edition ending with the words "God. AL
nsuoIIy wanting, was bought by Dodd, Mead & Co.
for S135.
The superb "Catholconr Of Babus, the first lexicon
pubsbed and the fourth book ever printed with dae.
absolutely uncut edges, caused some acuVe compet-
ton but finally at 81 ZOO went TO Dodd, Mead Co.
a. Plane Description OF the Burmudas' Lohuoh'
1913 was bought by W. E. Benjamin for S13o.
Reraneers proved Of interest and volumes OF
his works we're sold to Bonaventure for s147. John
Ellot's Bible one of twenty copies which, according
10 Thomas have the dedication TO King Chafles'
went TO the Mitehes for 81 $50 An Italian Block
Book published at Venice about 1910 was worth Sl'o
to ". f. Benjamin.
The Decameronn bound for Marguerite of Navarre(D
by Clovis Eve was bought by Bonaventure for Sl2o.
edition n473) bound by Roger Payne, was given to
Mr. Mitchell for SlO5 Mr.. Pierce wanted Boethus,'
14S1 which knocked down TO him for S2o copy
of his DE Consoatone PhlosOphae" OF 1455 reached
S145. Boniface VIl1," of 1865, uncut, on velum'
was bought by Mitchell for $3.50. Sebastian Brauts
Ship Of Fools 1897 the first edition. with untrlmmeo
edges went to IIildeburn for $65.
The edition of London, 1870, with Latin and Eng
lish text went to Wells, buying for Estes & Laurat,
for ?55 Brstlwayte's "Solmne IOviall Disputaton,'
1917, Pierce $47 80. Brcviarum ROmanum,' bound
hy Clovis Eve with slight resioraons on top OF rcco
and on the back, proved an attraction to Mr. Bona
venture at $50
ldebIn for $15. Brlnley's copy at his sale brought
Tie same price.
Robert Durns's poems. the first Kilmarnock
cdl on. brought $43O from W. Z. Benjamin's pocket
Richard de Bury's Phllobiblon," oxford 1890. $55
Byhelds Late Revolution in New England Lon
don 1850. went for S37 so. to J. W. Ellsworth. The
BARLOW copy. little cropped, brought S2o. Caesars
:. Commentaries" somewhat known to schooboys,
though not this edition. that Of Rome. 1852 fetched
SlG5 from the pocket of Mr.. Mitchell
more Wonders of the Invisible World,' London
l7oO show by its price Sl45 the interest taken in
the old Supcrsttions.
A Platform of Church Discipline, Cambridge,
l640 brought $40 from Mr. Littleheld
a Confession of Faith" Boston, 1899. fetched
500 same purchaser.
Canpion's Relation" 1913, went for $57 80 to
Mr. Pierce Jacques Cartcr's "Navlgations and Dis
coveries" London, 1850, was bought for 81 900 by
Dodd Mead & Co. "Carolina." London. 1906. the
frsi printed description OF Carolina, was bought by
W. E. Benjamin for S155. The first edition OF
Casticlione the Golden Book" as the Italians call it.
went to Mr. Hoe for 5000 This was Groliers
COPY with his name and motto upon the cover.
-Champlan's First Voyage" Paris, 1904, cost
Dodd Mead and Co. 800. His Voyages Paris. 1913
bound with his fourth voyage, cost them S24o HIS
Voyages from 1615-l6l5, Paris. 1919. went to them
for S1oO. They also got the Voyages Paris. 1O2o for
S27O and the edition 1882 for s215.
]. o. Wright paid 800 for Chapelain's "Puceie'
hound beautifully by Roger Payne. The 1906 edition
Of ST. Chry sostOm to Mr.. Pierce for 800.
Churclrs Philips War;" Boston. 171G was sold TO
Dodd Mead & Co. for $500. Cicero's "De Ohichs'
465 the classic printed, laid on the table at
$40 for Mr.. Pierce.
\ beautiful veum paper copy from the press Vi
John de Spira, 14G9. Of his "Epstoae ad Familares
went to Mr.. Pierce for 1915 another copy to Dodd,
Mead CO. for $l55; his Oratones,' Venice, 141l, to
j. O. Weight for 800.
His Cato Major" from the press Of John Franklin,
in perfect condition, went 10 DOdd, Mead Co. for
land went TO Dodd. Mead & Co. for Sl2O. The Bar
low copy, cut, sold for $17O. "Thc Civil Magistrates
acd sea SO. ColdenS "Hist"y Of the Five Indian
Wars Of York. York l327 bearing the i'm
reached Dodd. Mead a Co.'S hands for 1925.
The fest Latin edition of Colnmbus's letter to Gabriel
Sanchez according TO MIR. Major, was sold to Dodd,
Mead q Co. for $1,000 This firm also bought the
fst edition (on Mr. larrisse's authority for II 800
The first German edition, for 1855, also went to the
same bidders.
The low pices seem to prove that Mr.. Ives
the only private buyer of Americana who would give
any prce for it, on the two Latin editions of COum
bnS's letter Mr.. Ives lost $1,000. He gave at the
harlow sale 81 200 and TO Dodd Mead & Co. a.. 900
for the two Latin editions OF the Comm
bus Letter, The total for the afternoons sale was
$40 366 %.
At the evening session the first volume offered was
the first edition of Corezs second and earliest extant
letter for which Mr.. Ives paid 81 $50 at the Barlow
sale II was knocked down to Dodd Mead & Co. for
5000 The first edition of his third letter, which re
lates incidents from october 80, 1920, TO May Is.
1922, and which cost Mr.. Ives Sl.1o0 at the same
sale brought $3.50 from Dodd, Mead & Co. They also