Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-04-16
Prices Quoted on the Autographs
Of Distinguishes Persons.
Souse a Theo va1ued a. el6O-.-lDp.
Johason's signsasse - Ras~. b~s
WosSls~ussh's = Cuamon.

come. gentle reader!
Ii all dependa
Today. perhaps. Il may be worth .
cool elO.O00-that u. II the cashier
chooses to honor your check. II your
account 10 ovcrdraWn and the autocrst
a the depository 70 = suspicious sort Of
man. your isignstures may not he
worth IL cents . hundred with . liberal
discount Tor cash. But that really has
nothing Ia do with the future. sigma
lures now worth hundreds II dollars
once belonged ~ men that couldn't get
trusted for dried herring and ginger
snap.
II you are one Of that class Of persons.
take heart. Some day your autograph
may b. the delight Of q curio hunter. cen
70 mnch that he may sT~nd HE last
shekel 10 purchase it,
While looking over his mail the other
day. Charles w. Eaton found . csts
logue Of autograph letters and original
manuscripts Some OF the specimens
man whose check has just been dis
honored At the bank.
Samuel Johnson's Letters.
DR.. Samuel johnson. the celebrated
lexicographer. spent most 81 his life IN
a condition OF abject poverty. IL is re-
lated that he wrote "Rasselas" within
two days in order 10 obtain funds TO pay
for his mothers funeral. Yet an auto
graph II the sturdy old doctor cannot
he purchased for lees than e37.5O. An
autograph letter referring 10 Taxation
No Tyranny" il quoted at go. In the
days Of his distress the famous old
Englishman would have been ovcrjoyed
at the thought Of obtaining even elk
pence for his signature. But times
change.
John Keats died young and his letters
have high scarcity value. A love let
ter Of one and q quarter pages in length.
written 10 Fanny Brawne. is valued az
tl50. Another letter to the same lady.
beginning. MY deareet girl" is quoted
at el25. Evidently the value Of Keats
letters depends somewhat upon the
warmth OF affection expressed; for an
other love epistlc IN the same chsrmer.
in which he sddresscs her as Dear
girl" IL marked e75.
AZ another evidence that poetry docs
not pay, il may be noted that while an
autograph Of William Wordsworth may
he bought for q. Zola's realistic hand
writing in quoted at e650. But letter
written 10y the famous poet is valued at
S35O.
An autograph letter by Joseph Addi-
con. the essayist, cannot be had for less
than eco; but . document signed by
Queen Anne Of England can be bought
for el0.
Robert Browning 10 not held in high
veneration by the autograph collectors,
and letter written by him 10 for sale al
the very low price Of tA5O. A letter by
William Cullen Bryant. declining 10 per.
init. his biography to 10 written. ID
quoted at ESQ. Two other letters re-
ferring TO his translstion Of the "lliad'
and "Odyssly"'are marked tl-50.
A check signed by Aaron Burr il held
In be worth tls25. The face OF the check
does not seem to cut any figure with the
autograph fiend.
Lord Tcnnyson's Signature.
There are not many specimens Of Lord
Tennyson's chirography to be had. in
spite Of the voluminous writings II the
letter written 10y him several years he
fore bis death can be bought for elo.
For ESQ document can he procured
bearing the signatures Of Queen Vic.
toria and Lord Pximcrston. IL was
signed in 1876. and 10 m excellent speci.
men Of the queens rather scrawly hand.
writing.
The founder of New York'e 400 was
hardly a literary man. hut he owned
more land than all 81 his descendants
combined. He also did profitable
business in dickering with the red man
and swapping Old Tom gin for skins.
Schuyler Van Renselser's penmanship
il worth only ~ cents 20 the autograph
hunter. although there are but few
specimens in existence.
In lI9} General Washington wrote a
letter IL Richard Snowden thanking him
for the first volume Of The American
Revolution" The president thanks the
author for the favorable sentiments OK
pressed. and declares that he shall read
the production with not the icss in
terest because il is written in the st,le
Of ancient history" The letter is valued
at only 60
The collector that wishse n obtain
one x Tom Paines letters must pay al
for IT, There are no: many specimens
81 the famous atheists handwriting in
existence.
Mrs. T.. ID. r. ~ Soushworth has writ
ten fifty four novels Perhaps that ex-
plains Why her autographs retail at 10
cents. In comparison with the literary
qualities ~ her novels this is a good
price. too
\ POEM ny Baya Taylor.
A manuscript poem by Bayard Tay.
Tor il not a common every day affair. In
the course NJ his travels he wrote q
pretty apostrophe 10 the Neva- Thers
are sixteen stanzas ~ eis lines each and
the manuscript is for sale for ell As
this IL less than q dollar a sfanza. b; NAV
10 regarded a. cheap
Among the unique things offered y,
the autograph brokers IL an original
sketch NJ a fruit vendor nv Cusfave
Dore. On the reverse ~ the sketch 10
the following inscription: Given IN me
by NJ Gu..ave Dore. Amelia X. III
wartis- Mics Edwards L. the famous
novelist and Egyptoineisf who r~censis
died in England Her lecture tour
throughout the United States. which
took place four or five year. ago. Is vel
remembered hy everybody that heard
the gifted woman The sketch - valued
II only o..
Brigham Young. the man With many
wives. scattered his signature ove'
many documents. and specimens 81 hss
handwriting are almost too COMMON n
he valuable A pcte written by him u
quoted At OIL "a
So<xSsss xx.ss L. 49, srs~,e a lef<ey a