Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1894-09-20
4 BOOKS CLOTHING.
BINDINGS MADE From The SKIN OF
fumAN BEINGS.

"!oois .. ortns" and Their Ravages.
ITO be strong backed and neat
bound, - says Charles Lamb, lis tho de-
Fidcratum of q volume Magnifcence
| comes after In spite. however, Of this
axiom of tho gentle Ella, not few Of
this well tlumbcd, torn and dogs cared
,avoritcs turned their backs to the spec
tator, covorless Upon goodly row of
encyclopedias and books which are no
books the Jealous cssayist burst forth:
Il confess that it moves my spleen to
see these things III books clothing
| porchod upon Shelves like false saints,
! asurpors OF true shrincs, intruders into
! tho sanctuary, set out In an ar
ray of Russia or Mnrocco, when 1.-THE
Of that good leather would comfortably
rcclothc my shivoring folios, would
Yonovate Parncclsus himself and en-
able old Rayn,und Lully to look like
himself in the world. Incvcr see these
impostols but l long to strip them to
warm my ragged veterans in their
spoils.
OF curios in the way of binding there
exist III England several examples. In
the Exeter museum there Is to be found
IL volume bound i'll the skin of George
Cudmoro, who was executed i'll 1880 for
poisoning his wife. In the library of
Bury st. Edmund' there is 'Lifc of
Corder " murderer, bound in pieco
IF his own skin. In the library Of Mex
borough House there We're formerly two
books bound in the skin of Mary Bate
man, the Yorkshire witch who was
hanged early in this century.
In 1921 man named Norwood suf-
forcd the extreme penalty for tho MUIR
der of girl, and the following trades
man 5 account of Il book in the infrmary
library explains itself:
Bristol, june 1928. - Richard
Smith, Esq, Dr.. TO II. II. Essex. TO
binding i'll the skin of John Norwood
variety of papers relating to him, 81
los. the same being lcttcrcd in Latin on
each side of tho book The True Skin of
John Norwood. ~
Whether the skins of hardened GRIM
innl- are more easily curried and dressed
than those Of ordinary mortals must
confess / am unable to judge
II was at dinner party that Thomas
Carlyle gave vent to his opinion as to
binding books with human skins Tho
dyspcptic sage had so far sat in moroso
silence. An unpleasant feeling hung
over the party, many Of whom had been
specially invited to hear his cratic
views. A genial old gentleman was en-
dcavoring to infuse q little warmth into
the assemblage by playfully remarking
to young political enthusiast who sat
beside him, "Tho British people can af-
ford to laugh at theories. "
This remark woke up Carlyle, and
speaking for tho first and only timo
during the evening he observed III his
usual i'll bred way: "Sir, tho French
nobility Of 100 years ago said they could
afford to laugh at theories. Then camo
o man who wrote q book called The
Social Contract Tho man was called
Jean Jacques Rousseau, and his book
was a theory and nothing but theory
The mobiles could laugh at this theory,
but their skins went to bind the second
edition of this book. -
It Is q matter of fact that during tho
horrors Of tho French revolution tanner
les We're established in various parts Of
France where tho skins of the victims of
the guillotine were tanned, and many of
these were used to bind books on account
of tho fine grained surface exhibited aft
er being curried.
AT the Chicago exhibition one of tho
curious exhibits was q pack Of playing
cards which had been manufactured
from tho skin OF some captured Indians.
l remember to hayc seen at an old curl
osity shop on New Oxford street only q
few years ago q piece Of hard, dry,
tough, lcatho,y skin, which, was Us
surcd, was tho tanned hide of Maori
The tattoo marks We're plainly visible
on its surface, aid OH examining it with
a powerful glass the grain Of the human
skin was clearly shown.
In speaking of the binding of books
one cannot refrain from abiding in pass
ing to tho enemies Of booAs--encmics
that usually make their doprcdations
upon bindings. These insects, popularity
known as bookworms, arc found in pa
per, leather and parchment. Tho larvae
Of Crambus pinguinalis will establish
themselves upon tho binding Of book,
and spinning robe will do it little in
jury. A mite-Acarus oruditus-eats
the paste that fastens the paper over tho
edges Of tho binding and so loosens it.
Tho caterpillar OF another little moth
takes its station in damp, old books be-
tween the leaves and there commits
great ravagos. Burns has addressed to
these bookworms an cpigram which be-
trays the cynical huinor of the poet:
Through and through tho inspired leaves
Ye maggots make your windings;
But, oh, respect his lordship's taste
And spare his golden bndings
The little boring wood beetle will also
attack books and has been known to
penetrate through several volumes. An
: instahco is mentioned of 81 folio volumes
being perforated in a straight limo by
the same insect in such q manner that
by passing cord through the perfect
round hole made by it the 81 volumes
could be raised at once. The wood beetle