The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-05-09
A FORTUNE IN A BOOK.
NT. John A. Digger Offered $4,000
for a Rare Work.

niscences.
! Mr.. John A. Digger, of Efiingham
l,county, has recently discovered q fortune
in some old books which he purchased at
the sale of DR.. Arnold's famous library
sold some ten or twelve years ago by MIR
J. Mclaughlin.
Mr.. Digger, il seems, has always had
passion for books, both for collecting them
and studying them. He has studied, too,
the lists which show the values of old
books or the prices which rare volumes
will bring.
At the time of this sale he bought sew
eral works, some of them in Latin and
other languages. Among them were two
in Latin the Glossarium Eroticum and
| Sacra Eleusinia, which he bought at
nominal prices, probably knowing at the
time that they might be rare works,
though he could have had little idea as to
their market value
Mr.. Mclaughlin has had several book
sales, ia which Mr.. Digger has been
| deeply interested, consequently he is well
acquainted with the collector.
RARE FIND.
While Mr.. Digger was in the city a
day or two, Mr. Mclaughlin learned from
him that he had informed some represen-
| tatives of English museums and English
libraries of his possession of these works
Recently he has received an offer from
| some English museum of 1913, 600 for these
works, which in all likelihood he will ac-
| cept without delay. Mr.. Mclaughlin
did not remember the particulars
OF the correspondence which MIR
Digger had had with regard to the works,
except the fact that the first one
mentioned, the Glossarium Eroticum, is
one of four Of its kind that are in exist
ence. Three of the books of this kind in
existence were accounted for, but the
| fourth could not be found until IL was
known to be In Mr.. Dugger's possession.
This is quite handsome fortune to be
gotten out of old books
This circumstance reminded Mr.. Nc
| Laughlin Of some interesting remiuis-
cences in connection with the sale OF Dr.
| Arnold's famous library. While MIR.
| Digger was bidding on these Latin books
and others Mr.. G. w. J. DeRenne entered
| his place of business and was somewhat
surprised to see so young a man bidding
| on these classic treaties. He became &C
| quainted with him through Mr.. Nc
Laughlin, and was afterward deeply
interested in the young mans life.
MR.. DE RENNE's LETTER.
The acquaintance led to the following
letter, copy of which is in Mir. Nc
| l1aughlin's possession:
Mr. John A. Digger, Efnngham County,
| Ga: Dear Sir-The accident OF meeting you
at the sale Of DR.. Arnold's library, ana OF OBJ
| serving you bid for Latin books led me to
make inquiries about you and as a result of
| them to make you this offer That you shall
| go on April 2, next. to Cornell University, at
Ithaca, n. Y, the great university of the
working man, and thereby study under tutors
appointed by the authorities to prepare your
self Tor examination to enter the university
| as regular member on Sept. II. next; that,
| succeeding in entering, as l have no doubt
you Will. remain there long enough to com
plete the tuIl course ana take your degree.
| That once year, II you desire it, you shall
/ return home for visit not exceeding one
| month. All the expenses necessary for car
! ryfng out this plan / hereby pledge myself
| to defray. and also to contribute to your
| mothers support during your absence as
| much as you have hitherto done that she
may lose nothing but your society whiIe you
are away. This is the offer a brother student
| makes you from his heart. Accept 1t as fro m
| above, for God, who has made this great
| thirst for learning part of your nature hath
| himself provided the means to Stake it. To
! him you owe tho sacred passion for knowl-
| edge which makes all Its lovers equal how.
| ever the luck OF life has placed them. 10
| him you owe this chance OF developing the
intellect he has given you. Give thanks then
&. w. J. DERENNE
Mr.. Digger remained for some time at
Cornell, after which he went to a school
of technology. Mr. DeRenne's sudden
being able to complete his course, as
no provision was made for it in his beue-
| factors will. Mr.. Digger has devoted
himself to the collection and study OF
books with the result stated, which is an
| interesting one and a source of much
qualification to him.
AN INCIDENT RECALLED.
In this connection, speaking of Mr.. De-
Renne, Mr. Mclaughlin said
at may appear presumptious on my
part, at this late day to resurrect the
| virtues and display the beautiful traits
that adorned the life of an humble
although wealthy, Savannah man whose
greatest pride was to do good by stealth
and blush to find it fame His peculiari-
| ties We're great, but his numerous UNI
known and well concealed charities, more
than coUnterbalanced any brusqueness
he might occasionally display.
"His public gifts are known, but his pri-
waite contributions TO relieve distress have
never been chronicled. In half a dozen
| instances, l have been the medium of con.
veying from $50 to 500 to parties who
blessed. but never knew the donor
For years ne paid the rent and sent twice
year wagon loads of groceries to two
ladies who had been in af1uent circum
stances before the war, with the simple
intimation from a friend
He was always anxious to procure rare
works. and when informed him that the
library of an old schoolmaster named
t'eay was for sale, we spent two DAYS
going through it., selecting all the botani
cal works which he had made up his mine
to purchase After each days inspection
we were as black as sweeps. Unfor
tunately, Mr.. Mills, who had o botanica
craze, was informed by F'eay's son Of oul
visits, and ne Immediately came to term:
with him for $500. l felt mad anC
chagrined but Mr.. DeRenne was NOR,
emphatlcally so.
He used to drive me out to Wormslot
on Sundays, where we spent pleasant
days going over the grounds from
the house TO the old Spanish
fort, and then some time
at the tomb, which he informed me
was his church and recite 'Astra Castro
Numen Liemeu.'
PROUD OF HIS NAME.
"He was very indignant at mispronun
citation OF his name. One day he visites
Ravens photograph gallery, and as HI
went along giving some orders Mr.. Haver
would keep repeating, Yes, Mr.. De
Kenny Certainly, Mr.. De Kenny,
when he Immediately turned upoT
him, exclaiming: Mr.. Haven, do yol