Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1894-09-27

BINDINGS MADE FROM THE SKIN OF
HUMAN BEINGS.

Thomas CnrIylc's GruT Speech at the Din
ncr rarty-A Deck of Cards Made From
the Skin of In,lia,ls-The Troublesome
"roo,xworms" and Their Ravagcs.
''To be strong backed and neat
bound" says Charles Lamb, lis tho de-
sidcratum of volume. Magniticence
comes after" In Spite however. Of this
axiom of tho gentle Ella, not few Of
this we'll thumbcd, torn and dogs cared
iavoritos turned their backs to the spec
tator, covcrless. Upon goodly row of
encyclopedias and books which arc no
books the jealous cssayist burst forth:
Il confess that it moves my spleen to
see these things in books clothing
pcrched upon shelves, like false saints,
1surpers of true shrinos, intrudcrs into
the sanctuary, set out in IN ar
ray Of Russia or Marocco, when 4 1.-THE
Of that good leather would comfortably
roclothc my slrivering folios, would
renovatc Paracolsus himself and Oh
able old Raymund Lully to look like
himself in the world. / never SEQ these
iInpostors but l long to strip them to
warm my ragged veterans in their
spoils.
OF curios in the way of binding there
exist in England several examples. In
the Exeter museum there is to be found
q volume bound in the skin of George
Cudmorc who was executed III 1880 for
poisoning his wife. In tho library of
Bury st. Edmunds there is a Life of
Corder," n murderer, bound in piece
Of his own skin. In tho library Of Mex
borough House there Were formerly two
books bound in the skin of Mary Bate
man, the Yorkshire witch who was
hanged early III this century.
In 1921 Il man named Norwood suf-
fercd the extreme penalty for the MUIR
der of girl, and the following trades
mans account of Il book in tho infirmary
library explains itself:
bristol, juno, 1928. - Richard
Smith, Esq, DR.. to II. II. Essex. To
bidding in the skin of John Norwood u
variety of papers relating to him, 81
L T., tic same being lottored in Latin OH
each side of the book The True Skin of
John Norwood.
Whether tho skins Of hardened Grim
inals are moro easily curricd and dressed
than those of ordinary mortals must
confess am unable to judge.
1t 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 infusc a little warmth into
the assemblage by playfully romarking
to a young political enthusiast who sat
beside him, 1.-The British people can af
ford to laugh at theories. "
This remark woke up Carlyle, and
speaking for the first and only time
during the evening he observed in his
usual i'll bred way: "Sir, the French
nobility of 100 years ago said they could
afford to laugh at theories. Then came
a man who wrote book called The
Social Contract The man was called
jean Jacques Rousseau and his book
was q theory and nothing but theory.
The mobiles could laugh at this theory,
but their skins went to bind the second
edition Of this book"
1t is q matter of fact that during the
horrors of the French revolution tanner
les were 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 a pack Of playing
cards which had been manufactured
from the skin Of some captured Indians.
l remember to have seen at an old curl
osity shop on New Oxford street only q
few years ago a piece of hard, dry,
tough, leathcry skin, which, was as
surcd, was the tanned hide of Maori.
The tattoo marks We're plainly visible
OH its surface, and On examining it with
powerful glas, the grain of the human
skin was clearly shown.
In speaking Of the binding of books
one cannot refrain from ailuding in pass
ing to tho cncMios Of hoolls--cnemics
that usually mako their dcprcdations
upon bindings. These insects, popularity
known as bookworms, are found in pa
per, leather and parchment Tho larvae
Of Crambus pinguinalis will establish
themselves upon the binding of a book,
and spinning robe will Go it little in
jury. A mite-Acarus cruditus-eats
the paste that fastens the paper over the
edges of the binding and SO loosens it.
The caterpillar Of another little moth
takes its station i'll damp, old books be-
tween the leaves and there commits
great ravagcs Burns has addressed to
these bool,wOrns an cpigram which be-
trays the cynical humor of the poet:
Through and through the inspired leaves
Ic maggots make your windings;
But, oh, respect his lordship's taste
INA spar ! is golden bindings!
The little boring wood beetle will also
attack books and has been known to
penetrate through several volumes. An
instance is mentioned of ~ folio volumes