Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-11-25
THE BOOK LIFTER'S GUILD.
ALI Sorts Of Devices TO Garner Rare
Volumes.
VERY BAD FORM TO PAY FOR THEN
You May Buy Borrow and Evon steai.
and Of tho D.oeptiens Praetiesd
There Ia no End.

/ hANlUE lOF many years cullNhkt1 ny
leisure not alone In the perusal but In the
seductive chase Of books. It has often
beeu suggested to me by my confederates
to compile a quasl-conatitution OF the prin-
clples underlying our purault so that the
results OF my experience might not DO en-
urely lost 10 them and their suceessora.
And these. as old Walton would nay, do
now Intend to write down.
Ordinarily a non-book collector, as you
have no doubt Observed. II you show SUI
feient surprise and enthusiasm at the fact
that he possesses rare and valuable book
VIII give 1t to you. II no does not give
II to you. he may suggest TO you to take
IL home az loan. II you are a con-
solenuoua bookkeeper the chances arc he
VIII never SEQ It again. II his phlegmatie
bosom ia not moved to present It to you
ouuight--or to loan 1.-THE next step laid
down by the chiyalry OF book collecting is
to huggest trade. This may give you tue
long-looked-for opportunity OF disposing Of
that worthless book which you subscribed
for out Of charity for tho woebegone con-
dition OF soliciting widow. whose face
was woodout OF sorrow and her perseyer-
ance abnormally developed.
There is law OF book collecting which
"'Hsssa ~ NAAA EAHtAAiAg - 0NceA NNhA
mover to try any OF these rules OF tho
craft upon fellow member. The truth
that Ia unity there 10 strength should not
be los; sight OF In this Instance. There
should always exist between boak-garuer-
era that gracious courtesy and respect for
each others rights, which never tempt the
thief to dcploy his arts against fellow.
Another reason for this rule is one based
MuQm utilize ain -.
futile to attempt It..
The occasion may come--aud II you prs
an hsaidlous practitioner It surely will
"hen the owner OF the loaned volume IA
rare hfat or an exhausted edition. will
ARISE In his wrath and demand back the
DOCK. II the demand Is too vehement to lg-
more then you can supply RS place-assort-
lhg' on course that II IL l0st-by some yo-
umc OF protenious and spurious merit.
IN tAet, THIS modus operandi Is the fayorlie
one pIaeucud by the seeker after books out
OF prlnI The wrth!ng victim is fortunate
indeed II his demand, oft repoated--a first
demand should never bo recognlzed-m
oven WIN thiA Inadequate and makeshift
restitution.
Where IL is not advisable to borrow and
'ne aequlsitiyenezs OF the owner will never
permit Nun to be provoked Into giving.
study your Victims movements. call when
ho Is out. and natter his wife. Then Dor.
row. hui never moro than one book. and
tho chances are 1t will never be missed.
Know very successful representative !
OF our cl0tn, who has not only got together |
many shelves OF locked treasures, but has !
got ana disposed OF unique yoiumes at i'm
inenae Percentages. which he has laid out
N additional purchases. His method Is to
lHfl HIu 4 Na.
secondhand dealers. and II he can arrive |
upon tue opening Of the boxes and before |
there " time to weigh and measure trpas-
ures, he 10 aurc-being we'll rounded aud |
poihhcd eolloctor-to make many snap
Ahota. iiis raward Is that which generally |
II you rcsije in great city you should |
Keep loG-book " the effeic Offspring OF
dlstnEulahc1 dccodeuts. aud then seek the !
occasion Of either an acquaintance or u cali. !
No doubt their parents have gathered yalu-
able books, volumes which Won have gourht !
after Tor years, heard OF. dreamed of but |
nave never seen, or. n seen. hardly hoped |
TO possess, lilo who Is 80 fortunately alt |
uated rs to DO near such rich lead OF !
true orc VIII dad himself like those who |
had the hardlhood to get TO those shores |
In the Fifteenth century Tor early Six. /
tecnthl, trading glass beads for gold mug
gets The Aforesaid efipte descendant will |
Eonerally caro- nothing for books, has little |
familiarity even WITH titles, and n you nrs 1
doxterous In striking tho right rib. you |
may expect to sail many times TO those |
shores ana depart thence, without your /
bales Of calico and Ecwgaws. bearing away |
rich argosles. You have never thought. my /
fellows, how close 10 your elbows arc often |
tho easy doors 10 cherished rcallzatlnns,
The book collector should over be hot
upon the scent for presentation coplos.
know Of n distinguished member OF our
guild who constituted himself an Imagined
Historical and Literary Society, OF which
he subscribed himself secretary, and whose
appeals under his hpurlous lotter-head OF
the Bpcloty) sent broadcast to dlstipFulshed
living writer's, duly seasoned with hints OF
aid In books for this poor and struggling
Institution. resulted In his gathering "A
whole library OF presentation copies from
susceptible authors. This brother had
veritahlc fromethean genius and no doubt
Will 80 through the ages. holding In tho
Olympus OF book -garnerers place co-ordl.
nate to that held In history by those en-.
balmed memories OF the radical benefactnrs
Of the human race.
sleek and oily deacon-a prop and nil.
lar OF the church-and net the least arden,
OF our number whose library was esperl-
ally rich In ilnc Old bindings was exceeded
by no one I have ever met with In the
gratis acquisition Of books. believe that
his talent lay mainly In being close upon
che heels Of tho undertaken At these times
NAAe NNlAhl NhFiHtAan was ESPECIALLY artful
and full Of gracious sympathy. once
attended him BY chance upon one OF thoge
misslous 0i charity. Turning Ia the mpst
natural way imaginable to tho shelf con.
tanning the coveted volume, no drew IL
forth relnNklng IN soft aud melting tones:
How often, my dear madame. has your
lamen,cd husband read to me from this old
hooll IL Is indflihlS associated In my mind
with my many visits under this ever hos
pltahle ROOT have oiten thought he IN.
tended y Tor me as a pledge and mcmoriai
OF our iriendship" lilo generally mad mo
coveted book thrust upon him--howevor I'M.
willingly he appeared TO receive Il,
ho was NOT one Of your aitrust book.loy-
ers-a TOW % whom have known ana for
whom my shelyos are tho hoftier. They
were adopts Al gathering for friends wlth
npecialuea hooks Of which they themselves
possessed copies. or fer which they had no
especial craving, They wera mostly modest
IN their own lniercsts-bu, possessed larcs
holdneas m behalf Of others. would advise
however. tho wou,d-be successful amateurs
not 70 cultivate 200 much modest,-lt me
caution no at all necessary to those affected
with out mania
There be 0ucateis after rare ana dainty
volumes, who ara 60 entirely infant utg,n
lheir fond Pursuit, that Il We're never ssfs
10 leave them TO themselves Ia a Room Min ,
"a unclaimed valued Book. cut or which
he opening 20 not barred o. boltet 81