The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1894-08-17

BINDINGS MADE FROM THE SKIN OF
HUMAN BEINGS.


"Bookworms" and Their Ravages.
Z "To be strong backed and neat
bound" says Charles Lamb, lis the de-
sideratum of a volume. Magnificence
comes after. - In spite, however, OF this
axiom of the gentle Ella, not few OF
this we'll thumbed, torn and dogs cared
favorites turned their backs to the spec
tator, coverless. Upon goodly row OF
encyclopedias and books which are no
books the jealous essayist burst forth:
! 81 confess that it moves my spleen to
see these things in books clothing
perched upon shelves, like false saints,
usurpers of true shrines, intrudcrs into
the sanctuary, n set out in an ar
ray of Russia or Marocco, when 1.-THE
of that good leather would comfortably
reclothe my shivering folios, would
renovate Paracelsus himself and en-
able old Raymund Lully to look like
himself in the world l never see these
impostors 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
Cudmore, who was executed Ill 1850 TOT
poisoning his wife. In the library OF
Bury st. Edmunds there is Life OF
! Corder," murderer, bound in piece
of his own skin. In the 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 in this century.
In 1921 a man named Norwood SUI
fered the extreme penalty for the muir
der of a girl, and the following trades
mans account of a book in the infirmary
library explains itself:
Bristol, June, 1928. - Richard
Smith, Esq, DR.. to FL. Fl. Essex 70
binding in the skin of John Norwood a
variety of papers relating to him, 81
10s., the same being lettered in Latin on
each side of the book The True Skin OF
John Norwood. -
Whether the skins of hardened Grim
inals are more easily curried and dressed
than those of ordinary mortals l must
confess l am unable to judge.
1t was at dinner party that Thomas
Carlyle gave vent to his opinion as to
binding books with human skins. The
| dyspeptic sage had so far sat in morose
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-
deavoring to infuse little warmth into
the assemblage by playfully reEnarking
to a young political enthusiast who sat
beside him, 1.-The British people can af-
ford to laugh at theories. f"
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
man who wrote book called The
Social Contract. The 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. -
1t is a matter of fact that during the
horrors of the French revolution tanner
les were established in various parts of
France where the skins of the victims Of
the guillotine were tanned, and many Of
these were used to bind books ON account
of the fine grained surface exhibited aft
er being curried
At the Chicago exhibition one of the
curious exhibits was pack of playing
cards which had been manufactured
from the skin of some captured Indians.
remember to have seen at an old curl
osity shop on New Oxford street only a
few years ago a piece of hard, dry,
tough, leathery skin, which, was as
sured, was the tanned hide of a Maori.
The tattoo marks were plainly visible
on its surface, and on examining it with
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 the enemies of books-enemies
that usually make their depredations
upon bindings These insects, popularity
known as beokworms, are found In pa
per, leather and parchment. The Larvae
of Crambus pinguinalis will establish
themselves upon the binding of book,
and spinning a robe will do it little in
jury. A mite-Acarus eruditus-eats
the paste that fastens the paper over the
edges of the binding and so loosens 1t.
The caterpillar of another little moth
takes its station in damp, old books be-
tween the leaves and there commits
great ravages. Burns has addressed to
these bookworms an epigram which be-
trays the cynical humor of the poet:
Through and through the inspired leaves
Ye magsots make your windiugs;
But, oh, respect his lordships taste
And spare his 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 81 folio volumes
being perforated in straight line by
the same insect in such a manner that
by passing a cord through the perfect
round hole made by it the 81 volumes
bould be raised at once. The wood beetle,
the same variety that has left pinholes
in Chippendale and other old chairs and
/