The Portland daily press., 1897-05-21
BOOK MADE WITHIA PEN.
Noble D. Preston's Memoirs Done Literal
yby Himself.
New York SUM-

New York Sum-
| A remarkable book is now in the pos
session of H. E. Hayes of ID. Appleton
& Co. No printer has ever touched 1t.
With the exception of some photographs
and one or two Autographs which have
been inserted, and of the binding, the
entire book is the work of the author S
pen. In the dark ages, before the art OF
printing had begun its work OF broaden
ing the field of literature from the few
to the many work of this sort was done
| by the inmates of monasteries, who de-
voted lifetime to it. Such books are
now worth their weight in gold many
times over, and if this book ever comes
| to be sold it will undoubtedly bring a
| fabulous price as curio. From the book
| makers of the past this bookmaker has
borrowed the illuminated letters at be-
ginnings of chapters, although his style
of Illuminating is far from traditional.
| In all other respects he has followed his
| own ideas.
Lieut.. Col. Noble D. Preston of Phila-
delphia is the author and maker of the
volume, which is collection of his
memoirs of the war, with certain other
material appended. AS an author he has
had some experience, having written the
History of the Tenth New York Cav.
airy" As bookmaker, this is his first
attempt but it could not be more beauti-
full and perfect in workmanship had he
spent lifetime studying and practising
this kind of work. The book contains
about $4,000 words, and it took Col.
Preston most of the leisure time of eight
years to complete it. 1t was sent on here
to be bound and the work has Just been
finished. In day or two the book will
be sent to the author in Philadelphia
The binding is of crushed Levant, with
fooled edges, and is the personal work of
Alfred Matthews, manager of Appleton's
bfndery, and bears his signature.
The title on the back of the book is
"Preston's Pen Pictures, Medals, Songs
and Sketches, Medal of Honor, LOYAL
Legion, Biographies, Bugle Blasts,
Family Genealogies, SSc.-Noble d. Pres
ton. On opening the book ones first
idea is that the pages are fine examples
OF copper plate engraving, but closer
inspection shows that it is all pen work
done. with very fine pointed pen.
Not from any irrogularity in the work
| can this be told, however, as every letter
is as perfect and every line as even as the
best example of the engraver's art. Each
letter is separate AS page after page is
| found to be of equal workmanship, one is
impressed with the tremendous industry,
| care, and delicacy involved in such a
task. Only man of unbOunded patience
| and absolute control of his nerves could
have done it. At the heads of the chap
tiers are bits Of scroll work done in ink of
NJ rr1d kto .r,.4 81 ILL
each chapter is a remarkably beautiful
piece of illumination. Besides this there
is scroll and margin work on some of the
pages. Under the heading of preface, -
which is itself an exquisite bit of pen
manship, the author says:
II made this novel volume with pen
and ink for my children by special re-
quest 1t possesses no literary merit and
little of any other. The edition is United
to one volume and is not copyrighted ~
The main body of the volume is taken
up by "reminiscences of incidents of the
authors career as a member of the Tenth
New York Cavalry, beginning with en-
| listment and ending with the return of
the regiment after the war. There are
photographs of various officers of the regi-
ment, and of some of the best known
Generals OF both armies in the civil war
Perhaps the most remarkable evidence of
the artists skill is a reproduction in
!
received for gallantry in action at the
battle Of Trevillian's Station. The en-
tire medal, ribbon, and pin is reproduced
with such skill that it is difficult to be-
lleve that it is not piece of color litho-
| grapy. The work is the more remarkable
in that Col Preston has never in his life
had any art training. The Loyal Legion
medals and other medals Are also repro
| duced.
At the end of this, the main part of the
| BOOK, are some autograph letters from
Gen. Rodenbough and copies of various
documents relating to the author. Then
come copies of various war songs, and
musical notation and illustrated with de-
| lightful bits of fancy. Taps in par.
| tlcular, is charming piece of work, the
music being set in night scene in camp,
with the horses picketed, the sentries on
guard, and beyond the white row of
tents, the last reflection of day lighting
the western clouds. Finally comes the
family genealogy of the Prestons, with
photographs, arranged with particular
| reference to home consumption. The
historical part of the book is amusing and
Interesting, as showing the everyday
life in camp, on the march, and in battle,
but it is as a bookmaker and not as an
author that Col. Preston has turned out
work almost if not quite unique in
these days.
Col. Preston, the author and maker of
the book, is the representative of the
Standard Oil Company in Philadelphia
He Is a man of some leisure and of home
loving habits, and the idea occurred to
him about eight years ago to make for
his children a book of memoirs, etc., that
should be all of his own making At
first he intended to append the sheets to
his History of the Tenth New York
| Cavalry but as the book grew, year
| after year, he decided to make separate
book of it. This idea he confided to MIR.
H. E. Hayes of D. Appleton & Co., who
enlisted in the regiment at the same
| time with him, and was his comrade
throughout the war. Mr. Hayes said that
he would have the book bound, and that
is how it comes to be in this city. There
is lacking now only the indexing, and
several pages have been left blank for
that.