The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-03-05
RARE BOOKS BURNED.
Matchless Collection In the "saints
and Sinners Corner"
(New York Mail and Expressly

CNew York Mail and Expressly
Lovers OF rare books no matter
where they live, suffered almost per-
s,,nal loss when the flames swept away
the great book store of McClurg q Co.
of Chicago on Feb. II. In the south
western cornar of the building were
stored the prize volumes which served
as a magnet for all the literary lights
of Chicago, whose frequent meetings
there led Eugenei Field TO cnr1sten II
the Saints and Sinners Corner. so
we'll was the place known to bibl1o-
philess throughout the country that
never one of them visited the city but
found time to while away in the ia
nous Corner"
Its high ranged shelves were stored
with the choicest and rarest that DOCK
land afforded. There were stately old
folios, broad beamed quartos and gems
of duodecimns. musty and faded, but
more. precious than fine linen, though
1t was gflded and dyed with Tyrian
DIVES. Each held within its close en-
brace pages Of the most superfine and
double milled paper that ever MODERN
types left their impress upon. These
books gave forth punSent arenas When
opened and disclosed quaint old prints
and engravings.
The idea. of the Saints and Sinners
Corner" occurred to Mr.. McClurg in
1874. and for a long time he gave 1t his
personal supervision Whenever ne
saw a. rare folio. or whenever he heard
of one, it was purchased and added to
the stock. and always found ready SAFE
Among the books lost in the fire there
was a. manuscript poem of Lambs to
Catherine Orkney. and a presentation
copy of Selden's TITLES Of Honor,
given to Caleb Banks by Samuel Pepys.
There was an inscription in the hand
writing of the diarist on the title page
A first edition folio of Beaumont and
Fletcher was another work valued
highly. It contained an engraved por-
trait of Fletcher, by William Marshall,
and was dated 1647.
RELIC OF LAMB.
A copy of Charles Lambs works. an
octave volume the former owner of
which was Charles Westwood, in whose
fathers town the Lambs once lived, and
of whom Lamb wrote that he had re
tired on ESQ year and one. anecdote.
had pasted in it a letter of Charles,
Lamb, alluding to poor Mary" his sis
ter. and her mental weakness. Price,
s24
A set of Ruskin's works, in nine royal
octave volumes, bound in levant mo-
! rocco, the original edition. Inside one
! of the volumes was an inscription in
Ruskn's handwriting, presenting the
set to the artist, name forgotten, who
painted the most famous portrait of
F, Ruskin. Price, $3.50
A first edition copy of Thackeray's
Christmas books seven square limo
volumes complete with colored illustra-
! lions from his own drawings, one of
! the rarest sets in the collection. Price,
| $500.
A copy of Boydelfs Shakespeare, in
/ ~
Price, $3.50.
| Bulwer's entire works, being sixty
| four volumes, so rare that the booksel-
/ lers of London said they never heard
of another set. Price, 1915.
A VALUABLE PRIZE.
The collection in this department was
valued at $50, 900. One of the most
priced volumes was carried home by
/ Mr.. McClurg, for Sunday preaching.
/ and thus escaped the fate of its COM
panions. In speaking of it Mr.. Nc
| Clurg said:
"This little book is Palgrave's Col
den Treasure of Song and Lyrics in
elaborate binding. all hand wrought
Aside from the richness of the cover,
which makes the book worth $780, it is
| treasured by me because it is volume
carried with me during all my SER
vice in the war.
AFTER Jne IRE tne chicago EOSL ''Ier-
! viewed DIR. N. d. Hills and DR.. INK
Gunsaulus and obtained from them
many interesting anecdotes about the
people who have helped make history
in the famous corner" Dr. Hills said:
| "Ffeld named it. I was rather too
young to know much about the Saints
and Sinners Corner but L remember
it we'll as one of the most delightful
of places. There We're many books of
rare value. and many that were inter
esting and curious, though not so cost
ly. The most notable volume that
remember in the corner was q very fine
edition of Ruslxin's works. 1t was the
original edition of 1918. and was rem
dered even more attractive by the fact
that Ruskin himself had presented it
to Frank Hollyer, the artist. How it
got into the Saints and Sinners Cor
ner after. that do not know, but it
was there"
| who were the saints. doctor?"
well, DIR. Stryker, Dr. Gunsaulus
and DR.. Bristol were styled the saints. y
And Field was the sinner"
well, he claimed to be. AS / say,
I was rather young for the original
group, but 1 often met them there, and