The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-15
THE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
HOW HE ADDS BEAUTY AND INTER-
EST TO NAVY hook.
Ycnrs OF Patient and Intelligent Effort Spent
In the Collection of Pictures for Single
Work-Deft Workmanship X Required, too,
In Thia Ranlm of the True Amateur.

Work-Deft Workmanship X quired, too,
in This Realm of the True Amateur.
You reach what he calls his den by passing
through a decorous city pGrlor, unlike other city
parlors mainly in the unusual objects of art which
fairly incrust its walls Here is miniature Of
Washington from famous hand, there plaques
and medals whose like are few In this Western
hemisphere A glass cabinet at one side is crowded
with quaint and beautiful curios. not so valu-
able. intrinsicaly, as the wall decorations, but
priceless 10 the man who has gathered them
Iicoves them for old sakc's sake they are flotsam
Of much roaming up and down the earth The den
is by means dcnlike II is big. sq Iare softly
carpctcd brilliantly lighted. and Of studied neat
ness. Tall book with deep shelves crowd
three sides Of it, and are in turn crammed with books
Of sort to awaken envious desire in the most
sluggish bibiophie that ever turned page. They
are unique books. cXtra-illustrated all Of them
and in large part created by the fine literary dis
elimination and pains.taking patience Of the
extra illustrator himself When he was asked
how one might become an extra illustrator his
eyes twinklct and smile dawncd as he answered.
An extra-illustrator! Let me sce Really
II Is almost the easiest thing in the world. You
have only 10 get together lot Of prints and then
find book they will III into. or get the book first
and then find prints which fit into IL and there
you are"
His collection contradicts him. Perhaps
he likes TO be so contradicted. He is singularly
modest regarding his achievements What they
are may BE- gathered from the statement that he
owns and has made the greatest number of extra
illustrated books ever prepared by single hand
From his youth upward he has been a book lover
With n reminiscent smile he tells you of the Brad
ford Club. the first almost the first of those
organized for privately printing books Its era
was the early fftcs II had five members a
Knickerbocker Of the bluest Dutch blood land
poor in Brooklyn realty, Scotch lumber mer.
chant an American merchant. and two French
American brothers one OF whom was a broker
the other man entrusted with the affairs of other
men. He was Of the five.
We had the loosest sort Of organization" he
tells you. But our president used to say :.
Every man. every boy even spends more or less
money for recreation Of some sort II he takes
up book collecting his money goes great ways
gives him deal Of pure and elevating pleasure 90
and leaves in the end valuable rcsduum. II
you get half your money back. or none Of il, it
will have been well worth while Take into ac-
count the pleasure OF the work itself Take
also into account the saving grace of an cngross-
ing occupation for your Often that means
health. mental, moral physical However you
strike it the balance is always on the right
side. SO
notwithstanding Is pastime as costly as it
il fascinating. Few collectors have either the
time. the skill or the patience TO do for themselves
the nice mechanical work II requires Therein
this extra Illustrator is exceptional His books
are his own handiwork. First and last he has
turned out about sixty thousand pages. At
eight cents the page, the regular rate that alone
would have amounted TO very pretty penny
Beside. he uses special paper buying it at whole
sale. and having II cut To suit Then there are the
bindings, and those that suit his taste are never
cheap. Thus il appears that what is purely
mechanical and commercial requires considerable
outlay. 1t is, however, as nothing in contrast
with the books prints, tracings, play bills all
the hundred and enc things which fill the pages
There are accommodating booksellers who take
thought for the extra illustrators, and keep in
stock loose sheets upon large paper Of the books
that are likeest 10 be wanted Failing them
an ordinary copy must serve That necessitates
splitting the letter-press Splitting is parous
work II requires nice eye. a sure hand, the
patience OF Job, the skill Of a master craftsman.
First the margin is cut off then the leaf is pasted
between two pieces Of fine smooth muslin. When
il is thoroughly dry the muslin sides pulled
apart A printed face adheres to each. Soaking
in tepid water loosens the split pages which are
lightly but thoroughly gummed and set in their
appointed places Before the gum dries the shoes
are put under heavy pressure where they remain
until bonc,dry.
MY wife docs the splitting The soaking of
she leaves 10 me-" says this extra illustrator,
Charles c. Morcau. she is nearly as much in
tcrested in the work as myself. he goes on. She
has been for twenty years. | verify believe her
interest in it has moro than once saved her lie
I IL hcr lirb in Go
making Of it, When We have finished ono and
sent it 10 the binder she says il is dead When
il comes back and IS put in the bookcases say
it is in its caskct The Joy Of possession does not
really hate TO finish a hook, yet would not for
the world unreasonably del ay binding, So many
people do that I know plenty Of collectors who
wait and wait for Just one more picture. or one
particular picture and never find 1t, and then
one day something, happens TO them: they go
away. they die, and all their accumulation goes
10 naught One man IN particular has teen col
lecting TO eStra.illus'ratc Fosters Life OF Dick
ems ever since the b92s came =, out twenty odd
volumes fifteen but is waiting for three pictures
which have SO far escaped him would wager
al lie 81 IN time My advice was 10 bind up what
h. had and begin TO collect anew: There is some.
thing piquantly unusual in having two copies of
the same book, eStrailiustrntcd in wholly differ
ent Tsyf 6,c,,.,s rsvor v.. u,cb ot , Termination
to me. have one book only Look at II. IT
is made up. you see, OF magazine articles and
newspaper clippings about lin. Here, too are
programmes II his last readings in America,
portraits | do not recall Just how, many carl
catuIcs, pictures Of his house, and his haunts.
Some few Of his people too. cannot understand,
though, why any collector should care much
10 extra illustrate his novels. The only things
one can get the things that various illustra-
tors have made for various editions end they
arc already in books
This picture of him" pointing TO flaming
coluTed carCaturc, Is very very rare. ! doubt
If there are hundred in existence. II was picked
up, think in Paris the last time was over We
spent twelve weeks there. II my main dl-
version 10 crawl into cab and be driven about
to the different print shops, The print shops
are among the charms Of London too. You
are always stumbling on odd new ones that look
promising no matter whether they hold treasure
or not In New York ii is different You soon get
to know all the places where there Is the least
hope Of pratt There is no possibili y Of un-
expected plCEings ny except such, things as
you may find in the StIect
Yes, do find things there occasionally,
I will show you one b. here in n book made about
Horace Greeley; One ,sopplng wet day picked
this up from where it lay, face downward, upon
the pavement under the elevated station at Cort-
landt street. | cleaned il pretty we'll there arc
Just few spots left AT the upper corner doubt
II there is another like it anywhere in the world
now
As he speaks he has been opening a hand