The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-01-18
ONLY IN RARE BOOKS He DEALT.
The Death of Chicago's Learned Old
Bibliophile.
Chicago Chronicle.)

II
The little temple of amateur bihllo-
philes of Chicago was reopened Mon
day. but its priest, who was teacher,
guide and counselor of the cult, is gone.
He was Philip Naughten. More than
two weeks ago a time came when the
door of the dingy little place was not
| opened Persons who passed that day
peeped in through the dusty window
as usual but the customary figure OF a
venerable man with a long white Dearu
| sitting near the window and porlnS
over a musty tome was not there : DAY
after day came and the door remained
locked and the bearded face did not re-
appear.
Now and then some one tried the door
and, failing to open it, would put up ms
hands and shade his eyes, while ne
peered into the place. Inquiries Of the
| neighbors revealed nothing Of the an
cient bibliODhile.
More than a week passed before II
was learned that the wrinkled hanuS
that gathered those precious DOCKS
would never caress them again. Ola
Philip Naughten was dead. He dled on
Dec. IA, but it was not till Monday that
his son John reopened the book store
and began selling off the odd ana rare
collection. For nearly sixty years PM
ip Naughten had been engaged collect
ing and handling rare books. he came
of a race of bibliophiles. His father
was a dealer in rare books in DubIln
and afterward in London, where Phlilp
was born. At the age of II years the
little Philip was apprenticed to the theh
ancient dealer, Joseph Lilly. he re-
NAMED with Lilly for twenty-three
years, at the end Of which time Lily
died. and then young Naughten emil
grated to ottawa, Canada, where ne
began to deal in rare books on his own
account. In 1879 he removed from the
Canadian town to Chicago 1t would
have offended him to have called MIN
a dealer in second hand books. He was
a. dealer in and importer of rare books.
No man in Chicago knew as much
about rare editions as he. His knowl-
edge of books was almost SURPRISING
belief. One day last winter a wealthy
North Slider asked him for a singularly
rare COPY from the ElZevir press Ihe
old man was sitting in his chair read
ing. He never looked up from his book
until his visitor had explained what ne
wanted.
There are only three copies of that,
he said. CHANGING up for the first time.
You say you have three copies?
No" said the old man. smiling sadly,
Il have no copy of that edition one
copy is in London. one in Paris and one
in Leyden None is for sale.
ADOINeE udE oil dAildlSbi O-1AAShf-----
called for a particular book.
7 have never handled but three cop
les of that book said Naughten- The
last CODY l had I sold twenty-seven
years ago to a member of parliament In
Ottawa. He has sim died and his
library will be sold next month. Tnat
is the only opportunity 1 know TO get
copy of it"
His place was a place of last resort
in Chicago for rare books. If every
other place were tried, Philip Naugh-
ten could either dig the book out of
one of his own shelves or tell the pros
pecttve purchaser where 1t could be got
If such a thing were possible Ephe-
neral hooks got small countenance
from him. He sometimes handled a
few cheap novels. but he never sold
one without making an apology for do
ing il. Once when he was asked for a
modern and easily found book he SAID:
why do you come TO me for DOCK
like that? You can get that book IN
anv store" Then he turned again to
the omen pages he had been reading,
and the conversation was al an end so
far as he was concerned.
He was taken i'll with the grip year
ago. and when he recovered he began
doing something he had never done be-
fore-that was to mark the selling price
on his books. He felt that he might
drop off some day and he wished to
leave some means for his relatives 70
know the value of the books he had
An OF the Accommodations of his long life
were represented. so his son John said,
in the 5000 or more volumes on the
shelves of the little shop. and that
meant no small sum. as the prices
ranged from 81 to S1G0 a volume.