Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-10-05
a GREAT IIBNAHh'
Method Pursued by British M"se""
I'm Buying Books.
RaItlmore AmerIcanD

ilJdlAlIiHlt ahi'a'NF
DR. Garnett. who some time since re-
tired from his Office as keeper of books
in the British Museum. which he had
held for nearly fifty years, gave an inter
esting interview TO the London Daiiy
News:
How do you keep yourself informed
as TO the books that are in the market!
/ asked.
eve have catalogues from all parts,
which we are always perusing. If we see
a good thing. We bid for it, just as the
public might
"And you SPEND"
"Weu. Panizzi used TO have G1O,Wo
year. My allowance has been little
less"
1T is not so great; you buy many for
eign books?'
Eyes: we always think it our duty not
10 miss any important book or subject.
For example. we have just ordered col
lection Of Dreyfus volumes
"Can you give me an example OF lucky
purchaser
ooh. yos-let me see-we bid In the
open market for some volumes which
Coleridge had annotated-eXtremely val
uable--got them cheap
THE ring didn't run you up?'
Il suppose they didn't know their
value"
knowledge IS power, indeed. Then, DIR.
Garnett. YOU have gifts, l presume?'
"Certainly-let me think-well-Mr. Pal
grave gave us quite a priceless treasure.
1t was. tiny volume containing the first
two Idylls Of the King which Tennyson
had privately printed. a few copies only.
lie sent these TO a few friends, begging
for criticisms. These were so severe that
he got them back and destroyed them
keeping this single volume, in which he
has noted all the changes. 1t IS, Of course,
very interesting to compare the two YER
siOns"
"Can you give me another instance Of
a book you have bought?'
"Yes; / consider one Of our treasures
IS a copy Of a History Of the Campaign
Of 1900 which Colonel Emmett lent to
Napoleon at St. Helena. Napoleon ammo
tated this extensively i'm pencil. After he
died. Emmett. fearing that the pencil
marks might be defaced. traced them I'm
ink. This / got for the trihing sum Of y
guineas."
surely. Il was worth more. / hope the
British Museum does not play tricks"
II think we may say that we always
deal most uOuOldDly WIN our fuSlonlelH.
hottie family thought that the volume
should come to the museum"
lie then glanced off TO the cataracts of
books, which the presses Of the day are
producing. copies Of which must be de-
posted with the keeper.
MAY / ask how you keep your eye on
the publishers?'
"Oh, we have a copyright department
which is always on the lookout. But
don't think we miss much"
would it be impertlnent TO ask If you
think it necessary for the British Museum
TO give a home to carloads Of trashy
novels?"
Or. Garnetts genial countcnance smiles
all over; his eyes CLEAN through his spec
tacles: his cheeks are all wrinkles. He
answers in benign accents: do you know,
/ don't think It is ever wise to give a Ii
brarian. any librarian. the right Of eXclu-
sion. You never know"
] pushed further, for Or. Garnett was
chuckling, doubtless rowing in magma
ton over the tribe of Librarians he had
known. each with a crank, a crotchet. He
must be right. lie gave me some facts.
Cambridge excluded Wordsworth's
Excursion and SCOTS Guy Mannering.'
Bodley-who founded the Bodleian-said
he would have no trumpery plays