Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-08-16
ITO LOOK AT THE BOOKS"

New Orleans Times-Democrat: A
prominent Louisville lawyer, who was
in the city recently on business. cold this
curious little story one evening. while
chatting with some friends In the
Grunewald lobby: MY pet fad for many
years." he said, has been what Is called
the extending of books l select some
standard work., preferably a work of
history, and begin to collect letters, au-
t%ographs, pictures. maps, printed mat
ter, documents and anything else OBJ
tainable connected with the subject
treated. Eventually I have the oringal
book taken apart and rebound with all
my supplementary matter, n a single
volume Is sometimes extended to a dozen.
1t is a very fascinating hobby, and II |
went into the details l would never get
to my story. What I started out to tell
you was this: Five or six years ago l
was on the train going to Toledo to at
tend to some legal matters. when I fell
In with a very agreeable elderly gentle
man, who turned out to be q furniture
manufactures living In Middle ONO.
Something turned the conversation to
books. and the old gentleman remarked
casually that he was extending a copy OF
Irving's Life Of Washington BY a re-
;markable coincidence I was just then
engaged on exactly the same task my
self, and, needless to say. we both be-
came deeply interested. By the time we
,roaCnGu Cnc MANUFACTURERS . uOAAlC So"h
he a persuaded me to stop over and
take a look at his library, which. he said,
contained several fine specimens OF ex-
tended books. We arrived late in the
afternoon, and before going to his house
we dropped in at his downtown office. A
very serious looking, middle. aged
S%cotchman came forward to greet us.
and was introduced by my friend as the
manager of the furniture works. I'm
going to keep MI. - with us Tor a
day or So said the old gentleman.
pleasantly. I want him to take a look
1t nv books The Scotchman grunted
isome vague reply, and In a few moments
we started for the house.
. II was most Hospitality entertained"
continued the lawyer, IAN found the
library intensely interesting. but ext
, day I had to go on to Toledo, and the
whole episode eventually faded from my
mind. One day last summer. however.
| 1t was unexpectedly recalled by q meet
, ing with the old manufacturer himself,
whom 1 bumped into in the corridor OF
the Planters House. in st. Louis. He
recognized me at once. and the first
thing he asked was whether | ha nm
: ished with my copy ct washington.
t Then he took me by the arm n drew
+ me aside. I'm very glad I've met you.
he said, because I want to tell you of q
e remarkable affair in which you played
Iunconsciously an important part. u
YOU remember the details of your little
: visit to my town. Fairly WELL I re-
y piled, in surprise. Then perhaps you re.
: call meeting the manage at our once?
he continued. Certainly said I. a
: sour looking Scotchman. with reddisl
ihair.' Exactly he exclaimed. Well
he decamped that night, and has nevel
!, been seen since. We thought he was sicl
u at home for a couple of days SO he got
e good start. He was short a trifie Owe
), $40, 600, but he had covered up his track
so neatly that I was at a loss to know
/ why he ran away until I received a let
IS ter from him, posted in Mexico. ant
making a clean breast of the whole at
l. fair. It seems that he mistook you fO
g an expert accountant, n gathered
:, from some remark I made about LOOKING
!" at my books that I had engaged you t
> examine the ledgers. Accordingly n
"a took time by the forelock. 1t was
pretty serious loss he added, but I re
II gard the incident as prOvidential. be
= cause the rascal was then preparing 70
Ia big coup, which he would certainf
V have perfected inside a month In tina
re case he might have wrecked me.
sit was a good joke on the Scotch
man. said the lawyer, chuckling. for
b don't know any more about b~ookkeepfn
and accounts thar a wild Hottentot."