The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1900-09-15
no LOOK AT THE BOOKS"

"A PAOAAkuEut 4<OuAotAAAC 1dWJCA wiz
was in the city recently on bushes:
told this curious little story one even
ing while chattingwith some friends
my pet fad for many years" he
said, ''has been what is called the
extending of books. / selected some
standard work, preferably work oi
history, and begin to collect letters,
autographs, pictures, maps, printed
matter, documents and anything else
obtainab1e connected with the sub
ject treated. Eventually I have the
original book taken apart and re-
bound with all my supplementary
matter, and single volume is some
times extended to a dozen. 1t is q
very fascinating hobby, and if I went
into details I would never get TO my
story. What l started out to tel
you is this:
Give or six years ago was on the
train going to Toledo to attend to
some legal matters when / fell in with
a very agreeable elderly gentleman
who turned out to be furniture
manufacturer living in middle Ohio.
Something turned the conversation to
books, and the old gentleman remark
ed casually that he was extending a
copy of Irving's Life of Washington.
By a remarkable coincidence was
just then engaged on exactly the
same task myself, and, needless to
say, we both became deeply interest
ed. By the time we reach the manu-
facturer' S home town he had persuad-
ed me to stop over and take look at
his library, which, he said, contained
several fine specimens of extended
books.
eve arrived late in the afternoon,
and before going to his house we
dropped i'll at his down town Office.
A very serious looking, middle aged
Scotchman came forward to greet us
and was introduced by my friend as
the manager Of the furniture works.
L want him to take a look at my
books. The Scotchman grunted
some vague reply, and in a few mo-
ments we started for the house.
"I was most Hospitality entertain
ed," continued the lawyer, "and
found the library intensely interest
ing, but next day 1 had to go on to
Toledo, and the whole episode even
tually faded from my mind. One day
last summer, however, I was unex-
pectedly recalled by meeting with
the old gentleman himself, whom l
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 1 had
finished with my copy of Washing
ton.'
"Then he took me by the arm and
drew me aside sI,ln-u Glad I've
tell you of a remarkable affair in
which you played unconsciously an
important part. Do you remember
the details of your little visit to my
town. Fairly WE'LL, l replied in
surprise. Then perhaps you recall
meeting the manager at Our office =
he continued. Certainly said I.
"A sour looking Scotchman, with red
dish hair 'Exactly!' he exclaim-
ed. We'll, he decamped that night
and has never been seen since. We
thought he was sick at home for a
couple of days, so he got a good start.
He was short a trifie over $50, 900,
but he had covered up his tracks SC
neatly that was at loss to know
why he ran away until I received a
letter from him posted in Mexico
and making clean breast of the
whole affair.
"It seems that he mistook you fol
an expert accountant and gathered
from some remark made about look
ing at my books that had engaged
you to examine the ledgers. Accord
ingly he took time by the forelock
1t was a pretty serious loss he add
ed, but l regarded the incident a.
providential, because the rascal wa:
then preparing for big coup, which
he would certainly have perfected in
side a month. In that case he nigh
have wrecked me-.
cit was a good joke on the Scotch
man," said the lawyer, chuckling
"for I don't know any more abou
bookkeeping and accounts than
wild Hottentot. ."-NeaO Orleans Times
| Democrat.