The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-11-17
MATHEMATICS HIS HOBBi.
The Remarkable collection OF Books Made
by a brooklyn Man.

The Remarkable Collection Of Books Made
by n brooklyn Man.
Did I ever tell you how | found n library
of the higher mathematics In an out-of'
the-way part OF Brooklyn said the pro
lessor. NO? Well. it was a rare find.
1T was twenty years before ! assembled
| the mathematical library OF the - Poly
technic. | was forming my own WORKING
library and was already well in touch Will
the old book stalls o: New York and Brook
lyn as well a. with the dealers and pub
fishers Of mathematical works.
Old Peter Gowans, who had a cellar OF
Nassau street in those days, was ~ cros'
as a bear, but he knew the history OF every
| rare book in the market or u Of IL. Wher
| ventured into his den he was in the habit
| OF referring me with a growl To his assistant
at the back Of the shop, until one day when
| asked him for 'Babbage on Functions.
| had seen a notice OF the work In an cncy'
clopRdia and had ordered II from Luystor
a Fulton street dealer, who had langhlnglS
put my name at the end OF twenty appl-
cants, ASSURING me that IL ] were the first
| would hardly live long enough to get
the book. .,
old Peter, jumping down from. his stool
You can't find it, aud it would be worth a
lot of money if you did
Some time afterward | came across
'Herschal's Examples oil Fruits Differences,
ut an old stall in Barclay street. ] had
the work in another form, but this copy
was nicely bound and offered for the modest
sum OF Si.25, and | carried IL home and
placed il in my library. II was years
examine it. when to- my surprise and delight
] found 'Babbage on Functions, bound
up with the work by Herschel.
Il bought a large number Of mathematical
works from Van Nostrand in Murray street,
and one day he told me Of a strange GUS
toner who drifted in periodically to watch
the importations and would pay any price
to secure a rare work.
THE man was old and almost stability
dressed, but. he always produced the money
from his pocket and carried on the book
under his arm, lea wing no further trace
behind. Nothing was known Of him among
the dealers except that his name was Kelly,
that he lived in Brooklyn and that he would
not. knowingly. let any rare work on mathe-
mates, in any language, escape his talons
-Of course, ] was anxious TO see this
mysterious collection, and TO that end
left my name with Van Nostrand. Although
Mr.. Kelly dropped in frequently IL was
months before he was in the humor 10 leave
his address. which proved 10 be a certain
number in Nelson street.
NOW NtlSbn SlIftl war away III tut JUL
skirts of the city on the borders of the
unsavory Gowanus district. 1t was a
street ~ three-story Wooden houses Of
rather shabby eXteriors. Perhaps II was
on the third visit that Kelly himself opened
the door.
L know what you have come for he
said. you want TO sec my library and /
shall be happy TO show il TO you.
In a moment W. were in the large front
room, which was lined with old-fashioned
cases. where his rarest were kept
under glass, and he had editions de luxe
galore. in many languages
-Of T. Iclid he had a Dew~ilderng number
of selections and n curious collection Of
arithmetics Of all periods. He would buy
any number Of duplicates Of the same work
IL only the title page indicated another
edition from those he already had
He had Crelle's Journal Of Mathematics
in nearly 100 volumes, Bertrand's 'Calcu-
lIS, MontuCla's Historic Dies Maizena,
tiques' and a rare Latin edition of the
History Of Logarirhms' He had the works
of ApOllDniuS ia IN" original Greek
There were priceless works that could
not ave Lee u duplicated elsewhere and
thousands Of European pamphlets. the
tht-os Of French and German professors.
II was a collection without order or any
system Of cataiuging. gathered with the
greed - collecting and with no purpose OF
using u a. "a working library
Modern pamphlets were bound up with
old trrat'-ss on totally different mathe-
maticll subjects Tia" man must have had
an cNteuslvek knowledge of higher maths-
MATES 80 have mad" thu collection. but lac
was uui himself q working Mathematician
con thl- very tr-i visit, something ln
the old mans looks, or ~ "a" tones of hls
voice, ur some suggestion from the library
It~'lf, hluted vaguely that ! had se-n HIM
t~fpr"
-'Nr Kelly. have you ever lived m Auburn.