The Washington times., 1901-11-17
AUTOGRAPH HUNTERS.
They EcxeI in ways That Arc Dark
and Tricks InE. Are Vain.

ard Tricks InEs Are vain.
Tennyson once told his neighbor. Mrs.
Cameron, the famous amateur photogra-
pher that he believed that every vice and
every crime in the world were connected
with the passion for autographs and an
ecdctes and records. In his biography
there is rather cryptic stanza. written
for an American lady who had asked for
his autograph:
Not such were those whom Freedom claims
As patriot-msrtyrs OF her creed:
They were not slaves that names mislead,
Nor traitors that mislead by namesi
The merit of this stanza lies in the ap-
plication of it" Those who have studied
the wiles Of the amateur autograph
hunter-to whose industry a better path
is suggested in the interesting article on
National Autograph Collecting. which
Mr. II. T. Scott contributes TO the second
number Of The Connolsseur will recog-
niZe a condemnation of them in lines
other hypothesis. Some of the traitors
that mislead by names, whom MIR. An
drew Lang has wittily described as
mighty autograph hunters before the
Lord" have now and then confessed their
sins, though without restoring their gull
ty spoil. 1t may seem to the outsider,
who has neither asked nor been asked for
an autograph, that there is no occasion
=
to do IS to write to the eminent person
whose handwriting you desire to possess,
ard in due course Of post you ought TO get
aattered and even gushing reply.
once upon a time It may have been so;
II at was the Golden Age But the in
erase in the numbers of autograph hunt
ers and in the correspondence Of eminent
men has destroyed that old kindly rela-
tienship Mark Twain used to keep
typewriter circular for such applicants,
in which he pointed out to them that If
time to do anything else, Writing is my
trade. and L exercise 1t only when i am
obliged to. You might make your request
of doctor. or builder. or q sculptor,
and there would be no imprOpriety in it;
but II you asked either FOR a specimen OF
his trade, his haudiwork, he would be
justified in rising to point OF Oruer. 1t
would never be fair to ask 4 doctor for
one of mis- corpses TO remember him by.
Similarly strong expressions have been
used by many eminent men whom the au-
tograph collector has pestered. Huxley
once WsOte: Il look upon autograph hunt
ers as the progeny of Cain. and treat their
letters accordingly and Mr. Walsh tells
Us that the irony OF fate brought thlS par
ticular letter into the autograph market
II is hardly to be wondered at II the
greater speed and compleXity OF II oderu
life have caused most public men - lose
the readiness 10 oblige In this Fashion
which Mcpnistophcles showed when the
wandering scholar asked him for an au-
tograph as small memorial OF his
favor'-and even Mephistopheles refused
to sign this sentiment, which. according 70
the rules Of the modern game, destroyed
nine-te tenths of its value.
Evolutionists and political economist
alike inform US that demand ana supply
vary together. When game becomes more
wary, the hunters develop new strata
gems. This IL Ve.y true of the autograph
collector. who mas little ScrupleS when he
finds an eminent mn obdurdte TO the or
binary request. One of the simplest of his
devices, but the hardest TO detect. is to
write in a character of a seeker after
truth or q cODtrOVerSialtst, which IS cS-
pecially successful with politicians. Ihus.
4 Giudstone'S autograph was otten got Dy
enquiry to the accuracy OF some re-
| port of a speech about which the enquirer
really cared not a button, and Rushln
silbscription toward building an iron
church. This is not considered fair by
honest collectors. who only allow them
| selves to bag an autograph by such en-
Quiries when they really ask Tor lnfor-
nation, but it is a very trifing piece
of dishonesty compared with the more
elaborate lodges that have been revealed
by the consCi -ncc-Smitten inventor or TN
veiled by the victims. Sir Walter Besant
discovered one Of them in the United
States Here the hunter writes TO his
victim somewhat as follows: May
trouble you, my dear sir, to send me the
present address of Your aunt Mrs. Maria
| Brown tsister to Thomas Carlyle. II she
| is still living? ] might obtain her address
| elsewhere, but in order to save time
| address you personally" The recipient of
| the enquiry was usually fiattered at be
| ing taken for a nephew of the Sage Of
Chelsea and wrote to explain the mis-
| take Another device has been recorded
| by William Black, who also fell a victim
| to it.
Il remember" he said. when l was in
America, receiving a very pretty and
| charming letter from two sisters living
| in one OF the Southern States. They de-
| scribed their beautiful home on the banks
| of the - River; they were. they inform
| ed me, living there quite alone, having
| neither friends nor relatives to occupy
| their time withal; and it had occurred to
| them that as | was certain to form a per
| fectly false idea of American hospitality
| so long as l remained In the cold and cal