The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-03
PRICES OF AUTOGRAPHS
A Rare Signature Found in the
City OF Alexandria.
Their Pecuniary Value Not Alone
Dependent Upon the Name of the
Writcr-FnIsc Impressions Com
corning Many Old Documents.

She looked so pretty and important as
she was ushered into the autograph brok-
ers private office, and she talked so much
| and so fast about her difficulty in finding
| the place, her ignorance of business
| methods and her genuine helplessness
| that the proprietor was puzzled as to
| whether she came on a buying or SELL
| ing errand.
| oh. These dear old papers," she ex-
| claimed motioning toward the shelves
| stacked with manuscripts and folios.
! Anything widowed and time-worn
| is delightful. You repair old auto
graphs, | suppose, those that can hardly
| hang together"
The broker replied that he got an ex-
| pert to repair them for him.
And that burglar-proof safe! L expect
you have priceless papers in there, she
| said.
The broker admitted that he had valu-
ables in safe keeping.
! Well" she said. opening the reticule
which hung from her belt and taking out
packet. I've brought you a treasure
| A letter that came into our possession
! through a great aunt, a relative of the
| statesman. We wouldn't think of selling
| it, only it seems smalI-minded to keep a
thing of such universal interest hid away
privately. Mother said l might part with
| 1t to a person who truly understood it's
value, for $50
Whose autograph is it?" said the brok-
er. hets see it. L can tell you it's
worth at a glance"
| Henry Clay's. Two pages of notepaper
closely written. date and all complete.
| But still keeping hold of it, you'll be
| sure to give it back to me IL you don't
decide to take it,
| Certainly" said the broker
| ITS fine, isn't it?'' the young woman
asked after the letter had been scanned.
1T s rather interesting" was the an
swer. IN give you 81 for it,"
Two dollarsr' she exclaimed, reaching
for the treasure. Are you in earnest?"
Quite. Two dollars is all the letter is
worth to me-
But people get $500 ard 800 for great
mems letters. And Clay was a famous
orator. lie was Secretary of State. He
was
Yes. He was famous, but ne wrote a
| great many letters. His autographs,
| while not drug the market, are suifi-
GENTLY plentiful to make dealers indiffer-
ent about securing them
There was further information on mat
| ters governing autograph quotations, but
| evidently to unheeding ears. for when the
young woman rose to go, she said. in the
| tone of a person Offering another, the
| final, chance at a bargain:
so you wont give $50 for my Clay let
ter! And she had to be again assured
that the market price was 81.
People have many hallucinations about
| the value of autographs said the brok-
| value obtains as is commonly believed.
| Complete sets of signatures, or autograph
| letters, relating to any particular epoch
| in history bring big prices. For instance,
the Colonial Governors, the Chief JUS
| tees, the prime movers in great relig-
| ious crisis, or the foremost generals and
! field marshals iE great war. The auto
graphs of persons unknown to fame, but
| who assisted in the signing of some i'm
| portant state paper, also bring good
| prices. But the single letter OF a person.
age, however, great, If IL has no such as
| ISOLATION. seldom brings over $50. Even
| the original manuscripts Of verses. sto
| ries, or music scores Of well-known writ
| ers and musicians nave slight market
value.
AN autograph poem of Jean Ingelow
| brings 50. The manuscript of Mullen
| berg 1 W uld Not Live Away sold at
| auction lately, when many collectors We're
present, for SIS. .. W. Holmes old
lronsides' manuscript brought only $45.
| The signatures of quite eminent actors
| cents.
yet people apply to me vino expect
| fabulous prices for their autograph wares
| Recently a man offered a ten-Iine note
| from Sarah Bernhardt for so / showed
| him longer and better one written by
| her which brought $3.50. Somebody ar
| rived with a letter from Jenny Lind S hus-
| band, written about her at the time of her
| marriage. and which was held - be worth
| S25. 1T sold for So.
| "A precise old party tonSue-lashed me
| lately because 1 offered her 81. 80 for
| signed document of Hopkinson, one of the
| Pennsylvania signers of the Declaration
| of Independence. He did little else note
| worthy besides signing that paper, and
| his autograph is more common, with one
or two exceptions, than the autographs of
| any of the tifty-siX commissioners. Yet
| she calculated on getting $40 for her letter.
| % Never mind young man.. she said.
| with particular ire. You think / don't
| know about these matters and can be i'm
| posed upon. But only the other day the
| slgner, written on the title page of
| book that was found somewhere brought
$3.50. And l should like to know if one
| signer Of that paper isn't just as gooo. as
| another And she flounced out to see
| other dealers.
| "Of course, / could have explained to
| her the relative Importance of the signers.
| How some of the ffty-siX lived long and
| wrote much, or wrote to people who
| saved their letters and others wrote sell
| dom. or their letters we're lost.
| This Lynch she referred to. the South
| Carolina signer. was drowned at sea when
| only thirty. lie was educated abroad
and was only in America seven years aft
| er his graduation Collectors of the sign
! er's set Of autographs are wild for even
! his signature. Only Lynch appended to
| bills or on books or pictures is to be had
| and rarely. a fun autograph from him
| Is impossible, unless some new unearth-
| ings turn up. Only one fully authenti-
! Gated letter from him exists, now in the
| keeping of a public library
| "Gwinnett. OF Georgia, is another sign
! er " hose autograph is valuable. lie died
| at fOrty-fiVe. Only two authenticated
/ letters In his hand exist Documents and
/ signed dediCatiOns from him are rare.
Taylor. Middleton, and Hall are other
| signers who left few written effects.
/ There is practically 10 limit to the value
! their signatures will assume as affairs
proceed, But OF the other signerS there
are from seventeen to iifty-siX authenti-
Gated letters and numerous signed papers
and bills eNtaut.
| Yesterday an enthusiastic young Rus
/ sian submitted an album of autographs
/ which he held as almost too precious for
| daylight to see, ana valued at $4,000 In
| scribrd in foreign tongues the album an
| swprcd i'm q way to the memory or guest
! book. fashionable in modern homes. The
Russians grandparents We're musicians
/ who lived at "a town where the stages
| from Berlin and PNriS always stopped to
| change horses en- route for st. Peters
! burE. Patti Rubinstein, List, other no.
| tables when bound for the Russian cap
| ital. were wont to stop for entertainment
| at this musicians home and inscribe their
| names in the family album before leav-
| ing.
| The book was Interesting, and will
| probably bring 500 or $50 The boys
! face when he realized the wide gap be-
| tween the fictitious and actual value of
| his treasure, WAS a study.
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