New-York tribune., 1902-05-17
AUTOGRAPHS.
TALK ABOUT THEM, WITH EXAMPLES.
MEDITATIONs OF AN AUTOGRAPH COL
LECTOR. By Adrian II. Jolinc. octave, PIP
3i6. Harper & Bros.

MEDITATIONs OF An AUTOGRAPH COL
LECTOR. By Adrian H. Jolinc Octave, pp.
SIG. Harper Bros.
1t is not given to all to be autograph col
Iectors but there are few who withhold
their interest and sympathy from so delightful
q collector as Mr.. Joline from a collection
that is so rich a mine of anecdote and reminis-
cence as his Mr.. Joline has a culture so broad
and catholic a sense Of humor so rich, a literary
taste so excellent that his discussion of his
treasures IS an unceasing delight to his readers,
and the big volume seems all too small Mr..
Joline takes us frankly into his confidence. and
te.s us al the woes and joys of the habitue
Of the Wall Street of Autographia." 1t is not
all joy there. even when the lust for conquest
has been satiated. There are sometimes search
ings of heart: as for instance, when Mr.. Joline
asks himself whether, after all, he has done we'll
10 spend so much time and money in gathering
"signers, old congressman, Presidents, Cabinet.
Governors and others of that ilk."
The literary field is far more fascinating; but
there is a certain joy unlike any other in Sc
curing absolute completeness. And the paths
of the collector of Revolutionary Americana are
far from being paths of peace. There is the
younger Lynch. for instance; all he did after
his single effort in the signing way was to write
one letter for DR.. Emmet and to scribble his
name on the fly leaves of divers books AS
for Button Gwinnett, "old Lachlan Mcintosh
whose autograph is dear at 81. did per1ecuy
right to kill him" Then there is Simon Boeru1h'
a Continental Congressman. who became Nalua-
BILE by reason of his unimportance MI Jolhe
thought his autograph was a gem OF great
price-till q certain rival ''raked Long lsIalu
with q fine toothcomb. and now every child VINO
gathers pebbles on the beach may have Simon
Boerum if he cares for such a thing. They are
a sbifty set those Continental Congressmen
and inst as Mr. Joline thinks he has completed
his collection some new man turns up, who
somebody once said might possibly be chosen TO
represent his State. There al once is a plahh
in the catalogue Ito be filed only after long
tedious and prayerful waiting" And then when
YOU get the longed for specimen. as, Ior IN
stance. one of Gabriel Jones. of Virginia that
.Er JoIine mentions and that the catalogue
notes fetched $50. you are haunted by the
thought that for less than one-tenth OF the
money Won could have had a letter of Words
worth-..a thing Of beauty compared with the
costly scrawl of the Virginia Congressman.
The request autograph" is but one grace
higher than the mere signature-than the gllt
bound volume" Of the friend who asks mag
mates TO write their names in il. But some are
interesting as showing the writer's skill ana
grace. Froude put it this way:
Dear Sir: Mr. wellers friend Cor perhaps MT
Weller HIMSELF would say that autographs -
Yanityr'-but since you wish for mine,
! subscribe myself.
Faithfully yours.
]. A. FROCDE.
Mr. JoIine of course. disapproves the senti-
rnent. but comedies the neatness Of the attempt.
He prefers Kipling's:
Dear sir-I trust that the following will meet
RUDYARD KIPLING.
II has the flavor OF good nature, and there
is no condescension about it. Poe's is essen
TALLY commonplace, but courteous:
Dr.. sir-It gives ne great pleasure to COM
ply with your very fla tteTing request for an au-
Os-0p--' EDGAR A POE.
OF course, the real autographs. the treasures,
the things that make autograph collecting
worth while. the letters that have a sig
nihcance in themselves. AS Mr.. Jone truly
says, such letters give collectors glimpse into
the interior of characters such as is not vouch-
safed 20 other men. What could be more charm
ing than this OF the young Queen Victoria TO
her gay and gallant Premier, Lord Melbourne"
before she married Prince Albert?
IF Lord Melbourne isn't very tired, cd he come
here? He needn't dress, but come just as
he is The Queen would see him upstairs in her
own room. ! have heard much gh. enrag ges me-
& il Wd be such thing If you cd come here
for minute, unless you are reV tired; it wd
quiet me. Just say yes, or no. If you c'dn't
get your carriage quickly, I cd send mine
hear you spoke beautifully. The Duke must
And here is one from John Ruskin that gives
out a highly characteristic personal note:
Ny dearest Tom-ReaIly your simplicity about
naughty me is the most comic thing l know
among all my old friends. Ne docile doc
tors, I watched them Il had three) to see what
they knew of the ma tier; did what they ad-
vised, for two days; found they were utterly ig
norant OF the illness and killing me. l
had Inflammation Of the bowels and they gave
ice, and tried to nOursh with milk,
Another twelve hours and l should have been
past hope. / stopped in the middle of a draught
of ice water burning with Unsuitable thirst
thought over the illness myself steadiy-and or
dered the doctors out of the house.
He describes his own course Of treatment,
which lin twenty-four hours had brought the
pain under" and adds:
And here am, thank God. to all intent and
purpose quite well again but l know some
thing OF doctors that-weu, | thought Moliere
hard enough on them-but he's complimentary
TO what / shall be after this Thanks for all
your good loVe-but do try TO understand me a
little better, indocest when 1 choose, of human
creatures,-but yours, most affectionately.
JOHN RUSKIN.
Mr.. Joline has the proof sheets Of De Quincey's
Leaders in Literature" and shows us one Of