Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-01
Old Public House for Sale.

Old fuDuc house 1or Sdlos
aye Ode Chapter Coffee House." which
for over three centuries has occupied a
site in Paternoster Row, Is in the market.
Unless disposed Of privately in the mean
time, It is to be sold at auction next week.
From its situation in the heart OF the pub
fishing and bookselling world. the old house
has always been the resort OF the trace. II
Is said that for several years oliver Gold
smith was master Of the ceremonies, and
was allotted the seat Of honor In the box
at the northeast corner OF the coffee room,
known as the Wittinagemot.
Chatterton also freQuented the place. and
the company with whom he mixed at the
social gatherings Is jocularly described III
the letters to his mother at Bristol, at a
period when as 1t subsequently, proved.
though light Of heart. he was at the point
Of starvation. The WET Paper Club" once
had its headquarters at Ye Olde Chapter
Coffee House. the object Of the members
delivered fresh and damp from the press.
without going through the primitive pro-
cess of drying the ink before the cofes
room fire.
Sale Of Rare Books.
A six days book sale was this afternoon
begun by Messrs. Sotheby. Bunyan's Holy
War" editio princeps. in original calf.
measuring 81 inches by 81 inches. defec-
tive in the outer margin Of the Maneoul
plate. half folding plate gone, marginal
notes intact made FLO. against f149 real
inches by inches. and f32 in 1891 for a
copy in original sheep; the third edition OF
the second part Of THE Pilgrims Pro-
gress," 1900. Of which one other copy only
has been traced, with all Its faults, f16 5s.;
an extensive Bunyan's collection, comprts-
ing no fewer than TT volumes, many Of
extreme rarity, sold for EOS.
Two original autograph poems OF Robert
p1arn or n a nd RT1f ,har
Scots" sixty lines. and Orthodox, Ortho-
dox, Who Believe in Johs Knox" given by
the poet himself to the grandfather OF the
seller. brought f125: love letter. unsigned.
its authenticity attested by Burns son.
f1O; Samuel Johnson's ''Elementa Phtlos-
ophdca," from Frankin's Philadelphia
press. 1852. one Of the rarest Of his books.
not in the British Museum. rs inches by
~ inches. original calf, "a; some miscella-
neous poems, and description Of an even
ing at Ebenezer Chapel. dn the minute au-
tograph Of Charlotte Bronte, f37 lbs.
BoydeAIs History of the River Thames"
1704-8, extra illustrated, in green morocco,
by the Guild of Women Binders. sold for
f1O1; ANNALS Of Sporting and Fancy Ga
EDS: 1.-THE Microcom of London 1911. f2S;
Appleby's Life of g. Sportsman" in bind
ing by Goods. f23 los
To Deter Late Theater Arrivals.
Yet another London theatrical manager
Is to be found sufficiently courageous to at
tempt to bring tds audience together pune
tually at the rise of the curtain on a first
night. This Is Mr.. George Alexander who
announces that on the occasion Of the pro-
duction Of the new play. "Old Heidelberg"
at the st. James Theater next Thursday,
the performance Will commence promptly
at o'clock, when, for the general comfort
Of the audience, the inner doors will be
closed from the rise Of the curtain until
the conclusion of the first act. This Is the
most emphatic step which any manager
has yet made here to constrain his patrons
to be punctuai.
The Bancrofts were the first to set the
example, over score Of years ago, by re-
specially asking the intended audience by
advertisement to be in their places at the
rise OF the curtain: but at that time even
this modest wish was treated by many
almost as an imperdnence. Within the last
theatrical director has attempted sturdier
measures to protect their punctual patrons
from the nuisance Of being disturbed by
those who are habitually late
Mr.. Arthur Collins Of Drury Lane ON
the production Of Ben Hur'' last spring.
and Mr.. Tree OF His Majesty's on the first
night OF Resurrection" only a few weeks
ago, showed what could be done In this
way and the result in each case was SO
were to be heard; while the most recent
first night at the Criterion, on the occasion
of the production OF MIR. Cartons comedy.
"a Clean Slate" was distinctly marred by
the discomfort caused to the pit by those
stall holders who casually strolled in at In
tervals during the first act.
L. H. MOORE.