The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-08-09

valuable prints of Jefferson, and he agreed to take them. telling me to put them aside and he would call. Before he left the store let fly something about the empty pated men In the House and Senate and bless your soul. that Ten nesseean got as mad as wet hen and he never came back for the prints. Now, don't tell this yarn on him, for he is a good fellow after all. but don't smoke his cigars"
 A Lover of Books.
 'T was mighty proud to receive visit from Tom Watson the other day-Tom Watson, that little wiry fellow. who came here as a Representative from Georgia several years ago and who showed that he was able to hold his own with the best and oldest men in the House.
 Mir. Watson, by the way. was one of the best customers I ever had. He bought more books while he was in Congress than did any other member. Fact is guess he bought more than any other Sen ator or Representative save Sam Ram dall.
 .Mr Randall was the greatest lover of old books I ever saw <nd when he gave were necessary to hunt in the marts of other cities. MT. Cummings of New York was a good customer, not at all choice about his subject, but buying any books which seemed to strike his fancy. and the same was true of Senator Vance of North Carolina, and he was one of the best men I ever had any dealings with. He never came in my place without a joke to tell me. And Senator Ransom, too. was a profitable customer. but so alarmed polite that I was always on my pins when he was in the den. l wore out two or three hats saluting him. Senator Daniels of Virginia Is digger into rare books. and the subjects he wants are va- ried. He knows what he wants. pays the price and quits the shop with a pleasant goodby. A powerful good customer of mine was Elijah Morse of Massachusetts. He was called Stove Polish Morse" be. cause he was manufacturer of stove polish. Mir. Morse was. as the boys say. an advocate of the water-wagon. and he was eternally after something touching temperance and the evil of the drink hab 1t. believe he is dead and really good man died, too. could go on all the af- ternoon and tell you of the customers have had and still have, but did you know that many of our statesmen and politicians dislike for 1t to be made public that they are purchasers of old books? Indeed they do. and have had them and their secretaries to caution me not to say anything about their buying such and such books. Just the other day had an order-a profitable one. too, from cer- tain Senator and with 1t came the ex- plicit demand that the transaction be TO. garded as sub rosa. suppose these sem tlemen know what they want, why they want it. and ask no questions and carry out instructions. There are many seek ars after rare books in this city, and some of the collectors are shrewd enough not to let 1t be made public what they are after. for naturally the prices would go up when 1t became known that such and such ooks ar" in dona9d
 The go-betweens do a good business here. These shrewd fellows manage to find out the rich men who want books on certain subjects. and then they go to the second hand dealers and buy in everything of the kind. The late Cap tain Howgate was one of these men. and he made good money during his last days in Washington.
 T dare say that in Washington can be found some of the most valuable col lections of books inSthe world. and the