New-York tribune., 1903-03-08
OLDTIME BOOK AUCTIONS
Scenes at Bangs's Sales Half Gen.
turn AgO-NotabEe Men Present.

The bygone days Of the book auctions at Bangss
downtown even In old New-York, when Dook-
sellers and bookbuyers from all PARIS Oh Tue
United States and Canada would gather III 'lS
dinsy store in lower Broadway inspect WnaL tIe
publishers had to offer, bid refuse, as taste
or expedency dictated, gossip with famous pup
llshers shake hands gravely with noted author9'
and go home with all the shipping arrangements
made for the stock which would serve to NIL the
inland store for another twelvemonth, are memo
ries now to the white haired veterans who snareo
in the experience, and matters beyond the pare "
the bookmen of to-day. Forty years ago an Or
binary non-copyrighted duodecimo volume "nlcn
now retas at % cents sold for q 50 retail ana d
wholesale. The closer margins were unknown
then, and while the cost Of production was some
what more expensive the foundation TOT some
Of the fortunes which were made in the oooK-
making and booksellng business becomes apparent
to the lay mind.
These reflections were made by Erastus Darrow,
one OF the few remaining bookmen OF the ou
school, on the celebration Of his eightieth DlTIh-
day and the nfty-ninth anniversary OF his intro
ducton to the trade. It was in 1874 when ne
made his first venture in the wilderness or the
bookman's world and for half a Gentry MS name
has been familiar to the older school OF readers
for besides having been engaged in the retail ousi
ness he has laid his hand to the press OF the
publisher and put out several reprints OF rare
volumes known longngly by collectors Mr.. Oar
row has lived all his life in Rochester, ana mas
many entertaining "reminiscences OF the prlmltlFe
and selling. In speaking of the book auctions IN
New-York, Mr.. Darrow said:
Nowadays the buying and selling Of books have
reached development, in common with all otheI
branches of trade. which was not dreamed OF
fifty years ago. Now the orders from the retailers
are made almost invariably. direct to the pup
Ilshers and the custom of Teplenishtng lalllNE
supply by attendance at the annual auction SAFES
in New-York City Is a thing OF the past not
even known by the trade Of the present age.
These sales were held at Bangs Brothers estao-
lishment in lower Broadway. Gathered there TOT
a week or two each year would be found nun
dred dealers from all parts of the country score
or two of publishers and half a dozen authors
Of prominence The headquarters for the visiting
bcOkmen were at Bixby's Hotel, near the sales
rooms Most of us went there for the reason
that Bixby had been a bookseller himself betoTe
he became a boniface and his hotel was a rem
devious not only for the trade out also LOT
the authors We used to wonder what brought
these literary lights to New-York SO contempO-
raneousy with the dealers. 1t is my impression
that something more than the desire to meet their
publishers actuated them. Perhaps 1 am doing
them an Injustice but from the rapt attention
with which they followed the biddings one coulo
not help feeling that the factor Of curiosity as
to the popularity their works were winning III 'he
ba ackvoods had something to do with the proDlel"
of their presence.
zone year J. Fenfmore Cooper put up at BiNhy's'
and all of the visiting booksellers met him. lie
was then a stout full faced man. with holld anu
particularly pleasant, for 1 remember we all re-
marked upon his surliness and quick, suspicious
reception of remarks let fall in conversation dS
If he were waiting watchfully for something 10
take offence at. On one occasion during MS stay
at Bixby's I found him sitting at tame Win d
friend roundIy abusing the steward of the packet
upon which he had made the trip down the Hud-
son from his home at COOperstOwn. The cause
of his complaint lay, apparently, in some over
charge of which he declared he was the FlcIih
Again. / heard him expressing his opinion-and no
favorable one it was-of some of his neighbors at
Cooperstown. This just about the time InaI
his fame was approaching its zenith, ana ms
Misunderstanding Tales were being read by thou
sands of persons. He was one of the most famous
OF the literary men We met during our New iE 1GIH
He was the opposite Of Cooper suave. polished
Seary hum6r S which made US ali declare him
of the most lka6le men we mao ever @ me- ,bIisbSrs
festivals which were given in our honor. Henry
Peter Farley. as every one called Samuel G. Coed
rich, was another welcome guest -, ~
Before appearing at Bangss We were all sup.
piled with the publishers lists and the sales were
s now 5ro occasonay the case The principal
tioneer John Reese. man rarely gifted in his
! calling, and something OF a literary light hlmSelI,
for he had published several volumes in his day;
5he mos hoLaDlG Ts Of the nnbIishers
whose books he was selling of would stand hes8S .
him, and often have seen James Harper then % the
head of that great hereditary house. pick up the the
tcrrupt his encomiums without word 81 eAfusf; fi
and proceed to describe the eXceenCeS OF the bOoK
Of Of s Lee oS & Shepard but then clerk in The employ
/ Cabin was another regular attendant at these
auctions Both members of the Boston firm OF
! Phillips & Sampson, American publishers of Ma
! caulay's History Of England which was one or
| the most widely selling books of the time, were
frequently seen at the gatherings Scores of others
came in and went out and remember that one
/ wear our sale was postponed in order that we
4 might all attend the funeral of the elder Daniel
| Appleton. Al, e. ,, oz -r,ritoa b,,+ rarely,
reached a figure dispropOrtionate to the reasonable
! ness OF the popular demand. Both buyer and
/ seller Drofited by the system and knew that they
! DrO6ted The purchaser generally went away VIII
q larger stock than he would have ordered direct ~
! from his home shop and saved the higher price
which such transaction would have entailed, ana
/ he also had the advantage of seeing exactly what
/ ne bought The publishers profit came from the
! larger sales and the fact that they were made
early and in Trost cases were paid for cash down.
Some books often aroused high bidding, for even
I in the -orly days we had popular faVorlteS
more quiet those of to-day. But one peculiar
ity do ngii,-r as look back upon that time from
IN, n0ipr Of view of to-day and that is the SINH
! iI9rty which marked the career Of those popular
: s1lCrcsses' and the hear heralded so
loudly to-day. What reader of to-day. be he even
( an expert in photography, has heard OF Hot
( Corn? 1t was a heaTtrendlng tale Of want and
suffering with principal scenes laid in the neigh
/ b0rhO0d Of the old Five Points district Of New
I York In its day II had as great vogue. com
! uarativeIr as Richard CRTveP OF any of the
/ hundred thousand tales Of the moment
!