The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-08-09
A PLAINTIVE ECHO FROM
 YE OLDE BOOKE SHOP.

collectors are not all wealthy men, eith- CT. know q mechanic who spends every spare dollar he has for rare books and guess his collection will make him rich some day. But can't take the pleas ure in my books and business that l once did. for the loss of my sight places me so that can only sit here and think of what have read and what I have seen. and wonder. too. when the next unprincipled fellow will come along and hook a book or two. You see l have the price of each book marked in the back and when a person picks up one out of the pile and asks me the price, why simply tell him to look and see. and if he says it's 50 cents. why I've got to take his word for 1t. Just the other day a fellow came in here and picked out a book-Dreams and Witch Craft-saying 1t was marked 50 cents. He handed me over the money and went out About two hours afterward an of flcer came in with a man and a negro and asked me if I had sold the book. told him had if 1t was marked to sell for 30 cents No said the officer. the price marked is s1 on the fly leaf Then I didn't sell it. replied. The man who was with the officer confessed that he had misrepresented the price to me and offered to make good, but told him no, didn't want anything further to do with him. You see. 1t was this way: Aft CT the thief-for he was nothfny less bought the book he left it on a seat in the Baltimore and Ohio depot, the negro picked 1t up and the fellow had him ar rested for stealing 1t. and the officer ap- pealed to me to get straight of the trans- action. It was settled by giving the negro the book. and I guess he has been playing policy of sQme of the dreams told oh fn That foIf0Wpa rnaanroea came home to him quicker than he thought 1t would. k
 Loves His Work.
 NO have no desire to seM out and quit business. feel. more at home here among my books than anywhere else in the world, and even if I can't see to read, the very presence of the books seem to give me comfort. I shall remain here as long as can pay rent and get cus- toners. would not be contented or sat- ished anywhere except right here, sur founded by my books and these old pic lures and prints. It would be difficult to tell just what treasures I have in these rows. shelves and piles of books. for some of them have been here un- disturbed for many years. I never did take much care or pains in keeping things ship-shape. and when I bought books they were just dumped around anywhere to get them out of the way. or course, the rarest. and most valuable have been arranged so that they can bs reached without great deal of trouble, but the all kinds are mixed from Jerusalem to Mexico, and will never be sorted out during my stay in this world. I have taken things easy all my life and when a customer came in just let him browse around and pick out what he wanted. If asked a question answered; if they kept quiet. I did the same. One day Mr. Speaker Reed stopped here, as he fre- quently did. and picking up a book asked the price. I told him 50 cents, and he said it was too much. said he didn't have to buy it at any price unless he wished too! As he started of glanced at the title of the book and saw that it was 'Scruples,' and then called to him that didn't see what In the thunder he wanted with book like that anyway. He looked around. grinned and ambied on up towards the Capitol."