The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-01-04
WASHINGTON AS A CITY
OF BOOK COLLECTORS

In book collecting must be something of
a diplomat to secure the prize, the find
ing of which Is the easiest part of the
bargain. The secondhand book dealers Of
the capital have learned to know these
people, as the police and detectives come
In time to be familiar with crooked and
shady characters, and when one of them
enters with an old book or pamphlet
picked up from the disordered mass of
cheap reading on the sidewalk stand, and
with bland countenance offers the
! amount for which this literary junk is
advertised, the bookseller becomes sus-
piclous, and. though he may be ignorant
of the character of the work, and In doubt
as to whether 1t Is really valuable he
takes the book in his hands, replies that
he cannot sell 1t for that price; that 1t
reached the Scent counter by mistake;
that 1t belongs in the family, and that he
does not care to sell at any price"
The discoverer thus baffled, may grow
indignant as much as he likes, but 1T
does not help matters, and he leaves de-
termined that next time he will manage
things differently. Then, after he has
gone, the bookseller looks up the work
In question, and If he finds that 1t is a
rare and valuable work, advertises 1t
properly, and realizes handsomely on its
sale.
above mentioned, usually. when they dis
cover a valuable work on the cheap coun-
ter. leave pencil mark upon It, and, 60
ing away, engage some person with
whom the bookmen are unfamiliar: some
times a colored bootblack or janitor to
drop around and purchase the work
which they themselves are afraid to at
tempt, for fear Of arousing the suspicious
of the bookdealer and thus losing the
prize.
The latest rarity now on the market is
a copy of a small periodical published in
New York just after the revolutionary
war, in which Poe's poem of 'The Raven
appeared for the first time. before 1t had
appeared In book or pamphlet form. 1t
was picked UP by book firm in one OF
the northern cities some two weeks ago.
and Is now being well advertised.
1t Is curious that the finest collection OF
rare Americana ever offered at auction
was picked up as windfall for the sum
of ESQ by London bookseller in 1893.
Slater. In his Romance of Book Collect
ing" gives the details of the find as fol-
lows:
"In the summer Of 1892 London book
seller was offered small library stored
In a provincial town, some thirty miles
distant. The owner copied the title pages
OF few of the books. and these were of
such character that tho bookseller went
over and eventually paid the price asked.
which was ESQ. Tho majority of the vol
umes. az Ia usually tho case with old
fashioned libraries, were almost WORTH
less. There were sermons preached in
the long-ago to Aieeping congregations,
tracts and pamphlets on nothing in par
ticular, an old and woi-thumbed prayer
book or two. and tho usual ponderous
family Bible In furnished gilt On a cas-
~. A
have passed muster at a third-rate auc-
ton, and yet the bookseller was only too
glad to see them safely housed in Lon
| don.
'rhe reason ives thisl Among the re-
| fuse were America, SEINE of extreme
rarity, such as those who deal In such
books arc perpetually on the lookout for.