The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1903-06-23

NuAptetc IN E4AANf@ }ee--Afuttre Lot
Purehased For 800. and scraps
Could De sold For over That sum.
The story Of the successful acquisi-
lion at q nominal price Of what is be-
lieyed to be the most complete collec-
ton Of anarchistie literature ia the
world was recently made public by
the library authorities Of Columbia
university.
Some time ago. says the New York
Post. It came to the attention Of DR..
Vladimir e. Sienkhoyitch, the uniyer-
sity bibliophile, that a French an
arehist long resident at London. and Of
considerable literary ability, had died
In the course Of the winter, and that
his library had passed 10 administra-
tors who were plainly ignorant Of the
character Of the calling Of the man.
DR.. sienkhoviteh, however, knew that
the dead man had spent the greater
Part of Ills life 10 making an eyhaus-
tive collection Of all the valuable an
archlstic literature extant he noticed
that this collection which consisted not
only of books and pamphlets. but also
Of posters, periodicals, journals and
broadsides, was turned over BIZ the I'D.
ministrators TO the Sothebys, the Lon
don book auctioneers, and soon found
hidden away III their spring catalogue
an item advertising the sale Of the
entire collection.
This Item appeared to have escaped
the notice of European librarians, and
even OF those dealers who specialize in.
the literature Of political and social
science. Ilr James r. Canfleld, iibIa-
rlan Of Columbia, approaching the sig-
nlficance Of this find" at once pro-
ceeaed to collect funds for tile pur-
chase, ard was soon able to authorize
his deputy to bid ESQ $3.50 on the
articles listed a cable message am
nouneed i few days later that the en-
tire collection had been acquired with
out competition for the ridiculous fg-
tire 1T E20 $500.
Tile entire collection, Ill twenty-four
large boxes, arrived at New York IN
the spring The work Of examination,
classification, appraisal, eataloguing
and binding has been going on NOW rot
several weeks, but has not vet been
completed, Neither the scientific nor
the peeuniary value Of the consign-
ment can as yet be ascertained, but as
an indication of inc worth of tbe col
lection II may he stated that much Of
this material appears III no existing
photography, being hitherto unisnowns
Furthermore, for single pamphlets of-
fers have been made running into four
figures Of marks and francs.
The list includes 252 sets Of newspa-
pers and periodicals. nine-tenths of
which are absolutely complete; ii addl-
tion there are nearly 300 anarchistic
pamphlets and books. L collection of
270 huge sheet posters and brnadsides,
most of which have no duplicates;
hundreds of photographs of prominent
agitators Of all countries; IN enormous
body az letters, documents. manifestoes
and autograph manuscripts by most "
the leading anarchists, from Bakotlnin,
the Russian, down to the present time,
and Il vast quantity of inhammatory
SONGS and clippings from nonanareh.
istic publications,
Access could be had 70 only 4 small
part 81 the collection, most of It now
being iii the hands Of tile binders. but
nh idea OF its scope, magnitude and
importance can De gained from the fol
lowing specimen items; A death war
rant f0recasting to tho inner circle the
assassination of President sadi-Carnoi
of France six hours before its occur
renee, nine manuscript writings by the
famous Louise Michel; d warrant Is
sued from London police court fol
the apprehension of ii desperate foreign
incendiary: the school books Of Rava
chol. announcements OF attacks to bt
directed against nearly Oil of ths
crowned heads Of Europe and photo
graphs Of Lncheni, who assassinatet
the empress DC Austria Another strik
ing exhibit II d batch of scorched pa
pers found on the person of d Londor
anarchist who died while hurting /
bomb into d crowded square.
Among fhe periodicals IN the collec
ton are Ia pere Peinard. published Il
Paris by Il. ponget from 1880 to 1896
only two copies being known; Der SO
cializt. published in Berlin; the Alarm
which comes from Chicago; In Ques
tione sociale, an italian paper printed
Id Paterson. M j. Ell porvenir Anar
qusta, from Barcelona. Spain; Gazeta
Robotnieza Polish publication from
Chicago, Yolne Listy, d New Yori
anarchistie paper ia tile Czechisl
tongue; Freedom, the great organ d
the London agitators: THE Beacon
printed ia san Francisco: Ie Tempe
NonYeau, Prince Krapotkin's paper
and caserio. which appears i'll Buenos
AYres, the eanital If tile Argentine Re
public These periodicals tire printed
III English. German, French. all the
Scandinavian languages, new Greek
Italian. Polish. Russian, slaYonic
Czechish Spanish, Yiddish and many
other dialects and languages.
On the opening Of CoInmbia's ont
hundred and fftieth year lii Tx
autumn the entire collection will b
placed eonspicnonsly On view In tht
university library. i member 0f Tbs