New-York tribune., 1903-02-07
WHITTIER S4LE, $40, 900.
Interesting Hoiographs, Letters, etc.,
DISPOSED of at .4uctiOn.

To the true bibliophile vague apprehension ever
attaches the dispersal by public auction OF the
literary possessions Of national poet Here where
the highest bid alone dictates the future owner
shin Of the literary fragments of national per-
senaIity the beokever is siways fearful into what
vandal hands such relics may fall
Especially is this the case in such disposition
as that made last night at Andersonss. No 20
West Thirtieth-st 1t might be imagined that only
the hand of an iron necessity would command
such a dispersal. And so il was with regard 70
the sale which took place last night. To obtain
the necessary funds for the care and permanent
maintenance of the old Whittier homestead at
Amesbury Samuel T. Piekard. the biograDher
and literary executor of John Greenleaf Whittier,
consented the sale of some OF the poet literary
possessions which would otherwise have remained
intact with the mass of material which whittier
collected in his lifetime, Some two hundred and
seventy lots Of manuscripts, Books. most OF them
first editions or autogra phed copies. with letters OF
himself and others. composed the collection %h1ch
was auctioned off. realizing sum well eNceeolns
sl0ee The company which gathered at Ander-
sons at T30 O'Clock. possibly a small. but
certainly select one composed Of many of the
best known booksellers, bbliophiles. connoisseurs
and collectors autographs holographs. books and
first editions. well as disciples of the Quaker
poet
The audience most of whom were buyers, in
ciuded Samuel T. Pickard Whttier's nephew; }.
C Chamberlain q collector of first editions; W. II.
Arnold Frederick Morris Mr. Ordway, of Haverhiil;
p r. Madisan Stephen II. Wakeman, G. :. He'll
man r II Ssuer and George F. Carter and the
dealers were represented by Dodd. Mead & Co,
Charles scribner's Sons. George Fl. Richmond. G.
d. Smith who bought partly for A. Howard Rit-
ter of Philadelphia, and Frank Meyer The H.
valry last night especially for the Whittierana.
was close and good prices ruled Among the
purely Whittier relics an original unpublished and
last stanza of the poem published in the sos, ITO
Ny Sister-a stanza which is signed N full b. the
arthor-wes bought for s2S by George II. Rich
mond. The stanza runs thus:
And knowing how my life hiatt been
weary work Of tongue and pen:
A long harsh strife with strong-Silled men,
Thou wilt not chde my turning
To niuck q flower from childhood's cline.
And listen at the evening chlnle
For the sweet bells of morning
Mr. Richmond also bought for $50 the original
manuscript of the child-poem, In School Days
Of nine stspzas. together with two additional
stanzas composed afterward Attached to the MS.
was a letter to Lucy Larcom, Editor of Our
Young Folks:
Desr i'd Lucy could not make for the
pictures. but ] send thee herewith bit which
am sure is childish if not childlike. BE honest
with IT, and If j. seems too sP0ohy 10, roI 1 grave grave
ing IL. When get proof may see something
TO mend, or mar. Thine truly, D. ". W.
Almost without exception these purely Whittier
relics purchased by Dodd, Mead & Co.
George II. Richmond and G.. ID. Smith, all of whom,
il was understood were buying on behalf of prt-
vate individuals Among the misceanies the orig
inal draft of a message to Congress, entirely IN
Abraham Lincolns handwriting. brought ss45, the
crow-ning figure Of the sale. The message was Oh
presented by him 10 Nj. Whittier. The superscrip-
tion. ABR. Dineoin's Autograph, IL IN Mr- W mt
tiers hsnawritins MI PS,I6ao TIth The Ts
suits Of the sale.