The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-27
Greatest Checker Library in the
World.

AT the request of the editor of this de-
partment Mr.. Edgar p Wolferstan who is
personal friend of hundreds of Indiana
checker players. has written the following
exhaustive description of the largest
checker library in the world the property
of his friend, the great Central States ex-
pert. Mr.. Henry Hutzler, of Cincinnati, o.
1t was for the purpose of affording Indiana
checkerists a treat that Mr. Wolferstan
was induced to visit Mr. Hutzler and to
prepare this report. In passing il may
be stated that the Journal is the first paper
in the world to contain an adequate de-
scription of this extraordinary collection
of draughts works-a collection that repre-
sents the life work of Mr.. Hutzler, and
which is at once the pride and the despair
OF checker bibliOmaniacs. The magnitude of
the work may be appreciated when the
statement is made that all the volumes
mentioned by Mr. Wolferstan are rare and
out of print
Mr.. Wolferstan says: 81 am in Cincinnati
to see something that not one draughts
player in million will ever see-an OPP
portunity that comes only to the favored
few-a glimpse of Mr.. Henry Hutzler's
checker library, and to hear descriptions
of the same from his own lips.
MIR. Hutzler was formerly checker editor
| of the Cincinnati CONGRATULATIONS, and
has been for years Ohio's best player. Hav-
| ing the necessary knowledge and qualifica-
| tons for successful collector, he set
about obtaining all the rare checker works
| ever printed. To-day his library contains
about seven hundred and fifty well bound
| volumes many in expensive bindings, some
| rare that Mr.. Hutzler possesses the only
copies in America.
THE books are printed in nine different
| anguages-English, Spanish French. Ger
man, Old Dutch. Italian, Swedish, Latin
and Russian.
His department of Spanish books con-
| tains several copies of the famous work
by Juan Garcia Canalejas. 1850; also one of
Josef Carlos Garcez 1854. as well as one by
| Cecina Rice, published in Grenada about
100 This edition was unknown until Mr.
Hutzer found copy and the later prints
| dated 1859, 1898. 1919. The section also con-
tains a copy of the exceedingly rare work
by Louis Soler Reverb, 1919. and many
other Spanish books. up to 1895.
THE library contains several copies of
| the Latin Book on Games, by DR. HYDE
| 1894 Among the French volumes I noticed
copy of that Supposed-to-b e-extinct work
of lie Egide de Pallas. 1727; also a print
| of LIE Veritas Plaisantes' (Rouen. 1770)
| Then / found the old works OF Mapoury
| paris. 177O. Manoury. 1857 and Manoury
brussels. 1889; Lallemant, lsol-'o2 Dufour.
| evidence. The famous French problem
book of Laurent Command paris. 1929.
and all the later French works to date. in
| lished at Amens, in 1881, containing six
| thousand diagrams. were all part OF this
| wonderful collection
1.-The Russian books I have 10 pass by,
| as the language is too much for me; but
| l may mention from among the Dutch
works copy of Ephraim Van Embden
| amsterdam, 1882 with a list of subscrib-
| ers and the authors autograph
'Of the many Italian books / can only
| remember the works of DR.. Manjin 1890:
Lorenzo Loncogno, 1892. and the greatest
| of all Italian treatises. by Michael Angelo
Lanci. 1887, in two volumes. with about
four hundred pages, printed on handmade
| paper.
mfr. Hutzlers collection of books writ
| ten in the English language contains nearly
| everything published. He has perfect
copies of all the match-game books. like
| from Walkers 'Philidorian.' 1897. to the
February number of The Guide Post
Among the hundreds of works | can only
| specify a few. He has two different edi-
| tons of William Payne. 1855. both uncut
! also a copy of this work with the auto
graph of the famous a. J. Dunlap, who
| was for twenty-five years checker editor
| of the Turf. Field and Farm. He owns
| two different issues OF Sturges. $500. several
beautiful copies of Sturges's Problem
| Book 1soS. This work has colored dia-
| grams. also copies of Walkers 'Sturges.
! 1885, 1S45, 1850 and 1854: copy of Roger
Payne. 1913: William Pohlman. ISIS; also
| an exceedingly rare 1919 edition of Pohl-
| man. This book has sixty-seven beautiful
| colored diagrams. Besides these ] noticed
| two different issues of the 1923 edition. Then
/ may mention beautiful copy OF Sinclair s
| work of 1892; Hay, 1892 and 1862. Mr.. II1tz-
Ter also possesses the proof slips OF Drum
monds First printed on colored sheets
| of paper. and a special print of Drum
mond's Second with this great author s
own notes and corrections I'm the margin.
MANY of the authors and analysts of the
| past, If they could be with again and
hunt for their favorite draughts books.
| would find some OF their most cherished
| possessions in this unprecedented collection
For instance. ] remember copy of Bow
: ems Bristol signed by Bowen himself and
presented 10 Bowdish copy OF Bowen $
| Cross also signed by him and presented
to Billy Broughton: a copy of Gould s
problems ca contributors cory. with