Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-11
ROBERT BURNS WORK
RARE COLLECTION BY MR.. w. r..
SMITH.
Helped by Andrew Carnegie for Final
Presentation to Pittsburg,
Pa, Library.

Mr. W. r. Smith of this city has made
rare additions to his collection of books
relating to the greatest of Scottish poets,
Robert Burns His collection of Burnsiana
is now beyond all question the most COM
pete of the kind in the world. Some years
ago Mr.. Smith told his lifelong friend. An
drew Carnegie, that it was his purpose to
leave this rare collection to Mr. Carnegie
in trust to the city of Pittsburg in which
Mr. Carnegie has taken so great an inter-
est. The result of this arrangement was
that Mr.. Carnegie authorized Mr.. Smith to
make his collection as complete as possible
by the purchase of any books he did not
have.
From time to time Mr.. Smith has indi-
Gated the books he needed as they came to
his attention, and Mr.. Hew Morrison, prin-
cipal librarian of the public library of Ed
nburgh, has purchased them. Recently,
when Mr.. Smith was visiting Mr.. Carnegie
hastily written note was received from
Jean, the granddaughter of Robert
burns. informing him that on December
10 the Burns family Bible would be sold at
public auction in Edinburgh. 1t was for
Mr. Smith to say whether or not he wanted
that book for his collection. and he con-
suited Mr. Carnegie who in Mr.. Smiths
name wired Morrison to purchase the
Bible. and not to stint in the price he was
TO give. Morrison knew that the book
would sell for high price. and asked Mr.
Carnegie whether he could go above 81 OOo
me muitlmilionaire did not think that
price should be exceeded and replied that
he should not go higher than that
Lost the Bible.
Inc result was that the Bible was pur-
chased for about $500 and few DAYS
later again changed hands a t the high price
Oh 5000, being purchased by Mr. William
Brown, on behalf of the Burns cottage trus-
tees ana 1t S now on exhibition in the cot
tase. The interesting thing about the
transaction is that it was not the intention
OF Mr.. smith to bring the Bible to this side
OF the Atlantic had he secured it. He be-
heNed there was just one place for it, That
was in the Burns home in Dumfries where
the granddaughter and great-granddaugh-
ter Of the poet live in the house in which
the poet himself lived and died. That SEEM
ed to be the proper place for the Bible, and
there, 1t is said, it would have gone.
Although the Burns Bible was not Sc
cured for the Dumfries home of the poet
Mr.. Smith has recently unpacked box con-
tanning $50 rare books on Burns, including
ten editions of the works that he did not
have. These books We're purchased for him
by Mr. Morrison. The Burns library now
in the possession of Mr.. Smith numbers
about 1000 volumes, including $50 editions
of Burns works. OF these editions $50 are
American.
The gathering of the American editions of
Burns pc ms is work that has been
somewhat original with Mr.. Smith. When
he began collecting this class of books,
twenty-five years ago, he could find but
seventy-twO American editions of Burns
works He had discovered one after an
other until the number now is $50. One of
the rarest of these editions was published
in Alexandria, Va, in 1913. Mr.. Smith has
also received addition to his colec-
ton about thirty rare prints and engrav-
ings. He started this collection to prove
the wonderful influence that Burns has ex-
ercised on mankind in general, and especial
ly on the industrial order of things. He
also has sought to show that Burns is APP
precated better in America than in Scot
land