The Washington times., 1905-03-05
Uncle Jimmie Guild
KnOws Tom Watson

e.The Hon. Tom Watson of Georgia
may not be elected President on the
Populist ticket, should he ever run
again, but III wager my old book store
that he's the best posted man on past
and present history in any part OF this
vale of tears"
This is the opinion of Uncle Jimmie
Guild. whose old book store on Penn
syIvania Avenue. at the foot OF the
Capitol, has been a favorite resort for
men of letters for the past thirty-five
years. Uncle Jimmie is a close OBJ
server and most excellent Judge of
human nature; he knows a bool1worm
from a make believe, and he knows the
men who buy books for the information
they can give AS the old gentleman
puts it: II have spent the better part
of my life buying books, reading books.
and selling books. for before l lost my
.eyesight from an internal cataract / sell
dom put a book on sale until after
had read it. But, talking about Watson.
he was one of the best customers /
ever had, and he's still good one. for
he seldom comes TO Washington that i
don't sell him a Let of books. They are
good books, too-those that have meat in
them, and not found in junk shops
remember when he came to Congress
about sixteen years ago he soon foun
his way into my den. ! didn't take hin
for a statesman, but thought he was q
green country fellow. When he begar
to look over and delve into that pil(
j OF books and selected some very valu
+ able ones. asked the price and didn
/ kick, I knew there was something II
| him. l asked him if l could send the
/ books to his house, and mis- reply was
/ that if I would hand them tc him aftcl
/ he mounted his horse he could TAX
| them himself 1 didn't find out for som'
weeks who my new customer was. al
though he came in frequently. I hesl
tated asking his name. One day HI
came in and bought a thunderin lot o
/ books, wrote TT E. Watson on sill
| and asked that they be delivered a
! his home on a Street southeast. thel
+ knew who 1 was dealing with.
Tom Watson Star Customer.
'Mr. Watson bought more books while
he yyas in Congress than any other mem
Aer; in fact. ne was the best custome
[ ever had from the house on the hin
outside of Randall. who was the great
est lover of old books I ever knew
When he gave me an order for bool
the marts of other cities for the volume
/ The late Speaker Crisp was a good Gus
toner, his purchases being largely ol
the line of history and law. But few
kindlier men ever lived than Crisp.
always had a Good morning, Mr. Guild
when he passed here going to the Cap
itol.
Senator Ransom, of North Carolina
was a frequent caller, and bought liber
ally. but he was so Internally polit
that ! always was on my ps and q
when he was in here. wore out hal
a dozen good hats saluting Senator Ran
som. He never cracked a joke wit
me. but his colleague, Senator Vance
never came in wit hout spinning yarr
and they were always good ones, too
OF course you remember Breckinridg'
of Kentucky, who got tangled uD in a
affair with the Pollard woman2 Wei
he was with me often and bought
great many books. lie was II brigf
} nIau, but that scrape cooked his goos
Senator Blackburn buys a book occa
/ sionaIly, and you can depend upon
that the books he wants are not to /
!: found every day. He never grumblt
at the price. One Of my best customer
was the late Z. A. Morse, OF Massacht
setts, who was known as Stove Polls
Morse because he was the manufa'
= turer of stove polish lie was ii mi
: lionaire. [ understand, and the wor'
kind of an advocate OF temperane
When he would come in I would ju:
pilot him to the pile of books trea
} ing on fntemperance and the evils of II
drink habit
Jimmie Guilds Kind Heart.
For more than quarter Of centui
Jimmie Guild has dispensed wisdom al
: hllmor as well as books and prints
, , his customers, and although he is now
: grandfather and is nearly blind. he st
has a cheerful word and smile for {
D co1nerz. one GRANDSON is at pr g ent ser
: ing as lieutenant il the Philippine co
r stabulary Pottering about among n
j books, or If it be a fine day, seated in
{ stiff-back chair on the sidewalk III fro
, of his shop. Mr.. Guild looks always
. the bright side of things His is inde'
: a kindly heart. Ofsen lovers OF book
2 shabbiiy dressed, but just as keen aft
: knowledge as their wealthy brother
3 have come TO borrow what they cou
s not buy, and they have ever met a r
: spansive chord in the old man.
: ,ayoayoJ,er of4e. old "a