Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-13

Wellington street, just on the strand, In
London. Is an auction room known to every
bibhophile; for there, during the last one
hundred and sixty years. since the Arm
was organized, sales of rare and valua bic
| books, autographs and manuscripts have
taken place two or three times week In
the little inconvenient and awkward Office
are rows of shelves filled with catalogues,
more than fifteen thousand in number, con-
tanning lists of every book and every arti-
Gle sold by the firm during its long career.
Such records are not kept In the United
States Our auction firms are not so old
and their transactions are not considered
so important, but if you were to ask
Southeby, Wilkinson & Hodge about any
book manuscript or other object that has
passed through their hands during the last
century and half they could tell you the
name of the person who sold 1t, the price
chaser, provided the latter had disclosed
his identity, for, in many cases. buyers
at auctions do not like to be known.
In 1892. when l was making the colIec-
ton of historical relics of Columbus for
the worlds fair l learned that copy OF
Waldsemuler's Cosmographia-the book
which gave the continent of America its
name-had been purchased by a New York
collector at an auction sale in England In
1855, but could not locate 1t. Being de-
sirous of obtaining the copy, 1 appealed to
the auctioneers. and they were SO Obliging
as to look through their catalogues and
discover that the purchaser was Mr.. James
Murphy of New York city, a merchant who
was fond Of rare books. When l returned
to the United States, Mr.. Sabin, a second
hand bookseller on Nassau street, New
York told me all about Mr. Murphy's col
lection and succeeded in purcha sing the
book l wanted from his widow. The copy
Is now In the Filed Columbian Museum
Most Appreciative Collectors.
Mr.. Hodge, managing partner of Sothe-
by's, as the place is best known, told me
this morning that American collectors, as
rule, are more appreciative than English
or Europeans of fine things in books and
manuscripts and are willing to pay for
them; and they are becoming the most sue
cessfui colectirs In the world. Indeed,
there are few collectors of books, manu-
scripts and autographs today outside of
England and the United States. The
French. Germans and Italians are not
showing as much interest in such things as
they did several generations ago, and the
English are not so keen to buy as the
Americans. They always kick up a row
and blame the seller and the auctioneer,
Mr.. Hodge says, when O. rare or valuable
example or autograph OF Importance is
taken out of the country, when they could
have stopped 1t If they had been willing to
pay the price. Englishmen, without hesi-
tation, spend a million pounds year he
Sdlu, III FRENCH motor cars, Dut not
willing to bid up against American collec-
tors for books and manuscripts Hence
American collectors are getting the best
things that come into the market and al
though they nave not been buying for
many years, and do not have the adyan-
tages Of inheritance that many English
collectors enjoy, they already have many
unique examples and are adding to their
possessions every year
In answer to my questions Mr. Hodge
said that collectors used to think that all
the precious manuscripts, books and auto
graphs were gathered up a hundred years
ago but rare examples are still coming
out from their hiding places every year
and he hopes. one of these days, to discover
a manuscript OF Shakespeares Nobody
knows how he wrote. 1t Is the great lit
erary mystery. None of his manuscripts
has ever been found. 1t is the prevailing
theory that he never made but one COPY
of his plays, which was thrown into the
waste basket by the printers as soon as 1t
was IN type. There are only three samples
of Shakespeare's handwriting in exist
ance and they simply the signature to
his WILL now in the British Museum his
signature to the lease of some land. now In
the record office, and an inscription In a
book, which. 1 believe, belongs to Mr..
Charles F. Gunther of Chicago.
Finest American Collections
MI Hodge says that Mr.. ]. Pierpont Nor
gan undoubtedly has the finest and most
lea. although Mr.. Robert Hoe, the printing
| press manufacturer. is very close second
and Mr.. Perry has the most complete
collection of Shakespeare's early editions
ever made. Mr.. Hodge says that Mr. Nor
gan Is remarkable for his keenness in max
ing seiectionn. He does not know any man
with whom he would prefer to do business
Mr.. Morgan always knows what he wants
and is willing to pay what 1t Is worth
When an object is brought to his attention
hn dnNtl inst nr,tf, -y,aSl.
not and what he is willing to paw for 1t
he never haggles and no one can persuade
him to take anything that he does not
want
manuscript in the world. for which he paid
$4,000 two years ago. 1t is a copy OF the
four gospels. known as the "Evangel-
iarium." exquistely inscribed upon parch-
ment. illuminated in colors and gold and
| bound In covers embossed with gold and
studded with 32T precious stones. 1t was
| written in the middle ages In the Abbey OF
| Lady Canonesses at Landau, on Lake Con-
| stance. and came into the possession of the
/ Earl Of Ashburnham In the eighteenth cen
| fury. 1t is undoubtedly the most ornate
| script IN existence.
| The Ashburnham collection was the
| greatest ever brought together and since
the death of the owner, in 1888 II has been
| sold in sections for more than 81 600 900.
| The Stowe manuscripts. for example, con-
| sistfng OF the minute book of the privy
| council OF England from 1881 to 1880 with
| the correspondence of the British ambassa-
| doris during the reign of Queen Eliza beth.
the private accounts and memorandum of
| that remarkable woman. were purchased by
/ the British Museum for $4,000. Another
| collection OF Ashburnham's autographs sold
| at auction for $4,000. and several other
| portions have been sold from time to time
| for similar prices.
British Museum Manuscripts.
| The most important collection OF auto
| graphs and manuscripts is in the British
| Museum. The finest private collection In
| the world belongs 10 the Duke of Devon
| shire, which Is the work of several genera
| lions OF his ancestors. who seem to have
| had the autograph fever and to have been
/ lovers OF rare books so far back almost as
/ they can be traced Mr.. Huth. merchant
! IN the Midiands of England. also has a re-
markahle collection. next in value to that
| OF the Duke OF Deyonshire. It was started
| by his great-grandfather about the begin
/ ming OF the nineteenth century and has
/ been added to year by year ever since until
| II represents an investment OF a million
/ dollars or more The Earl of Rosebery,
| formerly prime minister OF England and
1 M hoy rtv he.