Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1906-07-05

ton OF the great Sutro library of old
books collected by the late Adolph
Sutro, former mayor of the city, saws
the New York Sun. This was stored
in two divisions, one in the Upham
building at Pine and Battery streets
and one in building at Montgomery
and Washington. 1t is known def
nitely that the Upham building was
destroyed by fire, and the other build
ing, being an old structure not fire.
proof, in the center of the burned
district, must have gone too.
Early in his career Sutro developed
a hobby for old books and conceived
the idea of collecting a great library
of them. For ten years he and his
agents bought all over the world. AL
though he was imposed upon by a
great many forgeries and acquired
much that was valueless, he made
some fortunate purchases, and his
wholesale method OF buying enabled
him to get great deal of gold along
with the dross.
For example, in 1886 or there
al'outs, Bavaria confscated the prop
erty of the Catholic monasteries in
the kingdom. Their books were
Jumped into one great lot, and Sutro
bought them all, including thousands
of manuscripts dating back before
the age of printing, which have
never come under the notice of schol-
ars. In the same way, when the
Mexican government discovered a
forgotten collection of books, memoir
ials, diaries and manuscripts bearing
upon the early history of California
and Lower California, especially the
mission period in the boundaries of
the present United States, he bought
them ALL This collection, from which
it was prophesied the true history of
the old Pacific coast would some day
be written, was never even taken
from its boxes. He had a standing
order with Quaritch for certain lines
of books, and he was willing to pay
anything for what he wanted. In the
end the collection reached total of
about 225,000 volumes. When it had
grown to that size Sutro brought a
bookman named Moss from the Brit
ish museum and had him make be-
ginning of classifying and catalogu-
ing it. Moss began to straighten
it out, but he had worked only a
year Or two when he died In 1897
Sutro died also.
1t had been his intention to give
the collection either TO the University
of California or to San Francisco, but
he left no late will. The only one in
existence was drawn up before the
time of his collection, and it left all
his books and papers to his sister,
DR.. Emma Sutro Merritt. There fol
lowed a double contest over his prop
erty, which was found to have de-
preciated greatly. A Mrs. Kluge ap-
peared. who said that she was his
wife by a contract marriage, and
some Of his children by his first mar
riage raised contest of their own.
The estate has remained ever since
tangled in the courts. DR.. Merritt,
who had temporary custodianship OF
the library, closed it absolutely. Since
that time no one has been permitted
to enter it except a custodian and an
occasional scholar who has been able
to get through the red tape which
surrounded it.
Since the collection has never been
classified no one living knows abso-
lutely just what was there. Here.
however, are some of the known
treasures:
He had a complete collection of
Shakespeare folios-frst, second,
third and fourth. Some OF the early
pages of his first folio were missing
and were supplied in facsimile. The
pages of the second folio we're slight.
" scorched, because 1t had passed
through the London fire-to perish,
probably, in the San Francisco fire
two and half centuries later. There
was nearly full set OF folios OF Ben
Jonson.
The collection of Shakespeariana
included the rent roll of Shottery
Meadow, Stratford.
An old prayer book and hymnal
bound literally in boards, were inter
esting historically, for authenticated
documents showed that they were the
very books placed in the hands OF
Charles II. on his re-entry into Lon
dor. after the restoration His col
lection OF the Book OF Common
Prayer was very strong. including
most of the famous editions from the
time CT Edward vi. down TO the last
century.
A random summary Of the other
chow books would include some
specimens of Gutenberg and Caxtor
printing, a great deal OF fine wori
from the Aldine and Elzivir presses
several frsts Of Ben Franklin and