New-York tribune., 1907-06-07
KIPLING AND Plus Y.
Writer U1ins IN WaH at autograph
S0Le-Wr. Hear$fS Preferences.

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An atmosphere Of romance Of wars fought long
ago and ot staJecraft and literary logroling that
have passed into the limbo Of things accomplished
wGs unloosod yesterday afternoon in the rooms Of
the Merwin- Clayton Sales Company. at Nos co.'s
East 26th street. The incident was the auction Of
the autograph collection of William r. Weeks.
lawyer Of No. II Broadway who has for many years
wandered about IN old galleries and musty libraries
gathering the letters and documents that We're
knocked down" yesterday to the highest bidder.
Fully $1,000 was handed out by order in cash for
yellowed, time stained manuscripts. And the pur-
chasers were pleased.
If there be such things as ghosts It would he in
terestins TO hear their comments tie market
quotations of dead and gone celebrities. For in
stance. a half page. 4tO' signed in 1868 by Pope
Plus Y, brought So so while letter from Rudyard
Ilipling regarding "Heroism in Daily Life went
for $l1. And at that, Plus was canonized in 1712
by Clement NL SO it huttered back and forth. the
shutuecock of popular appreciation as cxemplihed
in dollars and cents, under tie inspiration Of the
twangng English accent Of the auctioneer, Why.
q personal letter written by Edgar Allen Poe who
a poet up in Fordham before the days of the
subway brought $75, and a document signed by
Louis XIV. King Of France May %. 1852. went for
just 50.
The collection was catholic in its scope, ranging
from letters by William Penn and sgneTs of the
Declaration down through the popes and kings and
similar potentates and back to the modern maga-
zine writer's. One Of the gems of the collection.
which IS liked by persans who like that sort of
thing. was an Original autograph survey-with
plan-drawn written and signed by George Wash
ngton, of a plot of ungranted land in Frederick
County. Virginia Made for Robert Lindsay. OBJ
long ito. April 2l 1850" This document ranks rs
the second in date of the Washington land jobs,
since the first record was OF April 2. 1850. The
survey sale yesterday went for $1OO after some
spirited bidding TO young named Hamer,
who supposed to represent William Randolph
Hearst
Since Mr. Hearst has modesty described himself
as a Lincoln Republican and Jeffersonian Democrat
It was most significant that Mr. Hamer. his alleged
agent. paid $50 for Lincoln letter and so for
jefferson episue. The Lincoln manuscript was
dated at Springfield, 1899 when Lincoln was thirty
years old. and IN regard to papers in the case
of a suit on promissory note. 1t was entirely IN
Lincolns handwriting. jefferson letter was dated
Washington, November /. 1907, addressed to Gov
ernor Williams:
I have seen with regret the violence Of the dis
territories Of Louisiana and Michigan; it seems that
me smaller the society me 4Iteret ine
answers all the objections drawn by Mr.. Adams
from the small republic Of Italy believe ours is
to owe its pormanence to its great extent and the
smaller portion comparatively which can be con-
shortly hear from England and TO know
paciacaIy inclined here if anything comes from
thence which Will permit us to follow our inclina-
tons.
The third lot Of letters put on the block was
President of the United States, written while he
abroad in the eos of the eighteenth century.
They went for $l55 TO F. ". Morris. dealer. and
Of them deals with third term for Washing
ton. This letter written to Adamss father-n-
law. Joshua Johnson. from The Hague. October
IA. 1896. and says. In part:
IL, am happy to hear from you that It Isl Is now be
.leFed inc resident WI again serve IN ttt ipIt IpI
His merits and services have more weight with tho
People OF America than all the ar,ihce or intrigue
ldieEOleQce that could be combined against Nlill
They know the worth OF firm man at the head OF
the Union. and feel the necessity of such char
acter- In the course Of another Presidency TRUST
as triumphant over all the opposition that has been
raised against it,, as his fame has already risen
gected against It.
The last letter in this series from Adams Is the
fourteenth and In # the writer urges his father
in-law make good with his creditors. 4 previous
letter sets forth that Mr.. Frederick Deus al
legged Nj Johnson had sailed for America leaving
unpaid bills behind him In the course OF
spectful admontlon. Mr.. Adams wrote: Let me
urge you, then, sir, by every regard FOR your
self and your family, consider justice to your
creditors the most imperious OF your obliga-
tlons."
The sale one or the liveliest that has been
held IN many months The golden brown crinkly
papers with their corrOded scribblIng seemed to
have inspiring effect the buyers and at
times the bidding went along almost enthusiast
caly II a lot OF battered furniture being
disposed OF at sherms sale in some inland New
England town. James H. Manning. former Mayor
of Albany, present but whether he bid hy
proxy deep mystery. although a number OF
manuscripts. notably a letter by Roger Williams
and another by Sir William PeppereL, were
knocked down 10 Albany
Autograph signatures OF Queen Victoria were
David Thoreau's script was reckoned at $25
some nature notes The original manuscript Of
his 'Voyageur's Song" went for $50 to the mys
torCus Albany"
The sale was made up OF so many varying grades
of correspondence that It all very Ike
Aodge-podgc pot-pourr! in which roses are mixed
yith lemon blossoms and ragweed blooms Dodd
Mead & Co the publishers. picked up many civil
War letters from generals and minor oticers. A
leffer written by Jefferson Davis in 1853 on the
slavery question snapped up by MI IIamer
,For Mir iIcarsD at $50, while the same MI Iiamer
Maid S72 for NapolcouiC material including a page
from the manuscript OF The Story OF Napoleon
Campaigns In Italy Wild u long 4OOt''o'o III va
poleon's handwriting