The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-11-19


hours wDrs In replacing them
! didn't want tp of-Hd hey. - I sud
l trust YOU will ind IA" volume YOU " lnt
hut l would advi." you 70 have Vuui
sister stand close uy your -Ida STAGE tht.
basement ~ fun OF rate Then | w-A,
back upstairs a. uuicNiv a. I could hur
! didn,t arrive much 1hrId ot INV Gus
toner
Tho rat story WAS no fiction Water
rats ni laTg" ~" and larger Rppe ties
Infested tho basement. and u Wis not Al
all uncommon L. fad that th"y hli in
Jur d from zen tO twenty volumes duriug
"A single night In" rats s,'lipm hot lrrr
old books, but attacked Now Ones Irin :
apparently attracted 10y m" paste used
IA IN" bindings Lax" som" at ia" GUS
toners, they nibhl't first at one volume
ard then NJ anOth.r. which VIZ l.gEl,
considers a had hthr for rats or mca
There were many book mutllitpr- aud
thieves ne-ide1 the rats MANY customers
abused the wild" privilege IN l. and ing
books granted NV the I"gguts. and An
drrw hadn't been IN a." business many
wears before he discovered the Wet thread
vandal
II was "A trick new to book sellers ~ Thar
time Those who worked u didn't care,
TO take the chance Of stealing a book but
Coutentad Themselves with CARRYING of
engravIngs that pleased them 1hes.
thieves carried thread IN th.Ir mouths
and when the thread was thoroughly Wet
they stretched IL along the inside edge
Of III. coveted engraving and then closed
the book
After wandering about the stor" they
would return Ia III" book containing tn.
wet thread and open il. taking car. 20 hold
N" pag" containing the .n craving 81
that it would he subjected 20 STRAIN as
TN. book opened Usually the engraving
would pull out as though cut with "A knife
and after that Il was simple matter to
conceal II and carry II away
80 frequent did thett- Of books and
engravings become that Mr. Legglt
offered his clerks a reward of 50 for every
one caught A good many rewards w.r,,
claimed and paid hut the LeggatS never
prosecuted "a thief As Mr. Leggat sars
they always thought that very likely IN
thief was really -thirstIng Tor know ledge
and wanted the book To read and not 20
sell 80 the thief was called asid. and
let go after being l"ctur'd
A. tn. store grew IN size and r.putat ion
it's trade extended 10 all parts Of the
country Mr. l~g9at recalls that Aims
worth x Spofford. then Librarian OF
not contained IN the library for which
some Congressman had asked Mr.
l..ggnt recalled III" trouble that Mr.
SpoNord got into over some missing
money orders which Were found ia All Old
desk after tn" Librarian had baan dis
the. first that Spuffori was not dishonest
He knew books hut not book Keeping :
l. tn" way Mr. L"ggat explains %
Will" the -to~" WIS on Bs"kWiu - -.'.''
and IN more modern days wh.a At had
moved TO 1 hambers street i'S resources
We're cillnI upon for the beginnings Of
many public libraries The first l.oDks
for tn. Hobok.n and Jersey CiIy libraries
and for Pratt institute" and the Sing Sing
and Auburn prison libraries cam" from
th.T,
Many priests were among ~" cus-o-
mers and they too made N" store q plnC"
TO- meeting and discussion II U~"i -
anus. Mr f-ggat la see IN" priests hurry
out III. back way when BISHOP Farley Of
Trenton came IN The Bishop. w
Icggat thought then. a. lie -tIll does. was
one. Of TN, most learned Of men. and The
Other priests fl-i h-Caus. ~" BISHOP had
., way OF asking questions which exposed
their ignorance Not evsn IN" hest Rad
Of IN. yOtuRer men cared To- Try Cuu'lu-
slons with tn" BISHOP
Another ,ustprns- r"clllnt bv M-
agHat was James ROu-..N ,.ii Ln'l,. ~
Col Roosevelt James Roosevelt hal 'f.'
aaru. tDOt4ful -Inii" and wIs IN many other
ways very ike the toiDn-!
The Rno-aN,.ItS woe always aristp-
Gratis SAYS VIZ L"gSlt although demo
Crslrir m their WAYS when meeting people
! remember sending green hnV {, to
I've. some ftpbh~ nv JH'lsH@ Nhb~s'N f'l' :
nous. when he lived sonevhe q IN the
Fnrties When the hoy returna, h"
wanted - know % u WIS a military
hous" IRON questioning him | found
that no hoy. who had never h-'o-r -.'..''
a lack"T- IN unlfo''n. had h.'.'1 much an
r-->s.I bv the spl"ndr. and S'lFue-- ~
fhn-.. ~ 'r. ROp-..N"it house
A. has he"n said. ~" LsSg1r~ We" nn'
- much interested "a N. books hoy sod
a. IN tho U"orl" who bought fvi p '"ha p.v
for That reason they CAV" u'ti" heed -
any treasures contained IN 'H"i cole De-
tIon II hy chance they secured u "a e.
BOOK fpr q small r-I"" the lucky ,'.srou"r
who found Or and recognized - valu"
could buv b, AT the usual ~ 'rel-" owe. ~"
price paid ~ the L"ggr'S
W Nr Laggat. Will. he loves % recall
IN. men who gathered ~ his store. 'arri"-
no recollection of tIp laS-lns fashions
IN books and authors Of his early days
He has an idea. however. r0lt IA ~"
b. ginning reiI sIoIs roON- had ~" - Sg".'
sale and III At later n" public iast" Gu tn,"i
until there wa- very l''." rail- TO- books
on purely religious subjects THSl. "a
now. more people bought =, tiou thtn any
other Of the wares bookseller Md -