The Republican journal., 1910-10-13
RARE. MAINE BOOKS.
What DR.. w. B. Lapham Of Augusta Said
+ of Them in an Article Published in 1888.


led to some newspaper comments, and
real value of the work. The old adage
that ga thing is worth what it will
bring" is as true of old books as of any,
thing else, and because there are collec-
lions of books as there are of coins that
often sell for much more than their in
trinsic value. This is not strictly true
of williamson History of Maine nor of
several other Maine books which have
become scarce and are indispensable to
the historical student. There are stand
ard works of which only limited num-
Der were issued and have long been out
of print. In the larger cities there are
more or less dealers in old books, some
of them making specially of books
upon American history, which are styled
'iAmericana." Catalogues are periodi-
cally issued by these dealers and every
rare book bearing upon American history,
whether local or general, has its standard
price, subject, like other standard goods,
to the fluctuations Of the market caused
by the variations in the supply and de-
mand.
Maine printed books are generally
found in these catalogues, and some OF
them, owing to their rarity, bring high
price. The practice of these dealers IS
to employ some one to rumEage the attlcs
of old houses, and rare books are often
thus found, the value OF which the own
ers have no knowledge, and they are
often bought for a nominal sum, amount
ing oftentimes to not more than they are
worth for paper stock.
Williamson S History Of Maine brought
a higher price and seemed to be more
scarce a few years ago than ever. The
first edition was issued in 1882, and the
second in 1889. The second edition was
not a revised one. 1t was called "a new
impression, and that was just what 1t
was. The only changes were portrait
of the author in the first volume and
cut of the State House in the second.
No new preface was published, no cor
rections were made and little if any new
matter added 1t was a reprint. How
MANY copies or sets were printed, have
not the means of knowing, but by act of
the Legislature, each town in the State
was supplied with it. How many towns
have it now? Since then they have been
more plentiful and have been sold as low
as So. l know of several copies that can
be had for $40.
Sullivan's History of Maine, published
in 1875, is harder to obtain than William
sons. 1t contains 421 pages, and with
the original map is worth $40 or $l2. |
have known a clean copy to bring SIG. 1t
is sometimes offered for sale minus the
map, in which lies much of the market
value. There are but few copies of the
work known to be owned in Maine,
though doubtless old attics contain more
or less copies which will be brought out
in time.
. Folsom's History of Saco and Bidde-
ford was published in 1889. A short
edition was printed and now it is very
scarce. A few years ago l was written
for copy by one of the Mormon Apos-
ties and sent him my own copy, which
cost me 49, so, thinking l could easily re-
place it. After years of effort | sue
ceeded in getting copy for Sc. 1t is
now worth more than that.
Bradhury's History of kennebunkport
was published in 1887. 1t is small IL
mo. volume, but is worth Sc or ST. My
copy cost me SIS several years ago.
A little pamphlet copy of the History
of Eastport, containing less than forty
pages, is very rare. | have never seen
copy, but it has been sold for IS and
upward.
Pierce's History of Gorham, Me-, was
printed in 1862, and has become very
scarce. A copy for sale has not appear
ed in the catalogue for years, and many
libraries and collectors are wanting it;
Allan's Norridgewock, Hanson's Ca
naan. etc., the Frontier Missionary His
tory of Dresden) and several other Maine
town histories, some of them in pamph-
let form, are long since out of print, are
hrir IOh
There are several collectors of alma
macs in Maine, and many in New Eng
land. The oldest Maine almanac in my
collection was printed in Portland, in
1904, by jerks, the publisher Of the
Gazette. This may have been the earli-
est Maine printed almanac, but am not
certain.
The Maine Farmers Almanac was
started in Hallowell in 1919, and has ap
peared every year since. Some Of the
numbers are very scarce. There are
more or less complete sets in Maine, and
among the possessors of such are Cap
tain Nash Of Augusta, Alden Chase Of
Woodstock, Prof. A. F. Chase of Bucks
port, the Maine Historical Society (pre-
scented by Captain Nash) and the writer
hereof. There are several who are max
ing efforts to obtain complete sets.
The Farmers Almanac by William B.
Sewall, was printed in Portland for some
years, in opposition to the Maine Farm
ers A copy before me is Tor 1924. 1t
did not long survive,
The real competitor of the Maine Farm
ers' Almanac, has always been the Farm
ers' Almanac by Robert 3. Thomas. This
is Boston publication, but an edition
has sometimes borne Portland imprint.
1t was begun in 1893. l am not certain
that there is a complete set in Maine.
Mine lacks only the first number. All
except the first number were offered for
sale in a recent Boston catalogue for S15.
There is a number one for sale in Wor-
cester, Mass, and another in Athol. The
price asked is $40.
Some of the early Maine Registers are
scarce and are in great demand. They
were issued every year from 1920 to 1882,
after that they appeared as follows: in
1884, 1887, 1871, 1843, 1916, l849, 1852,
1855, 1856, 1857 and 1862. Hoyt, Fogg
& Co., commenced the publication of
their series in 1870 and have issued one
every year since. Those printed prior
to 1870 are 8 vo. and of course do not
match the others at all.
The reports of the Maine Agriculture
were commenced in 1850, and are con.
tinuous from that date. Many of then
are scattered through the State but there
are few complete sets. The first series
hxy Dr Hol,noc ipc,1dinp thoca nrior r.