Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-05-08
SALE MAY BE HALTED
Governor Mann Claims Property De-
longs to State of Virginia.

New York, May S.-Follo"ihg sen
sational disclosures made yesterday,
the sale of Americana" from the IL
brary of the late Benson John Losing
artist, author and historian, scheduled
to begin on Thursday afternoon at
the Anderson galleries, may be halted.
The sale. announced as zone of the
most notable of recent years." has at
tracted the attention of bibliophiles all
over the country.
The Anderson Auction Company is
in receipt of letter from the Cover
nor of Virginia in which he states that
about one-third of the 300 items cam
posing part one Of the sale are the
property of the state of Virginia.
Dispatches from Richmond state
that the manuscripts, which include
the rarest specimens of handwriting
and autographs Of famous men and
women were taken from the state IL
brary of Virginia. 1t is thought that
they were distracted during the civil
war, following the evacuation of the
capital of the Confederacy. For years
Virginia authorities have been search
ing for them.
A dispatch from Richmond states
that an assistant encouragement and
the state librarian are on their way
to New York to take legal action for
the recovery of the rarities.
In statement issued yesterday the
Anderson Company says:
owe have received letter from the
Governor of Virginia stating that ne
has reasons to believe that one-thlrd
of the items composing the sale arS
or may have been, the property OF the
State of Virginia. In his letter the
governor gives no reasons for his be-
lief, which is apparently based upon
the internal evidences afforded by the
letters themselves, many OF which
were addressed to the Governor OF
the State of Virginia.
It is known that Mr.. Losing visit
ed Virginia about the time OF the close
of the civil war for the purpose OF
acquiring historical information. lie
was the bearer of letters from Gen.
Grant and the secretaries OF the war
and navy departments. The letter
from Gen. Grant bore an Endorsement
from President Lincoln. These letters
conferred authority to pass the mill
tary lines, and directed all officers to
render all due assistance to Mr.. Los
sing in the pursuit of his mission.
This company has invited the Gov
ernor of Virginia to send represent
alive here and discuss the matter oil
ownership with the representatives of
the estate. The company is acting as
agent of the consignor, and cannot de-
ter,nine what it's course in the matter
will be until after the visit of the rep
resentative of the Governor.
DR.. LOSING, who was the son OF
Quaker parents, spent the last years
of his life in the little home called
"The Ridge" which he built in the
beautiful hills of Dutchess county,
near Dover Plains, N. Y. Here he
died June 3, 1891, at the age Of 7S.
His library of rare books, quaint docu
ments, and priceless autographs and
relics he left to his widow and his
children.
Mrs. Losing died at "The Ridge"
year ago. For twenty years the old
scholars books and papers had laid
in the little library, while the dust
slowly formed canopy over priceless
literary treasures. Three months ago
his heirs and executors determined to
rescue the treasures from oblivion,
and Arthur Swami, the Anderson COM
pany's expert on books and manu-
schipts, was called in.
MIR. Swami found that much of the
memorabilia had received scant atten
ton. For example, one of the items
claimed by the State of Virginia was
found buried in stack Of old news
papers. This proved to be the most
valuable document in the collection.
1t consisted of two faded pieces Of pa
per covered with the handwriting Of
Washington. The memoranda they
bore were measurements Of Washing
tons estate at Mount Vernon.
Among the rarities claimed by the
State of Virginia are most of the %
documents and letters Of Washington,
including the original manuscript Of
the circular letter Of twenty one pages
which Washington wrote to Governor