Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-09-30
NELSON LIBRARY, RICH IN THE
RAREST OF NEW JERSEY STATE
ANNALS SOON TO BE SOLD
Collection of Paterson BbIiophie Known Among All Lovers
of Americana Both Sides of the Water to Be Put Up
at Auction in New York Next Month.
IFrom a stan Correspondent.I


of great interest to collectors of rare
books and manuscript bearing on the
history of New Jersey will take place
here next month, when the library of
William Nelson, of Paterson, will be
put up at auction. The distribution
will be held in seven sessions on the
afternoons and evenings of Monday,
Tuesday and Wednesday, October 10,
IA and Is, and Thursday afternoon,
October 16.
The Nelson collection is one of the
best of its kind in the United States.
1t is known to all lovers of Americana
and 1t is particularly rich in New
Jersey lore. 1t is expected that New
Jersey librarians and book lovers will
be we'll represented at this sale. A
number of works issued at Newark
are among the hundreds listed.
The Nelson sale will take place in
the Anderson galleries, Madison ave-
nue. and Fortieth street.
Included in the collection are con-
temporaneous books on the American
revolution, the Reed-Rush contro-
versy, the American Episcopate con-
troversy, John Adams, Hamilton and
Burr, Thomas Jefferson, Andre and
Arnold and local histories. There Is
a notable collection of Mormon and
Mormon books, and the library
has many rare works on the Quakers
and Shakers. Many of the New Jer-
sey local histories have the scare i'm
print. The books on the Indians are
very valuable to collectors, as are
the first editions of Whitman, Poe
and other American authors.
Among the miscellaneous books are
publications of the Bibliophile So
ciety, books about books, early works
on occultism, witchcraft, superstition
various religious and kindred sub
jects, heraldry and the derivation OF
names, works on Lord Nelson and
Lady Hamilton, including several
autographs, first items on incunapula
and books on Shakespeare, Charles
and his times, Goethe and others.
Mr.. Nelson's rarest New Jersey
imprint is copy of the session laws
{ of 1927, the first book printed in Bur-
lington and the second printed in
New York.
The imprint came in 1928 from the
press of Samuel Keimer, by whom
Benjamin Franklin was employed.
1t is supposed, naturally, that Frank
lin worked upon 1t. There are but
two copies of this publication ex-
tant, so far as known, the other one
being in the State Library. The first
New Jersey imprint, copy of the
session laws, bears the date 1923, the
place of publication being Perth Am
+ boy. An edition of these laws was
also printed in New York, the New
York copy containing thirty-three
pages, while the Perth Amboy print
has thirty-two. The first twenty
Z four pages are identical In both edi-
E finru hut ho ram lining M In
the Perth Amboy edition are set in
wider measure, SO as to get the bal
ance of the matter on less paper
than was used in the New York i'm
print.
One of the rarest and most val
liable books in Mr.. Nelson's collection
Is one giving the proceedings of a
general court martial held at Rari-
tan, MI, by order of George Wash
ington, for the trial of Major-Gen-
eral Benedict Arnold, June 1, 1873.
Only fifty copies of this edition
were printed and these by order of
Congress. The court martial was
, held because of irregularities during
Arnold's command in Philadelphia in
177S, and resulted in his acquittal on
two of the more serious charges and
his censure on two others, for which
he was sentenced to public reprimand
from Washington. This episode In
Arnold's career marked the begin
ming of his loss of affection for his
country that led to the attempted
later.
In the collection is found "The Jour-
nal of the Diocese of Newark and
Northern New Jersey" in twenty
eight parts, 1877 to 1898. Another
Newark imprint contains sermons by
Samuel Stanhope Smith, president OF
the College of New Jersey, corrected
and revised by the author.
There Is also a work containing
two discourses occasioned by the
death of General Washington, by Rev.
Trinity Church, Newark. besides a
work entitled 1.-THE Christian Remem-
brancer; or Short Reflexion Upon the
Faith, Life and Conduct of Real
Christian" 1t is by Ambrose Serle
and contains list of subscribers In
Essex, Morris and Sussex counties.
The library contains many other
books pertaining to New Jersey and
particular parts of the State. as well
as others printed in this State.
Among these is a map of the State OF
New Jersey, With part of the adjoin-
ing States, compiled under the pat
ronage of the Legislature of New Jer-
sey, in 1923; a Journal of the Votes
and Proceedings of the Convention of
New Jersey, begun in Burlington,
June 1875; Newark imprint of the
votes and proceedings of the sixty
second General Assembly of the State
of New Jersey. 1887; selections from
the correspondence of the executive
of New Jersey from 1776 to 1885; a
history of the colony of Nova Caes-
aria, or New Jersey; history of med
icine in New Jersey and it's medical
men from the settlement of the prov
ince in 1900, by Stephen Wickes; be-
sides documents relating to the Colo
NAL History of New Jersey, edited by
William A. Whitehead and William
Nelson, and history of Bergen and
Passaic counties, with biographical
sketches of it's pioneers and promi-
nent men, by William Nelson and w.
w. Clayton. There is also a scrap
hook of New Jersey women writer's,
edited by Margaret I. Yardley.
Another interesting work is Uni
ted States Magazine or General Re-
nository of Useful Instruction and
Rational Amusement, all that was
ever issued Of Newark's first periodi-
cal. printed and circulated from April,
1894. to August of the same year.
There are also copies of the Northern
Monthly. a magazine OF general liter
allure, edited by Allen Lee Bassett,
ana believed to be all that was issued.
n contains articles on Newark by
w. w. Skies and others; essays by
Olive Logan, Thomas Dunn English,
Harriet Prescott Spofford and others.
Among Mr. Nelson's collection of
books and papers on the American
Revolution is an original edition of
the celebrated "Newburgh Addresses
and other important documents. 1t
contains collection of papers rela-