Evening star., 1915-03-26

SO
all the great modern writer's In eAe
world should be represented In . great
collector 60 housed TnSe. one soSs Wnso 70
devote his time to its fulnllmsnt- He
has many assistants and agents In dff-
ferent countries who are In close
the e'1 aerld @ ''T NJ Young: IN sci pl.os ineiuas
securing autographed copies Of the
drst edition SO far ~ possible Of every
work Of each great writer. When An
important book Is placed upon tho
market. or sometimes before L 10 is
sued. the author receives q polite let
ter. written in his native language.
pose Of the library and asking him to
autograph q COPY of his book to be
preserved for posterity.
The library already includes books
by every important writer Of the past
quarter Of q CEN
Writers Glad to tury. While Mr..
Donate Works. Young has pur.
books. many writer's have been glad to
donate them and also to inscribe a SEN
timent. A few refuse to contribute the
autographs. but this does not shut the
book out OF tho library. Some of the
answers to letters are amusing. poet
OF some distinction declined to con-
tribute his autograph because he said
the word great" as applied to the Ii
brary plan included too many people.
He said: DO you know that there
have been only six really great poets
since Shakespeare? ] am one of these"
?, Another man declined to autograph a
$b.nl
One man wrote four pages to explain why
| he could not take the time to sign his
name in book designed for historic pres
ervation. Although Mr.. Young favors
first editions Thomas Hardy preferred TO
be represented by a later edition which
had been revised and improved He auto
graphed the entire set OF his works upon
condition that those OF the first editions
should be returned to him.
Many or the prominent writer's OF the
world have become interested in Mr..
foung's library and are cooperating with
him to make 1t as complete as possible.
w. L. Norris. the English novelist. Sc
cured number of Tasnnanian books
| from Sir Arthur Havelock, cx-governor of
the library world. The literature Of the
| South American countries has been gen.
erously represented. largely through the
influence of John Barrett, director OF
the Pan-American Union.
One Of the last acts of the French
painter and poet, Jules Breton. was to
| inscribe
Great Authors message for
Interested in Library. mn mon the
hy-leaf of his last book. Queen Eliza
beth OF Rumania, Count Tolstoi. Oscar
II of Sweden, Maurice Maeterlinck.
|
Rudyard Kipling. Ernest Haeckel. John
Morley, Prince Mira Ria Khan, the
Persian poet: W. E. Leckey. Francois
Coppee, Pardo Bazan and Sully Prud-
homme, are among those who not only
have contributed their own works. but
have been active in interesting other
writer's in the library.
| The Young library also includes 4
valuable collection OF photographs.
| original manuscripts and drawings.
first proofs OF illustrations and other
value to posterity. The final disposi-
tion of this great library is not yet
decided. Its owner has expressed his
desire to donate It to the Congression-
| al Library in Washington, upon condf-
tion that the United States government
| erect suitable building to house It
| Few collectors can assemble books in
such quantities as Mr.. Young. but the
| BILE collections OF good books were
! never SO good as at present. They are
quite within the reach of the average
| pocketbook, too. The millionaire may
crafty his taste with first editions and
costly bindings. but the salaried man.
\ who desires to spend small percent
| age of his income for the books he loves
finds them within bis reach. Each year
publishers sell books in what are call
| ed remainder lots" at greatly reduced
prices. The continual output of new
books REQUIRES the prompt removal of
those printed the year before. The re
mainder lots" are the unsold portions
OF editions which have been issued at
sometimes great expense. They are re-
leased the next year at perhaps frao-
tion OF their first price.
| The wise book buyer is in touch with
all these reductions, and from theu, he
secures hts
Wise Book Buyer best treas