The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-09-30
FIND MANY
VALUABLE VOLUMES
Boston Collector Finds the Complete
Works of Horace, Issued in Eng
land in 1888.

BOSTON, Sept 3O.-There are many |
stories in the book world relating how !,
many rare volume and first edition
has been brought to light through some |
accident or chance, but the ragman as
source of literary finds rs seldom con- |
sldered, and yet a few days ago one of |
the ragmen in Boston found among his |
junk one of the finest editions of the |
complete works of Horace that has ever |
been issued.
A few mornings ago William L. Hall |
worth, proprietor of ColewOrthy' book |
store at Sc COrnhill, arrived at his store
a few minutes later than usual, only to
meet ragman on the steps weighed
down with bag full of books 50 Buy
some books asked the ragman.
The bag was turned inside out, and
volume after volume of worthless value
passed through the hands of the book
man. He was almost ready to send
the ragman away with his books when
his fingers happened to touch volume
that lay underneath the entire pile.
With only the eagerness that book
collector can display at the moment of
acquiring find, the dealer brushed the
other books aside until he laid his hands
on the companion volume to the one he.
, first picked up. The volumes contained
the complete works of Horace, issued
| by the famous Englishman, Pile, in
l1733.
| The ragman had no idea where he Sc
| cured the two books. He remarked
| that he threw the books, which he col
lected from time to time, into heap
until there were enough to fill bag for
carrying to the dealer. On the cover
of the first volume appeared the words:
sold in Paris for 500 francs.'' The
lpaper, printing, binding and illustra-
lions are of such a high quality that
the Paris sale seems not to have been
made above the value of the books.
| There are many of the early New
England primers yet to be found, but
last summer Mr.. Hallworth spent nearly
n day in the attic of a South Shore
home, where innumerable old volumes
and papers had been piled away in the
lgarret. Beneath the papers, and even
beneath the floor, nestled alongside the
Ioverhanging rafter, and covered with
idust, one of the earliest editions of the
famed primer was found.
The rare books and first editions of
standard authors come from an infinite
variety of sources into the rooms of the
Idcaler of secondhand books. 1t is this
character of books which find their way
into the descriptive catalogs that the
dealers issue from time to time. The
English people have apparently always
taken great delight in the second hand
book store.
Even the present conflict does not
seem to have diminished the fondness
of the English for second hand books.
Nearly every mail brings the catalogue
from some British dealer to Mr.. Hall
worth French dealers once began to
cater to this line of trade, but they
have almost stopped sending their cata-
Hogs at the present time. The German
dealers were once quite active in the
second hand book business, and they
; may be yet, even though one of their
catalogs is indeed rarity at the pres
ient time.
The secondhand book business, which
Americans seem to be patronizing il
| larger numbers than ever, is entering
+ on the busiest season of the year. The
college students are looking for used
volumes. Mr.. Hallworth says hundreds
of Harvard and Technology students
will call on him for educational books
: and students from other institution.
4 will do likewise. The school open
ings usher in a brisk fall and early
! winter trade.