Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1918-10-03
Who're ear. Books Came From.

Whore Rare Books Came From.
Book collecting is one of the sports
of rliiiionaires in this country. and the
2esl shown i'm it is cue of those few
! things the war hasn't %lesssned. Ii is
not $" IN England. although we look to
that country for most OF The things.
even Americana. that figure with fabu-
lnns prices. The auction room where
These precious volumes are bartered is
a center OF romance for many who find
that there is something more in the
matter than the glamour OF high fig
ures. MIR. Clement Fl. Shorter writes in
tle London Sphere OF q little volume
recently privately printed, called Notes
Ch the History Of Sotheby's''-the great
book auction room Of London. Mr..
shorter. with the enthusiasm OF a fire.
quenter, SAYS that the author of the
story will, that dash OF ro-
nance which must always obtain where
tae book auction is concerned Here
is some OF the romance:
Inc first book auction held i'm this
country took place in 1876. but the
Mrst great book auctioneer was Samuel
Ealier. whose first sale was held In
l744. There were not regular book
auctloneers or auction houses until his
time. In l778 Ealcer was joined by his
nephew. John Sotheby, and three gem
eIations of Sotlebys were associated
@lth the firm. the last Of whom was an
an,iior VIII" wrote 'Ramblings in the
o lie died In 1861. A, MIR. John
WILKINSON became a partner in 1912 and
d W.T.. Wllia1n Hodge IN 1864, and thus
we nave the firm OF Sotlleby. Wilkin-
son g. Hodge. although not one OF these
names Is now in the business. e .
But to return to the real man
OF sotheby's, its wonderful sales Of
books. connected with which it has is
|sued no fewer than 1000 separate cata-
g Some of them, beautifully illus
!rated. are SO interesting that one
binds them in ones library. especially
%nen n are concerned with the
DOCKS or noteworthy people. The re-
cent MORRISON sale was q case in point,
when the letter of Mary Queen of Scots.
probably the most wonderful letter in
existence. was privately purchased for
the benefit Of the nation, and when
the Nelson autographs and manu-
scripts. many of the letters being to Sir
william Hamilton. or to his wife. Lady
Hamilton. were knocked down for
G2.50O.
The most interesting feature with
regard to these sales, as it strikes me.
is the large place which the Greek and
Latin classics played in the sales Of
the 18th century n the small place
they play in the modern world. But
n most amazing thing of all is the
great enhancement OF prices under
modern commercial conditions. and
largely due, no 6oubt, to the fact that
the American millionaire is frequently
a great book buyer. although his
brother in England is rarely so. This
Shakespeare's first folios sold for $40
19s. [$2O51 in 1893, and q copy fetched
$4,000 l$1S. 000l III 1907. M. Hobson
points u that a collection of early
quarto plays sold in 1898 for e22 IS
t$110.75l. and that 1t would be con-
sidered cheap at $4,000 [$25 ,00Ol to-
day. and might easily fetch double or
treble that sum. When the sale of
Henry Fielding's library took place in
1854. books with his autographed notes
fetched only a few shillings. whereas
in 1911 he Ovelist's copyright agree.
ment with his publisher sold for s1,O15
[$s,075l.
"One OF the most interesting things
in this book is q facsimile OF one OF
each Of the love letters Of Robert and
Elizabeth Browning: q collection OF
letters which in 1913 sold for a6.550
($32, 760). But the material provided
in Mr.. Hobson's interesting book IL
infinite. and is worthy. memento of
the firms change OF address from the
Strand to the West End of London. q
change. however. which j personally
gre4tly regret. AS an iMhabitant OF
Fleet street. al occasional visit to the
salesrooms when they were In my i'm
mediate neiGhb0rh0od was an agree.
able pastime. but to me the West End
and more 30 than wei now that the
texicab has departed from streets.
Moreover I great!y ragret that these
sales should 6e hS1d 1t the awkward