Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-09-03
HARRY ELKLNS WZDENER
The Youngest Of Great Book Collectors

This tribute to Harry Elkins widener,
| toho lost In the Titanio disaster, ts re-
| printed, much abbreviated, from an article
| by A. Edcard Netoton, in the September
Atlantic Monthly.)
| ITO HAVE been born and lived all his life
L in Philadelphia. yet to be best known In
London and New York; to have been the
| eldest son of a rich man and the eldest
gra andson of one Of the richest men In
America, yet of 30 quiet and retiring dis
| position as to excite remark; to have been
| but a few years out Of college, yet to have
achieved distinction in field which Is COM
| monty supposed to be the browsing-place OF
| age to have been relatively unknown In his
| life and to be immortal In his death-such
are the briefest outlines Of the career of
Harry Elkins Widener.
| TN ALL that appeared in the press (after
| i the Titanic disaster) the name of Harry
El,kins Widener appeared simply as the eld-
est son of George D. widener. Few knew
that, altogether apart from the financial
prominence of his father and the social dis
| tinction and charm of his mother. Harry had
| a reputation which was entirely OF his own
| making. He was a born student Of bibliog-
| ranbv Rocks were at once his work. his
recreation and his passion. To them he de-
| voted all his time but, outside the circle OF
| his intimate friends, few understood the
unique and lovabe personality Of the man
| to whom death came so suddenly on April
IL. 1912, shortly after he had completed his
| twenty-seventh year.
| His knowledge of books was truly remark
| able. In the study of rare books, as In the
| study of an exact science authority usually
| comes only with years. With Harry Wild
ener 1t was different. He had been collecting
| only since he left college, but his intense
| enthusiasm his painstaking care his devo-
| ton to a single object, his wonderful men,
ory. and, as he gracefully says in the intro
| duction to the catalogue of some of the more
important books in his library. THE interest
| and kindness of my grandfather and my
| parents" had enabled him in few years
70 secure a number Of treasures of which
any collector might be proud.
rrARRY ELKINS wIDENER was born
| III in Philadelphia on January 3, 1885. He
| rscaived his early education at the Hill
| School. from which he was graduated in 1908.
| He then entered Harvard University. where
| he remained four years, receiving his bache-
| lor's degree in 1907 1t was while a stu
| dent at Harvard that he first began to show
| an interest in book collecting; but 1t was not
| until his college days were over that. as the
| son of a rich man, he found, as many an
| other man has, that the way TO be happy is
| to have an occupation.
| He was of a retiring and studious DISPOSE
tion. considerate and courteous. He lived with
and for his books. and was never SO happy
as when he was saying, Now, IL you will
put aside that cigar for a moment, will
| show YOU something. Cigar ashes are not
| good for first editions; and a moment later
| some precious volume would be on your
| knees What collector does not enjoy show
| ine his treasures to others as appreciative
as himself? Many delightful hours his inti-
| mates have passed in his library, which was
| also his bedroon-sor he wanted his books
about him. where he could play with them
at night and where his eye might rest on
them the first thing in the morning-but this
was a privilege extended only to>true book
lovers.
TITS memory was most retentive. Once
II let him get fact or date imbedded
in his mind, and It was there forever He
knew the name of every actor he mad ever
seen, aud the part he had taken in the
play last year and the year before. He
knew the name Of every baseball player and
his hating average When IL came to
4 the chief interest Of his life. his thirst for
knowledge was Unsuitable remember one