The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-12-18
In New York
By PAUL HARRISON

New York.-Along about this time of year several people, pressed for cash and appreciating the im- minence of an anniversary. are pretty sure to offer for sale some copies of the Ulster County Gazette of January 4, 1SO0--which af- nounced the death of George Washington. The prospective sell CTS will be disappointed.
 Among the letters I received some weeks ago, after writing 8 column about rare books and manuscripts, were a number from individuals who said they had cop ies of the newspaper and were wondering how to dispose of them. Each had heard that the originals were rare, and therefore valuable. Fact Is, they're 80 rare that they're nonexistent. All specimens that have turned up so far-and there are thousands of them--have proved to be counterfeit. went over to the New York Public Li- brary to learn the details, and im- m easurably frightened the day of officials there by bringing up their favorite joke. It seems that some-
 body always is popping into the library trying to sell copy of the Gazette, January 4, 1900, for a thousand dollars or so.
 The institution already has 30 reproductions of the paper, no two alike. And it believes that there must be dozens of others. One reason for this is that long ago apprentice printers took practical tests which included reproducing that particular page. Another req son is tha copies have been sold by thousands at all sorts of fairs and historical celebrations. Most of the papers have been artificially aged, but they don't deceive the experts. Even If an original did turn up. it wouldn't be worth more than $200.
 Penny Wise
 Another column, that one about
 rare coins, once brought flock of letters from amateur collectors who wanted to dispose of some of their items. The latter included a lot of 1909 Lincoln pennies with the ini- tials V. D. B. on the reverse side under the sheaves of wheat.
 At the museum of the American Numismatic society, received from Rowland Wood, the curator, SOIIlS uloCOaLa6AA6 AhACA AAoeACAA about Lincoln pennies. 1t seems that no less than 28,000,000 were made before the initials of the de- signer, Victor David Brenner, were removed from the dies.
 Thousands of people saved the
 coins. expecting them to become valuable in later years. But 28,- 000,000 pennies make a lot of spe- cimens, and their value to-day is no more than Is cents each. In- deed, the Lincoln pennies of 1909 which do not bear the initials are
 somewhat rarer than the ones marked with a tiny "V. D. B." And
 a few of the one-cent pieces coined
 since 1909. in years when there
 was no collecting excitement, are
 still more valuable.
 Books Behind Bars
 Getting back to precious print
 ings, there are thousands in the
 rare books department of the pub
 lie library. And to discourage
 theft, readers now are locked in
 with their volumes behind an iron
 grilled door.
 The institution's faith in public
 honesty was shaken when a visitor
 walked out with Poe's "Al Araaf,"
 worth s4,O00, and first editions of
 ."The Scarlet Letter" and "Moby
 Dick" A dealer who handled the
 books was caught, but the thief IS
 still free. Numerous attempts have been made on other treasures, but nothing short of armed robbery
 could capture the library's Gutten-
 bere Bible, which is virtually price
 less, or the Tikytt Psalter, made m England in 1910 and now worth
 more than $50,00O.
 A professor once stole several
 hundred dollars worth of reference
 books, but he turned out to be
 mental case and wasn't prosecuted.
 Neither was a student who tore
 some pages from a valuable trans
 lation. People often try to sell spurious manuscripts to the library,
 but nobody has been fooled so far.
 Mussolini Makes Good
 Speaking of frauds, I've just
 heard about the lady who bought,
 forA about $150, beautiful watch
 in Rome some months ago. Back
 in New York, the watch refused to
 run, and a jeweler to whom 1t was taken declarde 1t wasn't worth
 more than $10. After breeding
 over this indignity, the owner final
 Iy sat down and wrote letter to
 Mussolini.
 A month later came a reply
 apologizing for the incident and
 assuring her that the dealer would
 be disciplined. Inclosed was III
 Duce's personal check for $l4o.