Evening star., 1942-06-07

u
A hobby started 20 years ago by an
Army officer and former newspaperman
has resulted in one of the most valuable
private collections of newspapers in the
Nations history.
. Because he was duped into believing
he possessed a contemporary newspaper
account of the death of George Wash
ington in 1899, Capt Francis Earle Lutz,
field artillery, Fort Meade, Md, until
recently on duty at the War Department,
decided to convert his temporary resent
ment into a worldwide avocation, and
succeeded.
Today he possesses so 900 single copies
of newspapers-5O00 Of them different
newspapers-embraci a period OF 300
years and giving contemporary accounts
of outstanding events in American and
world history. From this mass OF MS
torical lore Capt. LutZ has arranged an
exhibit called American Headlines he
has lectured before clubs, schools, col
leges and other educational groups. Not
only has he achieved a personal salts
faction that comes to few men not
seeking acclaim, but also has contributed
to the pride Americans derive from IN
innate knowledge of their countrys po-
utical, economic and social development.
"It is my present plan ultimately to
give the collection to some small library
having facilities to exhibit 1t, Capt.
I,ltz saws. In that manner it not only
will he preserved, but may stir anew an
annreciation of the tremendous role
newspapers have played in making
America a haven of liberty and indl-
vidual opportunity"
When one spends two decades IN COL
lecting rare copies of newspapers en-
bracing a sweep of three centuries ne
Is ant to be a walking encyclopedia con-
cerning outstanding events. AND In tha1
category Capt. Lutz may be placed.
How did you happen to start tnlS
collection. not to mention finding the
time and money to pursue the HOBBY"
Capt. Lutz was asked. :.
How Hobby Started.
"I fell for a gag hoary with age IN
newspsper Offices" he replied. Il thought
like others before and since have thought
that Dame Fortune had embraced me-
What purported to be a contemporary
newsnaper account of Gen. Washingtons s
death came into my hands. 1t was
reprint and everybody laughed at me- IL
made me resentful enough to do some
thing about it, to try to find an original
IN that the next time would enjoy the
last laugh.
I'm short, fell for the Ulster County
Gazette reprint. There are 81 known
reprints of accounts of Washingtons
death. Now the funny thing about these
Ulster reprints is that they invariably are
found in grandfather's trunk, and the
finder instantly believes the family mort
gage finally can be lifted.
IT determined to obtain an account
whose authenticity could not be ques-
toned. I began buying old papers and
obtained one. I want only one copy OF a
particular newspaper. Here land he
. pulled from has Army overcoat copy
of a London, England, newspaper oateo
IT'D is sample. You see, 1t is In
splendid condition"
Did he encounter much difficulty In
searching for rare copy?
"Irl say I did," Capt. Lutz replied. TO
obtain a contemporary account OF the
great Chicago fire, IS years later, I had
to buy 900 newspapers"
Sometimes he would run across items
of particular interest to libraries and
museums and would make gift to them
In turn, these libraries often returned
the compliment by giving Capt. Lutz
issues of old newspapers when they
possessed several copies.
His collection Of newspapers ranges
from a 5-foot tall newspaper published
In New York In 1859 to North Carolina
daily paper only 9 inches long.