A BARBER'S FORTUNE

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 11, 14 July 1928, Page 21

A BARBER'S FORTUNE

It is often very difficult to convince people that because a book is very old that it is not necessarily valuable. But sometimes great finds are made, and modest fortunes may be hidden in ancient books. That eminent authority on old books, Dr. Bosenbach, in .his ".Books and Bidders," tells the romantic1 story of the .discovery of a first edition ■■ of "Pilgrim 's Progress":— About five years ago the illness of an English barber's wife brought to light. a first edition of "Pilgrim's Progress," which was in good condition except that it lacked two pages. In the little town of Derby lived this barber, daily plying the trade of his ancestors. Between,the lathering and the gossiping he found little time and inclination to read, but sometimes, when business was not so brisk as usual, he listlessly ran through a small stock of books which he inherited along with the shop . . . and occasionally showed them to customers, who shared his amusement. One day someone suggested tho books were interesting because they were old, ■ and, jf olio wing the popular fallacy, must be valuable. He had heard of a man who,once paid two pounds for a book! But the barber shrugged his shoulders and said he had plenty to do without chasing about trying to sell old, wornout books. Then came a day when his wife took to her bed, and the doctor was hurriedly sent for. While waiting for him the barber tried to think of some way ho might amuse his wife. As he went into the shop his eyes fell first upon the books on a low shelf. When the doctor arrived ho found his patient's bed loaded down with books, and sho was reading a copy of "The Pilgrim's Progress." The doctor .. . insisted it should be sent to Sotheby's in London j for valuation. Even then the barber believed he was wasting both time and money. „...-, The barber allowed himself to be persuaded. ,:Finally,'Sotheby's, received a package accompanied by a letter, painstakingly written in an illiterate hand, with small "i's" throughout and guiltless of punctuation. He was sending this copy, he wrote, because a friend was foolish enough to think it might bo worth something. Of course it wasn't. He had inherited it from his people, and his people were poor. They couldn't have had anything valuable to leave him. If, as. he believed, it was worthless, wbuld they please throw it away, and not bother to return it, or waste money answering him? I don't know what his direct emotional reaction was when they replied saying his old book was worth at least £900,----and that they would place it in their next sale. Perhaps he was stunned for a time. Anyway, weeks passed before they received an incoherent reply. I happened to be in London when it was sold, and I paid £2200 for the copy.