Evening Star Newspaper, July 20, 1930, Page 72

BY PHILIP PLYLER. CQUISITION of the Vollbehr collec- tion of incunabula by the Library of Congress doubtless represents the finest and most valuable accession b of rarities in the annals of that in- stitution. The transaction also marks the third time since the Library made its debut in 1800 that Congress have removed the rubber from the bank roll of Treasury expressly for the purpose of buying private libraries. Those previsusly purchased were President Jefferson's, in 1815, and Peter Force's, in 1867, each regarded as the premier collection of its day. But in the interim numerous other collections have been bought out of the regular accession fund of the Library. The widely divergent prices paid for the aforementioned collections—$23,950, $100,000 and $1,500,000, respectively—clearly indicate the materidl enhancement of rare old books during the preceding century. It also sounds a note of warning to possessors of old volumes, reminding them to have their wares appraised by a reputable connoisseur before offering them for sale. Most remarkable were the circumstances un- der which the Library of Congress came into possession of the Vollbehr collection of cradie books. The accumulator, Dr. Otto Vollbehr of Berlin, was until recent years a prominent dye restricted his field of activities to the assem- blage of elegant fifteenth century specimens. Germany, the cradle of modern printing, af- forded him the best available field, but the quest eventually carried Dr. Vollbehr to scores of the great European cities of the Middle Ages, nor did Diogenes with his daylight lantern, seeking diligently for an honest man; scrutinize the streets of Athens more closely. ITHER and yon Dr. Vollbehr picked up the choice classics of the old masters, the pro- found writings of eminent humanists and illustrious works on astronomy, science, medi- cine, religion and jurisprudence. And the most recious of all, considered from the American :olnt of view, 20 volumes of the earliest printed books relating to the eventful voyage of Chris- Columbus. 4 wpnho:romy are the Vollbehr cradle books valu- able as objects of virtu, but to the historian, the scholar, the printer and the bookbinder they afford reference material and comparisons not otherwise available. In fact, they represent a cross-section of that colorful period known as the great Renaissance, contemporaneous with the advent of the Reformation and the discov- America, WA:t exquisite three-volume edition of the cele- brated Gutenberg Bible, the facile princeps of the coilection, was ferreted out of the age-hoary Corinthian Monastery of St. Paul, in Austria, whither it had been cloistered to hide it from Napoleon’s milling hordes. This wonderful Bible, printed on parchment and bound in vel- Jum at Mainz, Germany, about the middle of the fifteenth century, presents a striking exam- ple of the dextrous handiwork of Johann Gu- tenberg, the inventor of movable type and the originator of modern printing. Moreover, it is believed to have been the first book ever pro- duced from movable types. Johann Faust, who had advanced Gutenberg 1,600 gilders with which to finance the project, seized the printing establishment and books, including this copy of the Bible, because Gu- tenberg was unable to repay the loan on de- mand. The Benedic ine friars bought it from Faust for a sum equivalent to $25 by present money standards. Then, after religiously guard- ing it in various abbeys for more than 500 years, they conveyed it to Dr. Vollbehr, who in turn transferred it to the Library of Congress. Thus jt has changed hands but four times since 1t was printed, in the 1450s. However, exigencies occasioned by the World War paved the way for the Bible's eventual acquisition by the Library of Congress. Sorely pressed for money with which to restore the Monastery of St. Paul, which had suffered from the ravages of the conflict, the Benedictines reluctantly sold it to Dr. Vollbehr in 1926 for $305,000. Likewise, the pressing need for funds during the post-war period of depression in- duced scores of others to sell him rare volumes which had been handed down as priceless heir- looms from one generation to the next. IRECTORS of the Library of Congress, who have long coveted a copy of the Gutenberg Bible, consider themselves peculiarly fortunate in obtaining one with a history so extraordi- nary. They also rejoice in the knowledge that the million or more annual visitors to the Library will be afforded the opportunity to see and to admire this masterpiece of fifteenth cen- tury craftsmanship. This collection of cradle books was first brought to the attention of the American people in 1926, when Dr. Vollbehr brought it to this country and exhibited it at Chicago during the Eucharistic Congress. Seldom has a collection of books been so widely discussed in the press. Later it was displayed in numerous other places, including Washington, and in response to pro- posals to buy it, Dr. Vollbehr offered it at $1,500,000 to any one who would agree to de- posit it in the Library of Congress. Meanwhile Uncle Sam got busy through his legisiative agents and bought the collection outright for institution. PRy mPiihags ‘3 unsdphisticated ' will consider $1,500,000 an eriorious pricé to pay for a 1(;0\- THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, JULY 20, 1930. ncle Dam Buys Cradle Classics The Library of Congress. Capital City Gets Vollbehr’s Fifteenth Century Rarities, Including Celebrated Gutenberg Bible—Transaction Recalls Purchase of President Jefferson’s Books—L.ibrary of Congress a National Rendezvous of Knowledge and Treasure House of Research. lection of books aggregating 3,000 volues, but discerning connoisseurs have appraised it at about double that sum. In truth, they aver, the Gutenberg Bible alone will soon be cheap at $1,000,000. But approval of legislation author- izing the purchase by both houses of Congress, without any price quibbling, is proof a-plenty that the Vollbehr rarities were brought at & bargain When in 1815 President Jefferson offered his private collection of about 7,000 volumes, which had required 50 years to assemble, to Congress at its own figure, the proposal stirred up a veritbale hornet's nest in the House. Jefferson had repaired to the seclusion of Monticello, broken in health and heels over head in debt, principally because of his ambassadorial serv- ices in Prance. So he had a dual motive for dispensing with his library—he needed rioney and he wanted the books deposited where they would most benefit the general public. After the joint congressional library com- mittee had fixed the price of the collection at $23,950, the Senate quickly approved a resolu- tion authorizing the requisite appropriation, but the House acted contrariwise. Daniel Webster, then a newly elected member, led the opposi- tion. The debate waxed furious and acrimoni- ous. It was argued that the collection was too extensive for the requirements of Congress; that it embraced too many foreign language books; that many of the volumes, particularly those collected in Paris, were immoral and irreligious. The opponents endeavored to amend the legis- lation so0 as to authorize the purchase of only such hand-picked books as were deemed fit for dignified Congressmen to read. Assailing the transaction caustically, others vowed by all the pink-toed prophets under the sun that the withdrawal of $23,950 to buy Jefferson’s hereti- ever belongs to American statesmen; in the diplomatic and parliementary branches, it is particularly full.” N the disastrous fire of 1851, which reduced ithe: pumber of velumes: in the Libriry of Congress from 55,000 t0 20,000 volumes, about two-thirds of Jefferson’s books went up in smoke. Now most of his books that survived the conflagration repose on bookshelves in the rare book room, where they are afforded ad- ditional protection. A volumineus writer him- self, Jefferson was the author of an unusually popular work styled the “Declaration of Inde- pendence,” which has been accorded a promi- nent station in the Library of Congress—but that is another story. Moreover, his “Rules and Manual” continues today as the parlia- mentary criterion of our national lawmakers. Again in 1867 the Library of Congress acquired the Peter Force Collection of Americana aggre- gating 60,000 pieces. Peter Force, who served as the mayor of Washington from 1836 to 1840, was & book collector par excellence. But he did not restrict his activities to books alone; he gathered up every manuscript, newspaper and periodical relating to the early history of the United States he could lay his hands on. His collection, which filled his commodious residence from cellar to attic, was considered the most extensive made by a private citizen up to that time. To assemble it, Mr. Force personally ransacked every old bookshop in the country; and his agents retrieved thousands of rare out-of-print books and pamphlets, literally worth their weight in gold as historical refer- ence works, from the closets and garrets of private homes. “Well, why don't you buy them yourself?” he countered, when a Yankee book collector remonstrated with Mr. Force for removing every old book from New England. Once, when an especially valuable collection of bound pamphlets were to be sold under the hammer at Philadelphia, a representative of the was on hand to bid them bought with funds provided by the Guggenheim Foundation for the Promotion of Aeronautics. The rare-book collection, ta which will be added . | most of the Vollbehr cradle books, embraces about 30,000 items, including 1,500 incunabula and 10,000 early American pamphlets. It seems peculiarly appropriate that the Voil- behr collection of incunabula can be dedicated as a memorial to the remarkably successful regime of Dr. Herbert Putnam, who, with the exception of a year and a half, has served effi- ciently as the librarian of Congress ever since the institution moved into its present magnifi- cent home in 1897. Under his able administra= tion the Library has been completely reorgan= ized and developed into a national rendezvous of knowledge, not merely for the edification of members of Congress, but for every citizen of the United States. Besides, it has attracted to ‘Washington scholars and research workers from virtually every other nation. In truth, the Library of Congress vies with the world’s out= satnding libraries—the British Museum, the Bibliotheque Nationale and the Vatican Library. But these were age-old institutions before the Library of Congress had even been dreamed of. Extinguishing an Oil Fire. PU’I’I‘INGoutnnteinunounndm'en is accomplished sometimes by exploding the fire away. A typical case is described in connection with a recent fire in an Oklahoma oil field, in the extinguishing of which the services of a Federal expert were enlisted. Approximately 24 hours were spent in pre- paratory work. The steel rig over the well was removed by means of several wire lines, blocks and tackle. Other equipment, such as bull wheel, etc., was also dragged from the imme- diate vicinity of the well, It was necessary to make two cuts on the derrick with an acetylene torch before the derrick could be moved. Pre- parations were then made to extinguish the fire early the following morning as it was deemed inadvisable to risk reignition of the fire at night. Only one water line was used during the preparatory work, and a second water line was laid. The next morning the wind had changed and it was necessary to approach the well from another direction. By the time two new water lines had been laid the wind had again shifted. A successful advance was made against the wind to the engine house. Sections of the latter were still standing. The engine house served as a strategic point of attack, and, after more debris was removed from the vicinity of the well a 100-pound charge of gelatine dynamite was placed in a trough consisting of two 2-inch by 12-inch planks approximately 10 feet long. The planks were wrapped in corrugated iron,' and the trough was propped in place a distance ap- proximately 3 feet horizontal and 3 feet vertically . from the master gate on the cme One change was sufficient to extinguish Bigger Oilcloth Output. AIIONG manufacturing industries which found 1929 a good year is the oilcloth ine dustry. The output for the year, 123,359,267 square yards, was an increase of 18,000,000 » square yards ever 1927.; The total value, was , estimated at $22,967,676.