AUTOGRAPHS AT ANDERSON'S 



'T^HE collection of historical autograph 

 -■- letters and documents formed by the 

 late Tristram Coffin of this city was sold at 

 the Anderson Galleries in two sessions on 

 January 7, 431 lots bringing $26,462.75. 

 The sale was well attended, bidding was 

 spirited, and prices on the most attractive 

 items were high. 



The highest price, $3,600, was paid by 

 James F. Drake for an A.L.S. of Edgar 

 Allan Poe, two pages, quarto, February 16, 

 1847, written to G. W. Evelett refuting the 

 charge of plagiarism in connection with 

 "The Conchologist's First Book." Re- 

 ferring to this book, Poe says that he "wrote 

 it in conjunction with Professor Thomas 

 Wyatt and Professor MacMurtrie of Phila- 

 delphia, my name being put to the work, 

 as best known and most likely to aid its 

 circulation. I wrote the Preface and Intro- 

 duction and translated from Cuvier, the 

 accounts of the animals, etc. All school- 

 books are necessarily made in a similar way. 

 The very title page acknowledges that the 

 animals are given 'according to Cuvier.' 

 This charge is infamous and I shall prose- 

 cute for it as soon as I settle my account 

 with the 'Mirror'." SaJ^i^iAJlK ^4$ 4"/^^ 



