“HE WHO SELLS WHAT ISN’T HIS’N MUST BUY IT BACK OR GO TO PRIS’N”: FIRST EDITION OF WALL STREET STORIES, INSCRIBED BY LEFÈVRE
LEFÈVRE, Edwin. Wall Street Stories. New York: McClure, Phillips, 1901. Octavo, original dark green cloth.
First edition of this collection of short stories inspired by real events, the first book by acclaimed Wall Street writer Edwin Lefèvre, inscribed, beneath a contemporary ownership signature, "With the best wishes of his forgiving friend, Edwin Lefèvre."
"Eight tales of the habits and customs of Wall Street. Some are thinly-veiled portraits of well-known Wall Street characters such as James R. Keene and Daniel Drew" (Hess Collection). A mining engineer turned journalist, Edwin Lefèvre was known for his close attention to the major players on Wall Street. His books, Reminiscences of a Stockbroker and The Making of a Stockbroker in particular, have become stock market classics, much sought after for their literary merit, their insight into Wall Street history, and the financial observations they contain. The first story in this collection, "The Lady and Her Bonds," was the basis for Lefèvre's later novel, Sampson Rosk of Wall Street. These stories originally appeared in McClure's Magazine during 1900. Without extremely scarce dust jacket. Ownership signature of Albert A. Boyden dated the year of publication.
Interior fine; light rubbing to extremities of fresh original cloth. A nearly fine copy, scarce inscribed.