OF OLD NEW YORK

No. 28 Ann Street. The latter was quite a character,
Irish by birth, and a thorough business man, clever
enough to overcome his shortcomings in book-lore by
driving a sharp bargain now and again through ingenious
methods. Keane prospered here for a while, but exces¬
sive bibulous indulgence eventually led to his downfall.
Jackson & Hovendon succeeded him, but they lasted only
a short while, Jackson finally specializing in law books on
the north side of the street, near Park Row. The only
bookseller left on Ann Street is Mendoza's, at No. 17.
which has been the home of booksellers for a generation.
Capt. Greenwood of the Revolutionary Army once lived
here, his library being on the second floor, where the old
fireplaces are still visible. The Greenwood family owned
the building until recent years. It was here in 1899 that
a rare bookworm was discovered, feasting on a volume of
Jefferson's Works, and the newspapers of the day gave
great prominence to the fact. Speaker Reed, when he
wished to relieve his mind of Government business, gen¬
erally forsook official duties at Washington, coming
straight to this book-shop, hunting for rare treasures.
He was "discovered" there in 1911 by a New York re¬
porter, poring over an old tome, at the time he was
wanted in Washington on an important affair of state
and the wires of the country were endeavoring to trace
his whereabouts.

Talbot Watts, who was said to be related to Wm. E.
Burton, the celebrated actor, kept a book and print shop
on Ann Street, calling it "The Old Curiosity Shop." His
wife was a popular actress, better known as Mrs. John
Sefton, from a former marriage with the famous "Jimmy
Twicher."

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