The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1853-01-22

Years ago; at time when Eurok -ss
convuised with revolutions, Sc, eral boxes of
mean appearance arrived at the Philadelphia
custom house stores. There being nothing
by which their ownership could be ascertain
ed, they were. stored away to await the APP
pearance of claimant. Having remained
there unclaimed ever since, they were a
short time since taken out, with On accumu'-
ated pile of other unclaimed things, to be ex-
amined. The boxes in question pruyedto be
broken toys. Among these were the heads,
arms, bodies, and legs ofthe figures of persons
cattle, ETC., the whole being mixed up in in
describable confusion. Deeming them worth
/ less, orders were given TO have th-m hauled
away as rubbish, with large quantity Of
Other matter of no value. One OF the Gus
TOM Officers looking over the mass, picked out
what appeared to be very pretty figure OF
an infant, and took it home with him. AT
his residence Catholic servan; recognized il
as an exquisite effigy of the infant Jesus, and
admired it greatly. Va-
Upon this the custom-house officer, struck
! with an idea that the whole pile of rubbish
taken from these boxes might be connected
with this figure, FASTENED back to the custom
house stores, and had the boxes conveyed to
his house. There, after much examination,
/ labor and trouble, he ascertained that the
supposed rubbish was composed of the frag-
mentary parts OF one of the most magnificent
groups from sacred history that ever adornei
christian temple. The heads, limbs, bodies,
ETC., all jointed together, and when so fitted,
and the whole group arranged, the figures
were found to be of most mastery execution
and design. There was the infant Jesus in
the manger, with the wise men in the east
come to adore him. Over him was suspend
ed, by chain, the star which directed the
sages TO the spot, and about the scene clus-
tered angels, while the oxen and other inha-
bitan's of the manger, also appeared, in COM
pany with Joseph and Mary.
The figures numbered over a hundred, the
! height OF the largest man being about Ii
inches. Though the skill displayed in the
workmanship is very superior, the most obser-
vable point about the group is the costumes
of the whole. The gifts of the wise men
are massive bars of gold, and the crowns
they wear are studded with amethyst, pearls
and other gems, while the dressing of the f.
cures is of the most expensive materials
: The substance of which the figures are made
looks like alabaster, but is more probably
wax deliberately painted. The pupils of the
eyes in all the figures, though at first thought
10 De merely glass neaus, are genuine gems
, of various kinds. The posture and express
sion of the Ange! of Annunciation are admi-
, rable, as also of the Angel Of Alteration.
The gentleman who discovered this prize
had the whole group set up in perfect order
and position. for which purpose he had a large
platform made in one of the rooms of his
house. The size of the group may be ina
gined from the fact that it occupies nearly the
whole of moderate sized sitting room.
Where this singular piece of handiwork
| came from seems to be pretty well ascertain.
ed. 1t is know that the owner of the boxe:
: died at sea, on board vessel coming from
Europe, and, having no friends on board, his
effects were not properly cared for. Some
> catholic priests, who have seen the GROUP
since its re-discovery, state that it came from
Hungary, where one of them processes tC
have seen it III a church.