The Morning herald., 1875-09-11
OLD CURIOSITY SHOP.
REVOLUTIONARY RELICs-oLD TINE ME-

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MENToEs.
Not Dickens, but Wilmington curiosity
shop-minus Little Nell and Fagin. Apro-
pos of the circus the HERALD man took his
leave of the busy world and the tleeting
show, and with pen and scrip moved, into
King street and down to that spot where the
odd end of the world is gathered. 1t is q
gunsmith's shop, and the keeper is fine
old gentleman, with particular love for
relics and mementoes, in fact, almost equal
ing in this respect those old friars, who
used to bring back from the Holy Land
pieces of the toe-nails of our Savionr, chips
from the cross, frozen tears from the Vir-
/ gins eyes, and other like valuable and de-
lectable stuff. This old gentleman, being
vender of tire-locks, has, of course, made
speciality of military curiosities-indeed, if
our reporter is not mistaken, there was the
very club of Hercules and Hgis Of Mi
nerva.
"Uncle," said the HERALD man, respect
fully, sowing to the centennial malaria,
with which am afflicted, you would oblige
me by pointing out whatever revolutionary
weapons you may possess"
':'Vid pleasure, mine dear zir, vid plea
sure," hurtled like courteous grape shot and
polite canister from the lips of the martial
artist, "here now'iz e same musket vid vich
re battle of re Brandeevine was opened.
Gineral Pulaski had re same in his hands
and 1t IL said zat re great Washington has
looked at it,"
Thereupon, after examing several others
of the kind, the old carbines, huge blunder-
busses, rifles, ETC., were displayed-one Of
which the redoubtable Natty Bumpo must
have shouldered whilst he stalked across
the regions of the Susquehanna with the
brave and willy but terribly y-named Chinga-
chgook stepping lightly at his side.
Hello, here, Captain Relico, what hast
here; pistol-bags, eh 2"
"Yas, zar ze pistol-cases of re olden
age.n
Revolutionary" said I.
81 zink zay were, replied he, producing
the blunderbusses that rightly belonged to
them.
"ze Hood" he kept on, ze Hood had
them"
"Good heavens, man," said the HERALD
chief, forgetting his wonted dignity, and
even demeanor, You don't mean to say
that Robin Hood-ye Merrie Robin of Sher-
wood-used that leather bag, do you9"
"Oh ! no ; re Robin Hood had no pistole,
this was highwayman of New Jersey be-
fore re first war" "Oh, yes," recovering
from my perturbation and going into the
corner 10 examine bald eagle stuffed.
Emblematic of re nation, /" he explained.
Then there was a stuffed monkey, which,
being a cosmopolitan and DR.. Coan kind
of man, explained was also emblematic
of re country"
The next curiosity to fall under the eye
was very large head of stag that was
killed "once upon time" in this neigh :
borhood. 1t has a fine mounting of antlers.
Near it is a whip, the handle of which is the
foot of doe, which used to bound, accord
ing to the story, over the hills of the Sus-
quehanna and upper Delaware. A Wild
cat stuffed, white stOrk, q swan, toad
fish, and numberless other curiosities are
slowed around the various cuddy-
holes and shelves of the courte-
GUS old fellows apartments. A very
old, breech-!oading rifle is one among
the valuable things that were shown. It is
rusty, with worn breech and long, Daniel
Boone or Davy Crackett, barrel, and is
really the strongest reminder of the days
when onr fathers hunted and fought by
turns-when one of our creeks was called
and one of our inlets Indian
River.
''By the way" said /; "would you part
with that revolutionary saddle-bag9 Iwish
It for next Fourth of July, when the Will
mington Brigade march through the streets
Of Philadelphia" .
"Vould like to please re, but I never sells
'em. ] shall have them buried vid me in my
grave like re Indian, King Phillip" So look
ing over his shoulder at the grinning teeth
ola whang doodle over his head the HERALD
man marched bravely between the rows Of
guns and bayonets, bowling his exit with
precise discretion.
RELIGIOUS.
Rev. F. B. Duval, Pastor of the Fint
Presbyterian Church, Market Street above
9th. Service in the morning at 101l o'clock.
Subject-"God must lead us" Also 7k