The New Orleans Democrat., 1876-04-30
CENTENNIAL nUMBUg,
Continental Newspapers-Fal Anccs-
Ors-COuntcrfett Antiquities.

|
New York Heraldl
One OF the peculiar outcomes Of the
Centennial period has been the passion
1t has awakened for all sorts OF old
trash. First Of all everybody wanted to
| get copies OF old newspapers antedating
the Declaration of Independence so
they contained scrap OF reference to
the struggle brewing or opened in
America. Then the passion arose for
autographs OF George Washington,
Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, John
Hancock, or any one prominent or
otherwise in the Revolution. Then
came the mania for old chairs that
Washington sat upon. There are at
least ten thousand Of these in existence,
SO that up to few weeks back there
was no difficulty In meeting the patri-
otic demand Then came the omni-
vorous craving for anything century
old that was in any way attached to the
Father Of his Country-old pots, old
crooks, old hats, old boots. Anything
that was musty enough to look CEN
tury old was fastened on by the patriots
as relics Of Washington
All this patriotic fervor has led to
lamentable results. People who have
always had the reputation Of being
truthful and honorable citizens have
fallen into habits Of lying shameful to
contemplate. Such one finds in the
attic an old dust-covered cooked hat
that had been used years ago in anna
teur theatricals. He says to himself
Washington may have worn such q
hat" Then he tells his friends that
Washington actually did wear it. The
hat Is put under glass case, and
Brown and Jones and Robinson become
the dupes of Smith, but Smith re-
proacbes himself inwardly that he is a
liar in this centenary of American indie
pendence. The Centennial deceit doe
not end here. Jones, Brown and
Robinson heap up hecatombs of
fasehood about their ancestoft
who 'shivered with Washington as
Valley Forge, by Jovel' or "cheered for
the great Jehovah and the Continental
Congress with Ethan Allen at Ticon-
deroga, by thunderl' or, ut least, "held
Lafayette's horse when he was going to
see the surrender of CORVALLIS. " If
this were the limit OF the deception it
would not be 50 dreadful, but Jones.
Brown, Robinson and Smith have called |
forth Nemesis Of mercenary counter |
feiters who prey upon them and Cen !
tennial-mad society. The counterfeit
ing OF tho newspapers OF q century ago
has taken alarming proportions. The
reproductions are 50 like:the OF ,inals |
that 1t would be difficult to say which Is |
which same old type, same paper, same
yellow age-tint, same torn edges. same |
dogs ears. The Washington Old Chair
keeps six reliable workmen
painting ''G. W, 1876 on the
steats six steady old women are engaged !
cobwebs to be laid upon the
rhoicer specimens, and dozen silent but
sturdy fellows toll night and day
kicking the otherwise completed spu
rious old chairs round u musty cellar to
give them appropriate mildew. dints
md cracks. The Centennial Autograph
Works is also very busy turning out
AIDED letters from all the Revolutionary
patriots. In n secluded part OF the
State. where the revival has not reached.
twenty-five aged spinsters The remains
,f sewing bee of Godlier times and
,oung pastor-are stitching upcn sp,I-
'ious quilted petticoats of Martha
unmindful Of the wrath to
'ome. We would, therefore. caution
he people against the dargers beset-
ing their souls, and would advise them.
whatever tremendous yarns they spin
bout their Revolutionary foretathers
4 their relics, not to believe the stories
hat others tell in the same direction.
nd to smile respectfully. but irri-
at their Revolutionary bric-1- /.
&C. not to invest even paper money in
Id papers. old chairs. old letters, old
ats or Martha Washington pettlcoats
r, if they have already bought them.
o stow them ignominously away until
mother century of the Republic has
iven them that much genuine an
quity.