Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-05-02
Gen. Grants Gifts.

World--tLat Of George w. ChiIds, esq, pro
pretor Of the Public Ledger the grounc
floor of the brownstonc building at Sixth and
Chestnut streets, arc deposited number o.
the gifts which ex. President Grant has rece'
ed while 10 Europe. 1t being inconVenlent 10
carry these along with him 10 the tour of ths
world, General Grant consigned the very valua-
BILE mementoes to his near and dear friend, Mr.
ChiIds, for safe. keeping until his permanent
return to the United States.
It il really difficult to determine which arc
| the greatest curiosities On entering the apart.
ment-the furnishing and establishment Of
the room or the presidential gifts The Office
| is designed in what is known as the Queen
Anne style. It consists Of Wainscotng or oak
seven feet six inches 10 height, with sub or
base eighteen inches in height, aud semi
gothic top mould five iuches 10 height, the
space between the two being filled 10 With
plain but heavy oak panels. The room, orig glnal-
| ly seventeen feet by tweuty feet, is reduced to
seventeen feet square by the introduction OF
an open screen. At the eastern side over TIC
screen or arcade are ten painted glass panels.th
centre ono containing tho portraits OF Gut
tenberg, Faust and SctGfer, inventors OF the
art of printing. The centre panel ct the h0e
smaller ones exhibit Mr.. Chi!ds' motto. Nih!l
sine lsborc The furniture is that which adorn.
ed Col. StaDdifords Office in st. Georges
House Centennial Grounds. Chairs of carved
ebony clocks of the most magnificent design,
one three hundred years old, others Of novel
make and design may be seen.
la curious cabinet Of antique design are the
most beautiful of Gen. Grants gifts, except
the gold box presented to him by the Mayor OF
London, which is still 10 England. The gold
box presented by the city Of Glasgow is about
eight inches long by 6yo wide sud three deep
Its merchantable value is about $500. The eu
craving consists OF emblematic DEVICES En
circled 10 the centre of the lid is the coat OF
arms OF the city, with the notto,. "l.st elias
gov flourish" "
The gold box presented by the city Of Ayris
smaller, but the designs aud ornamentation are
beautiful. At the bottom in front is a mono
gram, ~. S. e." the latter letter being W
derpcath the first two. The lid is wrought 10
elegant style, on the right side being raised
figure oil the British oo, and 90 the left thu
American shield, with the coat Of arms of tho
city Of Ayr between the two. Both OF those
gold boxes contain parchment scrolls, which
adcate that the freedom of the city has bcen
rendered to Gen. Grant. This is also the case
with the box from tho city OF Edinburgh,
which differs from the others 10 having been
wrought from silver, but very shoWy. Tho
box rests upon tour feet, and Is PLAIN
except upon the lid, where are worked tho
coat of arms of Edinburgh, with that we'll known
inscription, "Nisi DomiDls Frustra."' % the
other side is the coat of arms Of the United
States, with tho familiar "E PIuribus Unum."
Between the two is n raised female figure hold
I.C. = ,r.ootb lourol Sho ctan6c nnnn
q pedestal, on which is inscribed "Conoordia."
This design is decidedly expressive and conveys
the meaDog that there is mutual good feeling
between Edinburgh and the Uoited States. -
Ga the front Of tho box is read The City OF
Edinburgh to General Ulysses Simpson Grant,
u. S. A., 1877"
While the Presidential party was ct the homo
Of Shakespeare the General was presented with
q box about eight inches 10 length and i've IN
height, carved in the most exquisite manner.
% card inside short inscription shows that
This c2sket is made With Mulberry wood from
the trco planted by Shakespeare at Now Place,
Stratford. Upon Avon
Mrs General Grant was equally fortunate,
receiving a COPY of "Shakspeare's Homo and
Rural Life" handsomely illuminated on the
title page, and containing photographs Of all
places 10 the town which became famous through
tho great author and dramatist. This was pre-
sentcd by the daughters Of the Mayor
There arc two sets Of medals. ono beiog Tie
coat of arms Of the family Of Grant, of Great
Britain, Of which the General is neal dc
scendant. It is of silver, and shows that the
great characteristic of tho family century or
more ago is still we'll developed aud adheres to
those OF tho present day. 1t comprises plau
silver belt, somo nine inches 10 circumference,
and 10 the centre heap OF rocks, with grass
protruding from the crevises. Two words 10
scrbod ou the belt express groat deal, aad
arc Indicative Of the Grant Of day; these arc
Stand Fast " The other medals arc of bro.z',
and show profIes Of the heads Of ex President
Lincoln and General Grant. The latter gentle
| man has 10 hs possession gold FAC slmes OF
| those
Inerc arc also number Of addresses OF con-
| graduation to General Grant, some in book
| form and others in parchment scroll. All are
beautifully designed. Among them are ad-
dresses from the Chamber Of Commerce OF New
castle upon.Tyne; the Mayor, Aldermen and
| Burgess of Birmingham; the city of hlsnchcs
ter borough of Sheffield and city of Inverness
Besides the gifts which arc at tho Office OF
Mr.. Childs there are number OF smaller once
10 the vaults Of the Fidelity Safe Deposit Com >
papy, The presents will remain in MIR. Child 5
Office but for few days logger. What will be
done with them is not known at present, but 1t
il expected they will also be slowed away at the
Fidelity until General Graut can be heard from,
There is some talk of eventually placlog thcul
| in the Pennsylvania Museum Of Industrial Art
l-Phtld. Record.
| SCARLET FEVER ny MAIL.-We have al
jroady referred in the Journal TO the possibility
of sending contagious disca os through the malle
Though these are not recognized as ''mailaD!t
matter" in the rues aud regulations OF tho Pos
Office Department. A medical correspondent
of the London Telegraph few weeks ago gave
the following account of such case:
"A lady residing in the country wrote 10 in
> form friend in this neighborhood, East Sheen
3 that she was occupied in nursing her daughter
su fering from scsrlatins. The friend alter read
| ing and burning the letter, gaVo the enVeiop
in which it was contained to one OF her chlldre'
to play with. Ten days later " was requested q
. see the ssmo child, whom the ditfused red raE
over the skin, elevated temperature and ulcer