The Russellville Democrat., 1881-04-21

The supply of liquor was not stinted, ant is spoken of as fatigue rations." After making the tour of the mechani cal portion of the mint, our guide bow l himself of, informing us that we vii | find many objects of interest in the ''cab I inet' up stairs.
 heartily indoree his opinion we dc I find great deal that is entertaining ano instructive, and I should like to come l for many successive days to dream oyer | dreds of coins of all nationalities and ages. IF is the finest collection in the l United States, and contains the coinage of every nation on the globe, from Orient to Occident, running in some instances one and two thousand years prior to the Christian era (?) and up to the present date. Many of them are crude and rough; number very valuable, of which not few are originals. 1 wish there were time and space for description of the contents of these rooms, but now may be mentioned only few of the many objects that caught my attention. The walls are lined with shelves, upon which are ranged the ores, minerals, crystals etc, among them most beautiful specimens of malachite and agate; also petrifactions.
 Seeing us deeply interested in the con- tents of the various cases, and old gentle man left his position, at one of the coin tables, and established lasting claim to my gratitude and kindly remembrance by his courtesy and good d-humored at. tentions. Said the Philadelphian who accompanied me:
 "I hnya lived in tbic citu Siuaa rbi1d- hood, and visited the mint over and with various people, but I never knew as much as you have found out today"
 Probably! This old gentleman places a good magnifying glass at my disposal, and calls attention to this, that and the other thing relating it's history and var ious anecdotes that his long guardian ship has enabled him to collect, until, like children who are well entertained, q don't want to go."
 Among o.her things, he shows small idol, about three inches high. That" he says, "came from the ruins of Nine veh." Among Japanese curiosities is a piece of thin money, about five inches long by three in width, written over with lot of their queer characters. am sorry to say have forgotten the very peculiar and no very musical name, but what will interest you more is the little piece of information concerning it, viz; that to carry or send such q piece of money from it's native country subjects the offender to the penalty of death. Consequently it is considered valuable addition to the cabinet
 In the collection We find veritable shekel, and also an original finite" found near the site of the Temple at Jerusalem. On beholding my interest in the latter and hearing me remark upon its value (not intrinsic, for it is only worth about fifty-eight grains), the Philadelphian thinks Unnecessary tosay, timidly though, My dear, I-he-dosen't mean it is the widows mite, but only an original like it."
 Imagine! If do come from Kentucky, it is not to be supposed that I have been debarred either books or brains!
 Presently our polite informant says with a smile
 "You have heard of spondulix, have you not?" Of course.
 And you doubtless considered it a slang expression?"
 Certainly" say in surprise.
 "Well, in that you were mistaken" whereupon he points to a small object, which l scrutinize curiously. Upon a small, flat shell that serves as tray lies another shell; it is of gold, is almost globular in shape, and about the size of large pea.
 That" says the gentleman, lis coin, or rather a substitute for coin, used in Africa. It is an equivalent for eight slaves. As we have no means of fixing a value upon the slaves, it is impossible to decide how much the spondulix is worth in our money-for this African money is named spondulix. So, you see, it is not slano after all D