Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1882-01-12
NOBLE OLD FURNITURE,

a Peep Into a Depository Of the Re
mains Of Titled House Furnish
lngs---Something Only to Be See'
IN Pars.
Lucy Hosper's Paris Letter.
tshave lately been taken behind tn
scenes, so to speak, of a great brancl
Of commerce, and have been show
some of the inner machinery Of one o
the great establishments for the sale o
secondhand furniture, of which Pari
can boast some three or four, bu
scarcely any other so extensive or pre-
sided over with so much taste and in
telligence as Is the one visited. TIT
proprietor, NJ. Wharf, is younl
man Of about thirty, with pleasing
and polished manners, and with
keener scent for anything artistic II
his line Of business than can be readily
imagined by those who do not know
how complicated and extensive as vel
rs artistic that business is. For thu
secondhand furniture stores Of Paris
that is 30 say. these very large one:
are simply wonderful in their way
and are unlike anything that is known
in that line on this side Of the Allan
tic.
No one must imagine that the furni.
ture in these shops bears any trace OF
its ever having been used before, ex-
cept i'm the case Of fine artistic work,
such as carving. tapestry, inlaid wood
work, etc, whose manufacture belongs
wholly 10 the past. Every sOiled, or
worn, or damaged piece Of furniture
Is carried of at once 20 the branch
warehouse, or rather workshop. which
might be called the hospital for Grip
pied or inGrm chairs and tables. Fa-
ded, sOiled and worn coverings are
stripped of, broken springs are re-
paired. every missing bit Of carving is
carefully replaced, and finally the piece,
recovered. resulted, mended, var
nished. with all the gloss and fresh
ness Of newness about il, takes its
place I'm the show room. Very often,
however. the goods come into the deal
er's hands in perfect order. And very
magnificent these goods often are. to
judge by my late inspection of M. Wi
arts wares. A drawing-room suite
from the DemidOff sale mt the San Do
nato palace, the massive woodwork
deliberately carved and gilt, was COW
cred with cream satin, on which
ground were displayed classic groups
and graceful arabesques in shaded
crimson velvet Another superb suite,
with shaded velvet flowers in their
natural hues on q satin ground, was of
immense extent. / could not begin 10
count the arm-chairs. sofas, etc, that
II comprised, TO say nothing of cur
tains for six windows, each three yards
and n half long. This splendid set
came from n Genoese palace. Then
there was a drawing-rOom set i'm gold
yellow brOcade, which had been OF.
dered by Queen Christina, OF Spain,
but, being left on the upholstererS
hands by reason of the death of that
princess, II had found its way to the
show rooms of M. Wharf. At one side
stood the gigantic and gorgeous bed
stead which had figured in the Chinese
department of the exhibition of 1876.
all ablaze with scarlet and gold, and
overrun with carving as delicately
fine as that wherewith the patient Ce-
lestials are accustomed to adorn an
ivory fan OF nest OF ivory balls. These
carvings, as an eminent Chinese scholar
recently informed NJ. Wharf, represent
scenes on the life Of some noted Chinese
personage-a saint. If l recollect right.
ly-showing his whole career from the
cradle to the grave. This bedstead is
veritable bedroom i'm itself. IL is OF
as quare box-shape, but without roof
has glass window at the end, and a
place for two chairs mt one side. II
was purchased ut the exhibition by the
Princess Mathilde, 10 adorn her country
seat at Enghien, but proved very ele-
phant ON her hands. being too large for
any one OF the rooms I'm her villa. SO il
was resold to NJ. Wharf at a price far
below its original cost, which was. I
believe, $4,000 One tenth that sum
would buy II now. suppose, though [
did not ask its price. Two doors from
the National library Of Paris attracted
my attention. They date from the
foundation of that institution. in the
days OF Louis XIV. and are enriched
with artistic carvings. Less esthetic
put more superb was the door from the
San Donatopalace; a sheet Of malachite
with mouldings in gilded bronze. a door
ht TO shut In the treasure CHAMBER of
Aladdin's palace Then was shown
a beautiful little cabinet in the famous
and priceless Vernis Martin. which
Nernis Martin, by-the.way. Is n varnisb
as its name denotes. and not a china
as Ouida declared II 10 be I'm her novel
OF Fuck. Less rare and equally heauti.
tul was an antique Italian cabinet of
ebony and ivory. with the doors inlaid
with plaques of lapis-lazuli and cornell.
an; this splendid piece Of furniture
came from the Musard sale. and had
been presented to Nine. Musard by the
King OF Holland. 1 will not attempt
TO describe the costly knick-knacks that
a0ounded on every side; the Sevres and
dresden china, the Balbedienne bronzes
the toys in carved ivory and gilded
bronze, etc. M. Wharf buys everything
ana understands everything, from a
carriage down 10 n card receiver. from
IN ivory paper cutter 10 a set Of gold
go0elin tapestries. His rooms are like
q branch of the Hotel Cluny, only with
this difference, that the treasures there.
In may be purchased. He will nt YOU
up an apartment at any price you may
name, from one thousand dollars to
twenty thousand. Only, for the first
named amount. the purchaser win not
DO apt to find many Sevres vases or
tapestry hangings among the plenishing.
How Hull Split His Tights.
New York World.