Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1884-11-19
A London Curiosity.

In 1713, one hundred and seventy-one
years ago, a certain Henry MOnck,
genial soul, took home with hun from
st. Bartholomew's fair horn tobacco
box, for which he had paid the humble
sum of four pence. This Monck was
one of forty overseers of the parish OF
st. Margaret's, Westminster, and it is
not difficult to picture him a full-bod-
led, jovial. good fellow, fond of his
pipe and glass. So the happy thought
occurred To him to present it to his thir-
ty-nine colleagues, and year after year
it was produced at their weekly meet
ings well filled with the choicest and
most fragrant leaves Of the tobacco
plant. Forty Overseers relaxing after
business was over, each putting from a
long church war len. mnst have been a
goOdly sight, though 1t does occur to
one that the tobacco box, which is about
two inches square, must have had some
of the properties of the widows cruise.
If the ghost of the genial Monck ever
walks the earth and looks In on the
conviyial gatherings Of his brethren In
the year Of our Lord 1SS4-the custom
now Is to produce the box twice year
he would feel highly fiattered, and
perhaps little surprised, at the growth
of his gift. For, to put it plainly, what
could once he carried to the meeting i'll
his breeches pocket Is now gOOdly
burden for fOur-wheeled cab; and
even then, it is said, the driver asks for
a double fare. At first modest silver
rim, with MOnck's name inscribed
thereon, was placed around the old box;
and year after year it became the Gus
tom to record on silver plate or sill
yer band the important event or the
year, sometimes national, sometimes
purely local, sometimes an emblemati-
cal device, sometimes Il portrait of the
hero of the hour Then dainty to-
bacco stopper OF mOther-of-pearl, at
tached by silver chain to the box, was
added.
Time rolled ON, vestrymen were born,
vestrymen were laid quietly in their
graves, and velvet lined silver case
was added, in which reposed the Origi-
I nal, now cOruScation Of silver orna-
ments, richly chased and embossed; !;
/ then another and another. And now
this singular trophy consists OF seven
distinct parts, each fitting into the other
like the pieces of a japanese puzzle.
Of these one is horn. -four are silver, and
two of oak. The last one. 1t Is estima-
ted, will cover a period of eighty or
ninety years. The earlier plates and
various inscriptions are most exquisite
ly engraved; in later days the art seems
TO have been lost. In the second case
the famous Wilkes-who oddly enough,
was a church-warden Of st. Margaret's 8
in l759-squintS up at one from the
bottom OF the box; then we have me-
dallion of George III, an altar-piece, an
engraving of the overseers administer
ing relief to the poor, Westminster Alb
bey. an engraving executed by Hog
garth, battle-aelds and naval engage
ments, such as Waterloo and TIafal-
gar, the trial of Queen Caroline, pOr-
traits of George w., Of Pitt, Fox and
other famous statesmen. The queen
and the members of her family figure
prominently in later days, and one of
the last plates is an engraving OF Mr..
Belts statue OF Lord beaeonSf.eld. But
in the small space at our disposal it
would be impossible to give even cat
alogue Of the curious records here to be
found. As We have said it is produced
twice a year to the body OF assembled
overseers, and during his Office one of
them is responsible for its safe custody.
This box" so runs the charge. 'and
the several cases are the property Of the
Past O,erseers' society, and delivered
into your custody and care upon condi-
tiOn that they are produced at all paro-
chial entertainments which you shall
be invited to, aud shall contain three
pipes of tobacco at least, under penalty
of six bottles of wine" Claret is the
tipple prescribed, but no instance IS re-
corded of failure to obey the Draco-
man law. Once or twice indeed the
relic has been in jeopardy; once in its
useful days from a thief, second tim
from a Tecalcitrant and angry vestry-
man. Intrinsically 1t would not melt
down for much. As curiosity, 1t IS
to be cherished and cared for with ven-
Grafton.