The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-10-22
THE CRAZE FOR Antiques.
Old Clocks and Furniture In Great De-
mand Among the Fashionable.
New York Mail and Express.l

h"ohB thc
New York Mail and Express.l
"The latest craze among the wealthy
Is for antique clocks and old Colonial
furniture" said large dealer in antique
furniture and objets dart on Broadway, to
q reporter.
"You mean antique style, not the an.
cient article Itselfp
"Well, II l had the ancient furniture
It would sell better, but not having
1t always on hand, the style is the next
thing offered. You see we have not ar
rived at that high Partisan stage Of art
which manufactures ancient articles Of
yertu. Oar history does not go far
enough back for that; we have no me-
dieval age, nor renaissance period. A
few centuries hence the bric-a-brac deal
ers will offer for sale many Washington
aud Lincoln souvenirs manufactured
fresh from some back street establish.
ment."
"What started the run ON clocks and
Colonial furnitureW
al have no idea. Everything goes by
| Ats and starts For months particu'
lar craze will last, aud then die away as
suddenly as It began. Then, perhaps, a
| lull will take place for month or two,
but that is rare occurrence. l invari-
ably try to meet the demand in some
way. received recently cargo Of Dutch
clocks, and have been fortunate in the in.
vestment | sold one for 500 TO the wife OF a
well.known millionaire in this city. It6s
an old Dutch clock, ten feet high, in a
| handsome veneered case, with three gilt
/ figures on top representing Time, Night
and Morning. 1t strikes the hours, halves
and quarters, and notifies the coming
hour. II also has twelve bell chimes and
a hand.painted dial, with figures repre-.
senting musicians, when the clock chimes
II gives the day OF the week, month and
the change of the moon. The works for
this clock were made by Thomas Thomson,
Of Amsterdam, in l743. This lady had
been in Germany during one of her Euro.
pean trips, and took fancy there to Ger.
man clocks"
"Did Oscar Wilde's visit to America
have any appreciable effect in your line Of
businessp
"Yes, a great deal more than 1 expected.
Articles Of vertu and bric-a.brac became
more in demand, and the sale Of statuary
was increased 10 great extent. But peo-
pie bought unfortunately, just so they
succeeded in getting some pieces OF art to
put In their libraries or parlors in order tc
look asthetical. was sorry when Oscar
left America, because l knew the furoI
would die out" t
"who are your best customersP
"rhose persons who have never been Il
Europe. Generally II they have been tS
Europe they take notion that all an
tiques are the refuse imported. They
evan 70 so far as TO imagine that all i'm
ported relics are manufactured In Paris
never taking into consid Grafton the fac
that they can be sold as genuine in th'
very city where they are manufactured
But the stay-sthomes, assure you. have
almost as good taste rs the travellers, snC
give less trouble In making p urchase."
"But the furniturep
"Weli, old San Domingo mahogany II
Colonial or Old English style is the rag
Tor furnishing diningrooms and libraries
Now, there is an old SauIDomingo mahog
any sideboard, with superb inlaid panel
Ard mirror back, with two shelves mount
I'd with small brass rails mother Of pear
lnlaid. 1t is very rare, and is worth 500
"Will you ever sell itf" t JH.fL
.If you knew the craze for them yo
would wonder that my store Is not file
with such specimens. But 1t is difficult
get them" i'-i ..s3 -'
"wbere do you get your antique
fromr '1
"Iwill answer that question in geners
way and say mostly from Europe. In to
oriafteen years, think, revolution wi
take place IN the estheticism Of Americi
and for the better. can see 1t every day
The people are being educated to an al
} tonishing degree in love for the beaut
full, and the day is not far distant whe
: Americans will be equal in culture to an
race In Europe"