Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-09-20

FROM darl'efs BaZar.
1t is understood that at the next meeting of
the British Association the question of the ex-
istence OF a Sharp Carving Knife will be thor
oughly discussed, and in all probability COM
mlttee will be appointed to investigate the mat
ter.
The universal incredulity which has hitherto
been expressed by Scientific Persons as to the
existence Of Sharp Carving Knife is of course
due to the fact that no Sharp Carving Knife has
ever been recognized and examined by Scfen-
tific Person. The evidence as to its non-exist-
ence is therefore of purely negative character
There is nothing in the manners or customs of
Nature which renders it intrnsically improbable
that such a thing as a Sharp Carving Knife
should exist. There are dull raZors and sharp
raZorS dull penknives and sharp penkniyes
dull hunting knives and sharp hunting knives.
Why, then. in view of the fact that dull CARVING
knives exist. should not Nature have created
Sharp Carving Knives? OF course the answer
to this is that while sharp razors, penknIves,
and hunting knives are common. the Sharn
Carving Knife. if it exists, is confessedy ex-
tremely rare. Still. those who believe in its ex-
istence are not arguing in behalf of any such alb
surd proposition as that it is common
Although no Scientific Person has seen Sharp
Carving Knife, there are presumably honest and
Intelligent observers VINO claim to have seen it,
In the beginning OF the sixteenth century the
Bishop OF Spalatro published an account of a
Sharp Carving Knife which he had seen in the
archbishop's palace in Venice. He described
this knife as having very much the apnparance
OF an ordinary carving knife but asserted that
he saw it cut chickens, rOdst-becf and ham with
perfect ease He was at first inclined to think
that the knife was miraculous vision but the
archbishop assured him that it was a genuine
sharp Carving Knife. and that it had been in
his possession for twenty years. Twelve other
men besides the bishop saw the Sharp Carving
knlle-so he alleges hcreat they greatly
marveled and crossed themselves" There is
10 reason TO suppose that the good bishop wan
toniy told what was not true: but if must he
confessed that the existence OF the alleged Ven
etian Sharp Carving Knife rests wholly upon his
unsupported testimony. and not one of the many
other men who must have seen it, had it existed,
has left any record of the fact
The next alleged appearance of Sharp
Carving Knife was in 1922, when one is said to
have been seen by the keeper and guests of a
private hotel in Queen Street. London. These
persons twenty two in number certify in
writing that in their presence on the 18th of
July, 1922, Mrs. Smith. the keeper of the hotel.
carved a spring chicken with perfect ease with
knife which was recognized by every one
present to be Sharp Carving Knife The knife
in question was further cert fled by Mrs. Smith
herself to have been bought of a pedder who
represented it to be an ordinary carving knife.
This testimony seems explicit, and at first sight
quite convincing.
When. however, we inquire what became of
this Sharp Carving Knife. we find no answer
One would have supposed that all the Scientific
Persons In England would have rushed to ex-
anime it, that it would have been exhibited at a
guinea head to thousands of wondering
housekeepers. and that it would have been
bought, without regard to expense. by the Brit
ish Museum. But it seems to have disappeared
as quietly and completely as, the Venetian knife
described by the Bishop of Spalatro. This is
certainly very strange, and it can not but throw
doubt upon the whole story.
In 1S4l Sharp Carving Knife was seen in
Babylon. Long Island, Mrs. II. G. Rarnor had
bought carving knife from Messrs. White a.
Thompson. ofNo. 312 John Street, in this clty.
and on attemptingtO carve piece of roast beef,
found, to her unspeakable astonisment. that it
was sharp Three boarders-Judge Milliken.
the Rev. James Williams. and Mr. T. H. Nc
Gonigie--a testified that they the knife,
and that it was genuine Sharp Carving Knife
1t is asserted that this knife was preserved by
Mrs. Raynor for nearly three years. when it was
stolen by some person unknown. None of the
witnesses is now alve7-Judge McGonigle, the
last survivor. having died in 1S59-but they
were all persons Of veracity and responsibility
Their testimony is entitled to careful considera-
ton, and unless it can be rejected, it establishes
the fact OF the existence of the Sharp Carving
Knife.
There are countless stories of the appearance
Of Sharp Carving Knives at watering place
hotels. These. however, are entitled to no
weight. Some OF them are the invention of
newspaper writer's in search OF startling sensa-
lions, ana others are evidently mere advertising
tricks. Perhaps In some cases the stories were
true; they come to US in such shape that no
Scientific Person would think them worth in
vestigating. The testimony of Mrs. Raynor and
her friends should, however, be carefully inves-
tigated, as we'll as the curious story of the
appearance of Sharp Carving Knife in Queen
Street, London.
There Is among all men and women a con-
slant expectation OF some day meeting with
Sharp Carving Knife. The desire for such
knife is universal, and is one of the strongest
passions of the race 1t would be great COM
fort to millions OF people were the British Asso-
citation to decide that the Sharp Carving Knife
does exist. If it has been seen only once, it
may be seen again. If it appeared to Mrs.
Raynor and to the Bishop of Spalatro. 1t may
again appear to any one OF the unhappy house
holders who daily suffer the agonies of carving
with dull knife.