The Penn's Grove record., 1884-11-15
a London Curiosity

In lib. one hundred and seyenty-0ut
years ago, a certain Henry Monek, ,
genial soul, took home with Inn from
st. BaItholomew's fair a horn tobacco
box, for which he had paid the humble
sum of four pence. This MonCk was
one of forty oveTseers of the PARISH OF
st. Margaret's, Westminster, and it is
not difficult to picture him a full-bod.
led, iovial, good fellow, fond OF hi.
pipe and glass. So the happy thought
occurred to him to present it to his thiT-
ty-nine colleagues, and year after year
it was produced at their weekly meet
ings well filed 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. must 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
convivial gatherings of his brethren in
the year of our Lord 1884-the custom
now Is to produce lhe box twice a year
he would feel highly fiattered, aud
perhaps a little surprised, at the growth
of his gift. For,to put it plainly, what
could once be carried to the meeting in
his breeehes pocket is now a goodly
burden for a fOur-wheeled cab; and
even then, it is said, the driver asks for
a double fare. AT first a 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 a silver plate or a sill
yer band the important event of the
year, sometimes national, sometimes
purely local, sometimes an emblemati-
cal device, sometimes a portrait Of the
hero Of the hour. Then a dainty to-
bacco stopper OF mother-of-pesrl, at
tached by a silver chain to the box, was
added.
Time rolled on, vestrymen were born,
vestrymen were laid quietly In their
graves, aud a velvet.lined silver case
was added, in which reposed the origl-
nal, now a coruscation Of silver oTna.
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 OF
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
in 1759-squints up at m from the
bottom of the box; then we have a me-
dallion of George III, an altar-piece, an
engraving of the overseers administer
ing relief to the poor, Westminster Alb
hey, an engraving executed by Hog
battle-1elds and naval engage
ments, such as Waterloo and TTafal-
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 famil-
prominently in later days, and one Of
the last plates is an engraving of Mr..
statue Of Lord Beaconsfield. But
In the small space at our disposal it
MOuiu 10 lupOSslUlo w give even u CAL
of the curious records here TO be
found. AS we have said, 1T is produced
twice a year to the body of assembled
D%verseers, and during his office one of
them is responsible for it's safe custody.
This box" so runs the charge, land
.he several cases are the property Of the
Past o. erseers' society, and delivered
INTO your custody and care upon condi.
ion that they are produced at all paro-
;hial entertainments which you shall
invited to, and shall contain three
pipes of tobacco at least, under penalty
If six bottles of wine" Claret is the
.ipple prescribed, but no instance is re-
of a failure to obey the Draco-
nan law. Once or twice indeed the
'elic has been in jeopardy; once in It's
Useful days from a thief, a second tim
a recalcitrant and angry vestry-
nan. Intrinsically it would not melt
for much. AS a curiosity, it is
o be cherished and cared for with ven