The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-06-22


Process OF obtaining. Casts -sS1SIsSnfH
One OF the most rec Mt collections that
have teen PLACED in the IOlseum Is the
Abiiiano collection Of Me lican anti Iuitles.
IL consists of casts of ths larger AMI more
valuable monuments If the \ teS' clyillLa-
ton and i, without doubt the most valuable,
though not the largest cole, tion that has
yeVteyn made. IL does not telons to the
Institution, ~ has been Incorrectly stated,
but is only placed there by the owner IN the
hope that sume public-spirlt,d citizen viii
purchase ami present 1t to the museum
The writer recently VISITED the museum
with gentleman who accompanied
Ataiano in his journey to the ruins ami AS
sIstei in taking the casts Many interesting
facts we're learned Of the struggles OF tho
youn. antiquarian to advance the stuiy OF
,L. history OF his native lant AMI Of the life
of its strange inhabitants when conquered
by torteL The casts are splendid specimens
OF art, ami bring cut tho characters EN-
praved on the original stone beautifully,
Their value can hardly b. over estimated,
tor If any thing more is ever to be learned OF
the Adcs it will have to come through
these seemingly voiceless monuments Tine
collection Of manuscript words were nearly
all Of them destroyed by the Jealous priests
who accompanied tho Spanish invader,
ami thus the thread Iroken that
bound that nation TO the history
II the World Many Of tho nonu
ments were also destroyed, ami some OF thu
casts in the museum show the mark OF
AYES handled by the hands of the ih years
ago The monuments are the mouthple,e'
oi the past, but their tongue il nuriberrl
with the dead languages AMI they ran not
talk. but it is possible that the Key TO the
hierogly phirs ON their faces may yet lac dis
covered ami thus now link added To tho
chain Of history. There is already quito
respectable collection of Mexican antiquities
in the museum, and 1t would les II grand
work To make casts of them all and gather
them IN ono place 50 that men of sritnco
could study them and in time come upon
tho real theory Of their meaning. Ibis was
the idea Of Abadiano, but he did not receive
the en, ouragenleit he meritcd He spent
his fortune AMI has never received any
thing in return for it
RENuLuIIuNt>T AND ANTIlu >RIAM
The career of Abadiano and the way in
which he came to make tho collection is All
interesting ono and is curiouSly Identified
with the history Of Mexico under Dial.
The dashing re>olutioni,t and tho young
antiquarian were strangely enough init.
mate frien,is, and Alaiianp was an oiii er
in Diaz army when hs was striving to
wrest tho government from lerdo the
rishtful president They fought anI slept
and ate together and when they had sue
a llNn,
quarian retired from the army and returned
to his home in tho city Of Mexico. Here
his family had for over NJ years con.
Quoted u large book store ani he, in part
ner>hip with his brother, now took charge
Of IT, hut his anti, lharian tastes AMI his
service in the army hal untitled him for
business and he soon Withdrew from the
firm
Diaz had promised him an appointment
If the revolution succeeded AMI h. now asked
for it. but the Office offered him was so
much lower than he thought be had right
to expect that he would not ac, opt It, lilo
tnen suggested that he make the cast, that
have Just been placed on tho National mu.
scum and DiaA agreed to get the govern
nient to buy them to send TO tho New Or.
leans exposition This was the very think
that suited the nature of young AhadIno
and he put his whole soul into the work.
He determined to make the casts 10y the
most approved method AMI make them
model OF their kind.
one can easily distinguish the difference
between tho work Of Aba,liano an that Of
Desire Charnay who made the much written
of collection presented to tho museum Of
Mr. Lorllurl of New York. In the former
you will NOTICE that every little crack AMI
crevice, even the grain of the stone, /,
brought out with the great, st di,tinctne,s
DETAILS OF TlE GEi.trINt rHoeE~
This was done by what is known as tho
geatine process and 1t is very expensive,
especially in country like McNi o where
the material is scarce and has to bo fought
IN small quantities at the drug stores The
stone of which a asst wa, t. bo taken
had to he securely Loxcl, and the hot CELIA.
tine poured into the vacant spa = between
the box AMI the stone. lou can imagine
the difficulty Of making u cast when You
think Of stone weighing twenty ono tons
inlelJed in the walls of il church, perhaps
sixty feet from the ground, as was the cal
endar stone. A scat'oll hal 10 he built,
the huge stone nicely divided and the east
made piece 10y piece
he method usel in making the l.orillard
collie ton is u very simple one, ana the
most unlearned eye ran $50 that It is very
interior to that Of Aladiano A piece Of
common brown paper was dampened, laid
over the stone AMI hammered until an I'M
preston OF the characters were made. This
was continued until the layer Of paper was
perhaps a quarter of an inch thick. Then
1t was left to dry aud the cat male in
plaster OF paris Cbarnay made many fail
ules, and his collection consists altogether
Of fiat surfaces, while that of Ahaliano IN.
cludes specimens Of every shapl
Ahahianos work was nearly completed
when tide Of i'll fortune suddenly overlook
him. After he had made two casts and do
stroyed his gelatine plates the Mexican gov
eminent decided that the expense would lie
too great and declined buying it This was
terrible blow, but the young antiquarian
decided to finish the work This lac did
and carrying out the original plans If the
Mexican government he carried it overland
10 New orleans at great expense paying
tie customs officer nearly sl.up duty. TN
arriving at the exposition lie did not place
ms collection in the huilling for that
"puli bring MIN IN no revenue, Out rented
large storehouse in tine French quarter,
me Of the most sparsely settled Districts Of
the city. and there set it up. 30 SLOW did
the careful antiquarian work that by the
time he was ready to exhibit the exposition
VAS nearly over and many of the visitors
lad left the city. iIano was now
llared IN a serious predicament lie hal
spent his fortune on the collection and it
Vas now useless To him. AMI he knew not
what to do with it,