St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-06-21
verified. Then, surely, their paths
through life will be bright.
CURIOSITIES OF COST.
A Piano That Cost $4,000
$25O,OOO Diamond Necklace

A Piano That Cost $4,000
$25O,OOO Diamond Necklaces.
From tn decorator and Furnisher.
y Ost is, of course, a very unsafe
measure of value in many instances, and
yet there is not unnatural curiosity on
the part of the general public to know
the mere money estimation in which
certain more or less beautiful articles
are held. Here are few somewhat re
markable examples of lavish expendi-
ture;
The highest-priced piano in America
this city. The works were made by
Messrs. Steinway & Sons, and the
case, which was built in London, was
designed and painted by Alma Tadema.
1t cost SAG, 900.
Sir Donald Smith, of Montreal, is the
owner OF the cOStlieSt piano ever made
III this country. 1t is also Stelnway,
and the case was made by Potter d
Stymus. 1t cost, when landed in Mont
real, $4,000.
The most expensive sideboard ever
made In the United States is owned by
Judge Harry E. Parker, of Mauch
room, and was built by Hertz Bros, for
$4,000. 1t is marvel of elaborate and
beautiful carving.
Mr.. Marquand is also the possessor of
the costliest billiard table in the coun-
try. The price was $4,000.
Mr.. j. w. Mackay furnished about
$4,000 in weight of silver, and paid
Tiffany IL Co. $4,000 for the work on
his dinner service, which thus repre-
sents S195,000.
The costliest string of pearls in this
country belongs to New York lady,
and cost S51 600.
diamond ring for which she paid Tiffany
u Co. $4,000.
The late Mrs. Morgan paid $3.50, 1000
for her necklace. Mrs. Hicks-Lord is
the owner of diamond necklace which
cost S25O, 0OO.-
The famous picture by Meissonier,
called 1902 was painted for the late
A. L. Stewart. At the sale of his
gallery Henry Hilton bought if for
S66, 800, and presented it to the Metro
pOlltan Museum, where it now hangs,
the costliest painting in America.
Sir Donald Smith is the posSessor of
the highest-priced painting in Canada,
The Communicates" by Jules Breton.
Cost at the Seney sale $4,000.
W. w. Corcoran, of Washington,
paid the highest recorded price for an
American picture. 1t is Church's
Niagara" and the price was $4,000.
1t was reported that Legrand Lockwood
paid ZOO for Bierstadt's ''DOmes of
the Yosemite" but as, at the distribu-
ton of his effects, the picture brought
less than Sc, 800, the first price was prob
ably fable.
In the Lenox library is perfect copy
OF the Mazarin or Gutenberg Bible. the
first book printed with movable types.
1t is worth $4,000, and nothing better
has ever been done since. Brayton
Ives, OF this city, has an imperfect copy,
for which he paid ZOO.
D.. F. Irwin, of Oswego, paid $4,000
to j. W. Bouton for Bible. 1t was
originally in three volumes, but by the
insertion of wOOdcutS, manuscripts, en-
cravings and etchings, had been ex-
banded to sixty imperial folio volumes.
OF the original edition of the sonnets
OF William Shakespeare, published by
George Daniel, of London, in 1909, there
are two perfect copies. One is in the
British museum. For the other, Dodd,
Mead & Co., of this city, paid $1,000. 1t
is a little book about seven by four
inches in size. A somewhat hard-headed
clerk in the establishment figures that
at the price it cost $3.50 an ounce.
A sixteenth century vellum manu-
script, with six paintings by Giulio-
Clovis, cost the LenoX library $4,000.
The most expensive public building in
the world is the New York state cap
itol at Albany, just begun. 1t cost S12,-
OO0,WO-l /, in mathematics the sign l.
means that an amount can be carried to
infinity.