St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-05-21
COSTLY ARTICLES.
A Few of the Worlds Rarities and
Their Money Values,

Cost is, of course, very unsafe meas
ure OF value in many instances, and yet
there is not unnatural curiosity on the
part OF the general public to know the
money estimation in which certain more
or less beautiful articles are held. Here
are few somewhat remarkable exam
pies of lavish expenditure:
The highest priced piano in America
is owned by ii. G. Marquand, of 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
$4,000.
Sir Donald Smith, of Montreal, is the
owner of the coStliest piano ever made
in this country. 1t is also Steinway,
and the case was made by Potter 81
Stymus. 1t cost when landed in Mon
treal S27, 200.
The most expensive sideboard ever
made in the United States is owned by
Judge Harry E. Packer. of Mauch
Chunk, Pa. 1t covers the whole side of
a room, and was built by Herts Bros. for
beautiful carving.
Mr.. Marquand is also the possessor of
the coStliest billiard table in the coun-
try. The price was $4,000.
j. w. Mackey furnished about
$4,000 in weight of silver, and paid
Tiffany q Co. $4,000 for the work on
his dinner service, which thus repre-
Sents S195.000.
The costliest string of pearls in the
country belongs to a New York lady,
and cost $4,000.
Another New York lady had solitaire
diamond ring, for which she paid Tiffany
g. Co. $4,000.
The late Mrs. Morgan paid S25O,OOO
the owner of diamond necklace which
cost $3.50, 600.
The famous picture by MeiSSonier,
called ''1S07," was painted for the late
A. L. Stewart. AT the sale of his gallery
Henry Hilton bought it for $4,000, and
presented it to the Metropolitan muse
UNI, 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 Ameri-
can picture. 1t is Church's niagara"
and the price was $4,000. 1t was re-
ported that Legrand Lockwood paid
s-c,OOO All lIlNlOletoC 1|OiIlCo VI tiiS
Yosemite but as, at the distribution of
his effects, the picture brought less than
$4,000, the first price was probably a
fable,
In the LenoX library is perfect copy
of the Mazarrn 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 $4,000.
J. Z. Irwin, of Oswego, paid $4,000 to
}. w. Bouton for Bible. 1t was orr
ginally in three volumes, but by the ia
sertion OF wood cuts, manuscripts, en-
| cravings, etchings. had been expanded
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 81 Co., of this city, paid $1,000. 1t
is little book about 7X4 inches in size.
| A somewhat hard-headed clerk in the
establishment figures that at that price
| it cost $3.50 all ounce.
| A sixteenth century vellum manu-
script, with six paintings by GiuliO
Clovis, cost the LenoX library $4,000.
At the Morgan sale Mr.. Walters, of
Baltimore, is reported to have paid S1S,-
| 900 for the peachblOW vase, which is
about seven and half inches high.