Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-09-12
PART I-2 O'CLOCK.
j. c. GROGAN.
Diamonds and SiIrerwnre.

The exhibit for this week is, with few excep-
tions, of solid sterling silver and the great
case of ebonized wood with silver mounted
French plate is a mass of elegant articles from
immense imposing sets, to tiny dainty conceits
each most beautiful of its kind. At the north
entrance of space (Which is on main floor near
the center) is an etagere OF gilt bronze with
onyx tops that is unlike anything before seen
in Pittsburg the onyx is beautifully marked,
decided veins Of crimson, green, blue, opal
orange blending; the shapes are oblong,
hexagon. half circle; it is a bold design but
very effective. In center case, are solid silver
dinner services, repousse, gold lined; these
have soup tureens meat and game salvers,
vegetable dishes, salad bowls, ETC.. even to the
minutest essential of the banquet board
nothing is omitted
In case OIL north aisle side is an array of
dazzling silver in majestic pieces and sets that
is in itself an Exposition. Certainly arrIfcers
in silver have reached the acme of perfection
judging from the Grogan exhibit.
A large tray center of satin-tinished silver.
border of repOusse work, holds tea service of
six pieces, gold lined, in the graceful modern
lied antique style. Nearby is a stately water
pitcher of generous proportions. medallions at
sides, the base rolled; this also in embossed
silver. A heavy salver, savors of the olden
times, with its open work blending with heavy
scrolls. A chocolate service is copper. silver
mounted, the chocolatere and sugar bowl gold
lined; dozen delicate cups and saucers in
hne Haviland surround these; the dozen pansy
spoons the handles twisted stems and twin
spoon sugar litter completing the set
The very latest novelty in dessert forks have
four broad fat gold tines, the handles elabor-
ately carved terminating i'll triple curve A
superb bridal present consists of table, dessert
tea ana oyster spoons, and large and dessert
forks. These handles are frosted silver ANY
piece of silver in one color would be an
anomaly nowadays, contrasts being demanded
A large repOusSe fruit bowl has an artistic
stamp about it that insists upon prompt appre-
citation. A poet set consists of four gold
bowled ladies for soup, punch and sauces. the
handle Of each the bust of a famous bard
Shakespeare, Homer. etc., are oxydized silver
In small and odd pieces are sugar and
creams, berry spoons, pepper and salts, ice
cream sets OF knife and dozen spoons or a
cake and butter knife set pairs of futed pold-
Inec salt cellars and spoons, and a myriad
other pretty things.
A huge case is devoted almost SOLELY to
knives; knives used to be prosaic things-neces-
sary-but scarcely to be classed with the beau
tifuL Itis a revelation to find them as present.
cd 1or Inspection In this exhibit; silver blades
and handpaInted Haviland handles; silver
bladed carved pearl tea, and curiously shaped
fruit knives; not the oldfashioned folding silver
ones by any means, but style just its own
dinner knives in many kinds, silver blades but
the difference being in the handles: even cary-
ing sets are silver mounted and silver plated:
and no doubt, because they belong to the pearl
hanoied goods. Some charming nut pickers
with their silver crackers are in the same case,
Mr. j. Z. Grogan has added a huge case of
very hne triple-plated ware, and every con-
ceiVable piece for the table seems to be right
IN TINS case, great silver epergnes,
salvers, roast beef platters game platters,
soup and vegetable tureens, oyster
bowls, tea services, water sets, nut and
ralsln receivers. 1t Is unnecessary to say that
this triple plate is fine; if it were not the best
1t certainly never would stand the severe test
OF proximity to this, the most superb exhibit of
silver ever shown in PIttsburg. And all of this
solid silver this dazzling array of artistic design
and execution, is not even missed from the stock
earned by j. q. Grogan. He makes a specially
OF sterling silver ware among his MANY Special
ties, for he finds the taste for it returned in
full force and even growing.
Like two sentinels stand the lust imnortad
English regulator, or hall clocks, at either en-
trance to the space. One of Quartered oak is
some eight feet high, finely carved, the dial
plate giving hours, minutes, seconds, day of
month and moons phases. The other in ma
hogany case, has In addition Westminster
chimes. which ring out each quarter hour and
the touch of spring enables you to have the
chimes sound at any time.
Last saturday night was the FESTIVAL of
Diamonds" The case nine feet in Length was
ablaze with these gems. Over sixty thousand
dollars worth of diamonds were in this one
case J! How they glinted and glistened, throw
ing out thelr hght-tor surely, there is no light
OF the first water-and among hose stones
shown at the festival were MANY of |
the rarest, for Mr.. Grogan keeps his
agents at all the points where choicest gems |
can be found, such as Paris, London, Amster- |
dam and in South Africa, and in this way pro- |
cures those rare specimens for which his store
is famed. On Saturday evening, September |
Il, there will be a second display Of Jewels and |
some remarkable curIos in diamonds will he /
presented for inspection. The chief one is a
Pans street lamp in miniature the only one in
the world tIhe stand or post in oxydized siIver
with base OF lapis-lazuli, but will it be believed
that the lamp is Veritably a large SQUARE
diamond? This is no flight of fsncy4 hnt
actual fact Mr.. Grogan having kindly shown
the artlcfe TO the writer. There will he also |
'tones IN tnelr natural state as discovered in