Los Angeles daily herald., 1890-02-24
SOME HOBBIES.
They Are All Right II They are
Coed 0nes-A Diversity Of Fads.


They Are All Right II They Are
Coed Ones-A Diversity of Fads.
1t is q good thing for lich men to have
fads. A hobby is not only distributor
of wealth in many ways, but wnen IL
takes the shape of collecting it ls con-
servator of riches, too, while it is more
than useful in occupying hours tna1
might elsewise be given over TO the
services of the-ahem! Books and pic.
lures are the commoner materials that
rich collectors accumulate, and IN our
cities millions of dollars are locked up IN
| these treasures; but the hobby taxes
many other forms: Mr.. George W:
Childs is as noted for his collection OF
clocks as for his charities, and another
distinguished editor, Charles A. Dana, is
an authority on orchids and porcelain.
Some people prefer violins-instruments
made by Strsdivarius and Guarnerius,
and worth thrice their weight in gold,
for use and age have mellowed
them until they sing like angels
under the touch of q master; but
masters are seldom allowed to touch
them, and more's the pity. For 900
years coins have been subject of esteem,
but with those who have an eye for
artistic beauty and it may be remarked,
en- passant, that our own coinage is q
pretty bad thing to look upon, especially
the silver pieces decorated with goddess
of liberty whose legs grow out of her
waist and whose hair grows where her
face ought to be.
Postage stamps have engaged more
:vk4
philatelic clubs in this land whose al
buns are worth q comfortable fortune.
Mr.. Brayton Ives. q well-known mem
Der of the New York Stock Exchange,
solaces his leisure with the perusal of an.
cient missals. 80 ancient as to caligraphy
and orthography that few people else
can read them. He knows a genuine
antique from a bogus one at glance,
and is fond, too, of editions de lu1e and
rich bindings. The autograph fever has
never ragged as fercely in this country as
it has abroad, and many so-called auto
graph collections contain little but sigma.
lures written on cards; things that the
advanced G. Hector would consign 10
the waste basket, for he is after
letters, documents and manuscripts. The
poets Stedman and Aldrich have gath
cred large number of manuscripts, as
their literary friendships and editorial
functions have enabled them to do,
and Mr.. Stedman has "extended'
his copies of his own books with
portraits and original letters. It is
doubtful if $1,000 would represent the
worth of his extra illustrated COPY
Of The Poets of America. One broker in
New York spends his superfuous wealth
on sapphires. He has case of these
stones that delights the very souls
of all who see them. A Brooklyn
man rides similar and equally expensive
hobby, and his diamonds, rubies, emer-
aids, topazes, zircons and tourmalines
are said to rival in splendor the crown
Jewels. This was one of Mr.. Beecher's
delights, and he always had gems
wrapped in bits of coarse paper care.
lessly mixed with small change and
keys in his pockets.
The house OF Tiffany owns sumptuous
case of jewels, cut in the rough, all of
which were found in American soil. and
were exhibited recently in Paris. The
mineralogical expert of this house, Mr..
George F. Kunz, says there are not over
100 gem collectors in this country. He
himself is the owner of q remark
able group of meteors, mostly from
Mexico and the United States. The fin
est private collection of minerals in the
world is that of Mr.. Clarence s. Bsment,
of Philadelphis, who has, by search and
purchase, acquired remarka BILE mum Der
of them, typical of their species in color
and capitalization, and many of marvel.
GUS beauty.
The collection occupies large room in
his house that has been fitted with cases
so placed as to secure light on each, and
it includes many of the finest and
rarest specimens that have ever
been discovered, including the larg-
est known crystal of emerald-a
North Carolina product. Mineral hunt
ers and dealers, on finding anything ex-
ira good, do not think of selling until
they have heard from Mr.. Bemont, and
he is said to have enriched them to
the extent Of $125,OO0, while
his museum il constantly growing.
One Of the minerals associated with the
zinc ores OF Franklin, N. j., has been
named bementite, in his honor. There
o9s collectors of china, of canes,
Of umbrellas. of archaeological i'm
piements, OF plants, of woods
\nAolAA5 IAs OoSbAp, AOI S6Smpl6), /,
Of Japanese sword guards, of carved
worries, Of play bills, OF hair clipped from
aotsd heads, OF the first copies Of pspsrs
aad nasgazinee. Of buttons, end the ex-
creme las icon reached by man who
heg made collection Of cigar stumps, FOX
! Whioh he refuses $4,000. though Il is
inscnoeiysble chat any ssre mnn should
have offered It.
Ihig collection includes butts chat havs
oocr ossS away by General Grant,
the Hrince Of Wales, and ether celeb
rltsoc. 1t is a wonder thas Shis en-
ahucta5S did not try TO ho.tls the
smoke pu6sd from the lips oG eloguence
and commsnd. Stranger things hevs
ssel dcne, for in ons o. tie European
,1a1senuas along with TIC chips from the
.cU cordS ct wcod raneiriag fzcm the
t2ce orcas, is Bottle containing sone OF
ths darkness Chat Coll upon Egypt
[Scclaty.