Thomas County cat., 1890-10-30
Curious Collections.

Curious Collections.
A thing may be useful as well as cur
ious, such as the telephone. the phono
graph, and, in short. any invention that
accomplishes specific purpose for the
good ofmankind. Other things are cur.
ious without serving any other purpose
than to excite surprise.
One of the Rothschilds collected SOC
snuff boxes: a wealthy Partisan OH his
death bed left behind him million corks
as monument of his industry land
foolishness.) Men have collected UNI
brellas, hats and other articles of appar-
rel; there are stamp, coin, picture and
book collectors all over the world, while
somebody is always making a watch
with jack knife or table out of 10,-
600 pieces of wood.
At Warsenstein, in Germany, there is
perhaps one of the most curiously origin
al collections of books eXtant. This
consists of botanical collection.
Outwardly the volumes present the
common appearance of a block of wood,
and that is the first impressions; but a
minute examination reveals the fact
that each is complete history of TIE
particular tree which it represents.
At the back of the book the bark has
been removed from space which al
lows the scientific and the common
name of the tree to be placed as a title
for the book.
One side is formed from the split wood
of the tree, showing its grain and nat
ural fracture; the other shows the wood
when worked smooth and vanished.
One end shows the grain as left by the
saw, and the other the finely polished
wood.
On opening the book it is found to
contain the fruit, seeds, leaves and other
products of the tree: the moss which
usually grows upon the trunk and the
insects which feed upon the different
parts of the tree.
These are supplemented by we'll
printed description of the habits, usual
location and manner of growth of the
tree. In fact everything which has a
bearing upon that certain tree secures a
place in this wonderful, useful and valu-
able collection.
There are at present some very valu-
able curiosities in the shape of cherry
stones, and were they collected in one
locality, it would doubtless enhance
their value. In the Salem, England,
museum reposes one which contains one
dozen silver spoons. The stoneis of the
ordinary size, but the spoons are so small
that their shape and finish can only be
discerned satisfactorily by means of the
microscope. But amore curious cherry
stone is that upon which are inscribed
124 heads.
This. no doubt, forms the most curl
GUS collection yet known, and the naked
eye can easily distinguish those belong
ing to popes and kings by their miters
and crowns. 1t was bought in Prussia
for $4,000, and thence conveyed to
England, where it is considered an OBJ
ject of so much value that its possession
was disputed and it became the subject
of suit in chancery. However, toy
maker of Nuremberg endeavored to
eclipse this speciman by inclosing in a
cherrystone, which was exhibited at the
French Crystal Palace, plan of
Sebastapol, railway station and the
Messiah of Klopstock.
The most curious collections. how
ever, are to be found made up of coins;
and the most extensive is undoubtedly
to be seen at Nottingham. England. 1t
consists of huge pile of perfectly new
siubilee" half crowns (that is, half
crowns coined in the year when Queen
Victoria completed half century's
reign), made up as lighthouse shaped
pyraflid-
The whole is comprised under glass
case, and measures in height six feet
while the base is five feet eight inches
round. and the number of coins is 1OO,-
8O6. The weight is one ton eight hun
dredweiCht fourteen pounds three
ounces. and the value is el2,6O0 15s.
The bankers receipt for the payment of
the money lies near the case. being con-
elusive proof of the authenticity and
cenuineness of the cOllection.-';olden
Days
At The Club.