Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-07
HIS LOVE OF RELICS.
Manager Kelly, of the Monongahela
House, Has a Fine Collection.
SOME RARE AND COSTLY GURl0S.
Tastes That Run Toward Watches, Coins,
Weapons and Pottery.
SMALL ARMoRY OF OLD FIREARMS

SMALL ARM0RY OF OLD FlRGAkMS
Manager Kelly, of the Monongahela
House. is the fortunate possessor OF very
valuable collection of rare, ancient an d cost
ly curios.
He has always had strong penchant for
relic-hunting, aud during his life. by add
ing few specimens at time, he has man
aged to accumulate respectable museum
at considerable expense. He has made
specially of weapons, pottery. watches, coins
and old letters and autographs.
Mr.. Kelly has arranged his collection in
little ante.room to his parlors in the hotel,
where he takes great pleasure In showing
them to his friends. He is we'll posted on
the pedigree and history Of each one, and !
like Artemas Ward, he makes his little
speech gracefully and quickly about the
specimens. -
One side of the room is devoted to the
weapons, and it resembles a small ar mory
Old sabers, revolutionary firearms. more
modern rifles, braces of pistols, and ugly
looking dirks and knives are grouped side
by side.
WHERE THE WEAPONS WERE FOUND.
Some of the guns and swords were picked
up on Southern battlefelds, and few an
cient flint locks were used by the patriots
against the British.
Manager Kelly pointed out long pistol
which belonged to Henry Clay. At his
death he gave it to his son, who was killed
in Texas. 1t finally driited into the hands
of Mr.. Kelly, who prizes it very highly. A
long rifle, which is one of the remnants OF
the Custer massacre and was found on the
battle ground of the savages, is given
prominent place on table. 1t is slightly
rusted, but could still send ball with
deadly effect. There eis one curved and
pointed knife with pretty handle which is
a vicious looking thing, and Mr.. Kelly is
assured it had been plunged into a hall
dozen people. 1t was presented to an en-
gineer by Spanish miner, and now is
situated where it can do no harm.
In the collection is Short broad knife
that has come to be great rarity. It was
issued by the Government to its soldiers in
the early days of Indian fighting and was
intended to be used in hand-to-hand encoun-
ters The handle is tough and the blade is
wide enough to slice redskin in short
order. A card hanging on the knife stated
that Uncle Sam no longer issued these weap-
ons to the soldiers and forbade any of them
to be sold or given away to relic hunters.
SEVERAL oNCE-FAMoUs BAYoNETs.
Mr.. Kelly has several of the famous
trowel bayonets that can be employed for
sticking enemies or assisting in throwing
up intrenchments. They are no longer used
by the Government. Two duel pistols,
which were obtained in New Orleans, are
reminders of the barbarous times when men
conducted their business according to the
rules of the code. The barrels are long and
smooth, and the one who got the drop on his
antagonist could consider himself fortu-
nate man. In one corner of the room hangs
a culver full of pointed arrows, and beside
it is the big bow. These were taken from a
Sioux Indian in Dakota.
The culver was carried over the shoulder,
and the mark could be plainly seen where it
rubbed against the red clothes. Mr.. Kelly
also has some Of their very pretty and fancy
trappihgs thst are put on the horses on
state OCCASIONS
Some of the relics are more than 1000
years old, and it would be difficult to esti-
mate the age of some of the specimens.
SEVERAL EtruscaI lamps and pieces of pot
terry that have been unearthed must be very
old. A god of the mound-builders which
was dug up in Ohio, Mr.. Kelly says, is alone
worth 81 800. He wouldn't part with it for
that sum, and to the archaologist the study
of these people is very interesting
ANCIENT EGYPTIAN IMAGES.
Two Egyptian images were handed down
in the family OF German baroness, ami
finally were sold by order of the court in
settling up the estate. Mr.. Kelly bought
them. They surely were made long before
the time of Christ, as their appearance
demonstrates and history will bear out
One relic is great curiosity, in that it rep
resents lost art. 1t is a wooden bowl made
by the Japanese and covered with thick
coating OF cinnabar which is highly orna-
mental. Just how it is done, or by what
process the preparation was made is one of
the things that the snrewd Japs have for
gotten.
In the collection are two small monu-
ments made by the great Napoleon during
his exile op st. Helena. They are we'll ex-
ecuted, and the sides are as smooth as if
made by sculptor. They only show that
genius is many-sided, and if he had not
been great general he might have been
great artist in stone.
SOME OTHER VALUABLE CURIos.
Mr.. Kelly also possesses four pictures OF
llSuteuauLS Which were pre-
sented to the commander by the men them
selves. In those days it was customary for
the subalterns to have their pictures taken
in various positions which were given
to the head of the army as
mark of respect. The larnented Marshal
Ney was one of them. In another part of
the cabinet are several old paintings. One
was on piece of glass that was made in
1872, and is plainly of English origin. 1t
represents the heads of king and queen,
and two armies in battle. using the long
pixies of ancient days. As for clocks, Mr..
Kelly has few on the eight-day order that
are all historical. There are letters from
George Washington, Light Horse Harry
Lee, of the Revolutionary army, Abraham
Lincoln and other distinguished men noted
for their service to the country. He has
autographs Of all the Presidents, from the
immortal George down to the present Ben.
besides the signatures of many public men.
Now is the time to fit your boy out in
whatever he may need for this winter in the
clothing line. Never in our entire history
were we able to offer you such unprecedented
bargains as we are doing at the present
time. In long and short-pant suits the
prices are all reduced to point that will
make swift sales and please buyers.
GUsKY's.
Cash Store Prices.