Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-04-10
CURIOSITY SHOPS.

CURIOSITY SHOPS.
Some Cuio Collections of World
Wide Fame.
The Queer and Original Library Of Bosan-
ieal Work1 1t WArsenstein. Germany
Wonderful Cherry-Stones-A Pyra-
mid of New Jubilee Half-Crowns.
The rage for acquiring curiosities 10
any shape or form has at times assumed
various peculiarities, and altogether the
desire to possess bric-a-brac or choice
specimens of various articles still occu-
pies the minds Of many at the present
time. What the various crazes are, says
Chambers Journal, and the dimensions
which have characterized them, doubt
less every one is perfectly cognizant,
and to what end they can serve is be-
yond our comprehension. The school
boy Is particularly fond of gathering to-
gether choice odds and ends, and were
he asked to turn out his pockets a Gu
rious collection of heterogeneous sub
stances would be brought to the aston
ished view.
Old curiosity shops are very plentiful,
and cursory glance at the stock con-
tanned therein only reveals to one the
fact that on numerous points there is a
great deal to be learned But ire
spective Of the above, we would draw
the readers attention to few colleo-
Hons which have been notified from
time to time, and which come within
scope of this article
At Warsenstein, in Germany, there is
perhaps one of the most curiously orig
inal collections OF books extant This
consists Of a botanical collection. Out
wardly, the volumes present the COM
mon appearance Of block of wood, and
that is the first impression; but min
ute examination reveals the fact that
each is q complete history of the par
ticular tree which it represents. At the
back Of the book the bark has been re-
moved from a space which allows the
scientific and the common name of tho:
tree to be placed as 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 usual grows upon its trunk and
the insects which feed upon the differ
emit parts of the tree. These are sup
plemented by a well-printed description
Of the habits. usual location and manner
of growth Of the tree. In fact, every
thing which has a bearing upon that
certain tree secures place in this won
derful, useful and valuable collection.
Here Is a precedent for the various botan-
ical societies to adopt, and although
doubtless expensive, yet it will certain
~ repay in its utility.
There are at present some very ralu-
able curiosities in the shape of cherry
stones, and were they collected in one
locality, it would doubtless enhance
their value. In the Salem Museum re-
poses one which contains one dozen sill
YER spoons. The stone is of the ordi-
nary size; but the spoons are SO small
that their shape and finish can only be
discerned satisfactorily by means of
the microscope. But a more curious
cherry-stone is that upon which are in
scribed one hundred and twentyfour
heads. This no1doubt forms the most
curious collection yet known, and the
naked eye can easily distinguish those
belonging to popes and kings by their
/, mitres and crowns. 1t was bought in
Prussia for fifteen thousand dollars, and
thence conveyed to that home of curiosi-
ties, England, where it is considered an
object Of 50 much value that its pos
session was disputed, and it became the
subject Of suit in chancery. However,
Q toymaker of Nuremberg endeavored to
eclipse this specimen by enclosing in a
cherry-stone, which was exhibited at the
French Crystal Palace, plan of Sebas-
topol, railway station, and the Messiah
of Klopstock. How far he succeeded we
leave our readers to determine.
The most curious collections, how
ever, are to be found made up of coins,
and we have seen many of this kind; but
the most extensive is undoubtedly to be
seen at Nottingham at the present mo-
ment. It consists Of huge pile of per-
fectly new jubilee half-crowns made up
as 1ighthouse-shaped pyramid. 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 one
hundred thousand eight hundred and
SIX. Inc we1gne Is one ton e1gnt num-
dredweight, fourteen pounds, three
ounces, and the value is twelve thou
sand six hundred pounds, fifteen shi-
lings. The bankers receipt for the pay
ment of the money lies near the case,
being conclusive proof of the authen-
| ticity and genuineness of the collection
| But the foregoing illustrations are
| nothing when compared with the mis-
cellaneous collection at Scotland Yard.
There every house-breaking implement
reposes in solemn grandeur, from the
faithful Jenny to the dark lantern, and
all the accessories of the modern Charles
Peace are to be seen. The contenss Of
that museum are too numerous and too
| varied to be described, and only a visit.
secured only by few, can give any ade-
| quate idea of the scope and variety of
the articles collected by the authorities
| Ingenious tradesmen and SPECTATORS
are always on the quf rire for such Gu
riosities as can be secured, and when
| they have obtained them they turn
| them to good account for advertising
purposes. We can only recommend our