St. Paul daily globe., 1891-06-29
The FAD IN SPOONS
Has Struck Twin City Fancy
Squarely Between the
Optics.
The Spoon Souvenir Has
Taken a ureat Hold on
the collector.
Fancy esigns Imported
From the East Started
the Craze Here.
And Twin City Subjects Are
Now Embalmed in Silver
Spoons.

souvenir spoons. Inc craze is upon us,
and go where we will, from Maine to
California, from Minnesota to Florida.
each city offers its peculiar designs of
local importance. There is nothing
new under the sun, and we cannot
claim nineteenth century origin for
souvenir spoons. The custom originated
"away back" when princes exchanged
the gold cups from which they drank,
and nnally the guests began to appro-
pirate whatever struck their fancy
among the articles which adorned the
table of mine host. This has been initiated
by Young lady in an Eastern city who
laughingly exhibits collection culled
from the tables of downtown hotels
and cafes where she is in the habit of
dining; certainly a novel method. and
one which might commend itself to flat
pocketbookS. She probably acted upon
the principle that corporations have no
souls. and it is not necessary for an indi-
Viduai to use his conscience in dealing
with them.
The modern mania for spoon collect
ing began in Europe, and, like all things
OF Importance, spread to the Western
hemisphere, and is receiving its great
est development here. The introduce
ton of them in America is credited to a
man from New England-that center so
fertile in invention, genius and Yankee
keenness. A Salem jeweler returned
from across the water with large col
lection of spC ons from foreign capitals.
and conceived the idea of ilnprisoning
the Salem witch in silver, and it has
proved one of the best selling patterns.
Early Designs Were Etched
upon the spoons; that is. the silver was
covered with wax. the pattern outlined
with a sharp pen, and an acid poured
on which eats the metal where it is ex-
posed. This is the way nwhich the spoons
we see in the Twin City shops with the
name of the town in large letters on the
bowl were stamped. 1t is a difficult
process, requiring an infinite amount of
patience, and as duplicate designs were
required, dies were made. A single die
costs from 5000 to $780, but the work is
so much expedited that they repay the
outlay. A very few of these spoons tax
ones purse, but when the craze dies
out it will be possible to possess whole
set Of your favOrite pattern, and then
good-by to the plain designs of our
grlndmotherS.
History, legend. even Mother Goose
melodies, are drawn upon for ideas for
the designer. Mindful of future profit,
their appearance, exhibiting different
scenes in the life of our discoverer.
Anything with pointed chin whisker
and EliZabethan ruff is made to do
duty for his face until we wonder if he
were a hydra-headed "Dr. Jeckyll and
MIR. HYDE" But art is art, and these
will form appropriate souvenirs for the
foreigners who wish to carry away some
mementos of our big show at Chicago.
New England with its early historic
and literary associations offers a fair
field for the designer. and one of the
quaintest of these is spoon, the handle
of which is cut i'll imitation of the statue
of John Harvard standing atCambridge.
Below the pedestal is fac simile of the
autograph of the uniyersity'S founder,
making pleasing memento for the
thousands of students who call Harvard
''alma mater" and the good old parson
the pater familias. Our state univer-
slty could easily get up design of its
own, and some enterprising silyersmith
should get a considerable trade among
its 1900 students. One might suggest
as pattern handle adorned with the
head of the US benefactor, and in the
bowl a sack of flour with the words ''Pills-
burY'S Best" Boston would next claim
the attention of the spoon hunter. One
offered has for handle Bunker Hill
monument, the cap of the structure
resting suggeStively upon the bowl, and
we breathe sigh of thanksgiving. as
we realize it IS not necessary to climb
the 22O steps before reaching our dinner.
Another Boston memento shows a
handle with the tip modelled after the
hub Of wheel with the spokes. The
modest legend, From the Hub" graces
the shank.
The Charter Oak" spoon is one of
the most elaborate to be seen. 1t shows
the famous old tree in the bowl, a deer
surmounts the handle, and OH the shank
is the motto Post nubila, Phebus,' -
which one jeweler humorously trans
lated Post no bills" and wondered why
1t should be placed there. Surely the
advertising fiend had not deSecrated its
historic trunk. There are three dates
on the handle. 1857, the year in which
Sir Edmudd Andras demanded the sur
render of the charter. Itwas concealed
in the tree until 1889, the second date.
Aug. 20, 1856, the faithful old patriot
Succumbed 10 a gale, and | believe a
chair has been made of its remains.
The charter is framed. and hangs on
the walls i'll the old state house.
New York Fads.
Gotham offers Peter Stuyvesant and
Rip Van Wrinkle spoons. Rip stands
on the handle, his hand up to his head,
having just awakened from his twenty
years nap, and is pCndering the cues
ton: Am I?''
Another design has the handle repre-
sentlng the Goddess Of Liberty. The
bowl is shell shaped and real dime is
sOldered in the center. This is a good
way to preserve dime " hich was made
in the year you were born in, if you are
so fortunate as to find one. or it could
form dainty commencement gift with
an 1891 dime. There is one strange
omission, no design is presented which
might be a souvenir of Wall street, aud
surely the fights between bulls and
bears would form an interesting sub
ject.
Philadelphia offers spoon with the
old state house bell on the handle and
the signing of the Declaration of Inde-
pendence appropriately decorates the
bowl. A Washington spoon has the
monument for handle and the capitol
on the bowl, while Chicago offers us the
''phGpiX rising from the ashes.''
Decidedly the most original Mime
sofa spoon is on exhibition in the Twin
Cities. In the bowl of the spoon is en-
graved the falls of Minnehaha, scene
which seems to impress tavorably all
artists. from the amateur who daubs in
oils to the silversmith, until one won
ders that Minnie does not forget her
ripping laughter she is so often rep
resented in stuffs that won't fall. This
possesses at least one merit-that her
laughter is silvery. However, the falls
are so distinctlvely Minnesotean and
their fame so national that forgive the
designer. On the shank is a golden rib
bon bearing the word Minnesota" and
the handle is terminated by the seal of
the state, the shield bearing the plough
man, prophetic of our agricul-
tural life, and-shalI we saw
the dominance of the Great West
and the Alliance party? The Indian
rushing away in the distance is indeed
many miles away, for the younger gen.
Grafton. even in this wild Western
state, scarcely knows the phiz of poor
Lo, except under the safe shelter of
Barnum's big tent. The motto of the
state, "L'etoile du Nord," circles round