The St. Johns herald., 1891-11-19
UNCLE SALTS TREASURES.
How They Are Secured Against
 Pilfering Fingers.
The Vast Riches Of the National Museum, Apparently at tlle Mercy Of =, Thieves, Yet Perfectly
 Safe.

Few people who gaze upon t,lc treas ures iaciosed within the fragile glass cases near the main entrance of the National museum dream that any material protection ga-ds them from burglarious and predatory paws, saTc that a watch is kept as a matter of course by persons in charge, says tle Washington Star. Gold and silver by the hundred weight are there exposed to view, while the intrinsic and his torical value of the exhibits mounts up into the millions. Yet all is open, with only thin sheets of crystal be- tween the avaricious visitor and this precious property of the American peo- pie.
 Let the would-be robber try it then; let him wait, and, when he is perfectly ceaain the guard is not looking, lay hands on so much as one small copper penny of historic date exposed behind the glass. To! an alarm rings through the building, and from all sides the att tendants flock to the rescue. The thief learns, too late for profitable in formation, that each copper, silver, or gold piece in every case has a separate attachment to the burglar alarm in the building. The accessibility of the cost ly objects is only apparent; the entire police of Washington is guarding them day and night.
 The United States cannot afford to have these things stolen. Among the treasures the museum contains of great intrinsic value are the presents made to Gen. Grant while he was abroad. Among them are three large caslzets of solid gold, each as big as an ordinary four-pound confectionery box and very massive, which were given by London, Ayr and Glasgow, containing the free dom of those cities. Besides these there are four other boxes Of solid silver, very massive. One of the most valuable of these gifts was a set of jade Orna- ments-a material much prized in China which, being carved from such large pieces, are worth many thousands of dollars. They were presented by Prince Kung. Gold ciTar-cases and knives are merely incidental, but q most interesting and precious relic is a gold card of invitation sent to Gen. Grant by friends in San Francisco in 9 silver envelope with his address on the outside, an ordinary two-cent stamp af- fixed, and a request engraved upon the envelope that the missivc should be re- turned to the sender if not delivered in ten days. Tho invitation was to the most superb ball ever given on the Pacific coast. and Gen. Grant attended.
 But in addition to the Grant presents, these glass cases at the museum hold ever so many other treasures of value. There are great number of gOld-hilted swords, with solid gold scabbards. Two of them were given to Gen. Shields by the states of South Carolina and Illinois, respectively, for services m the Mexican war. Others arc mounted with diamonds and studded with rUbles and other precious stones. Congress bought the two swords from Gen. Shields family for ten thousand dollars. A golden scimitar, given by the emper- or of Morocco to Thomas Jefferson, is one of the most precious relics. Another is a gold box, set with initials in dia- monds, presented to Francis, tho inven- tor of the life-saving car, by Napoleon III. One car after his model, which saved two hundred men, women and children from a single wreck, is on cX- hibition at the museum. With the box is displayed Q gold medal worth five thousand dollars, presented to Francis by the congress of the United States. Also there is Q reproduction in fac-sim- ile of the celebrated plate of solid gold, weighing nearly four pounds, which was dug up in Rome in the year 210 A. D., with sixteen golden coins set around its margin of different emperors. The original of this plate was stolen from the Louvre in Paris, and was subse- qucptly fshcd out of the Seine, into which the thieves had thrown it. A collection of Japanese gold coins in- cluded in the same assenblage of curi- osities has a valuation of many thou sand dollars. There are in addition numerous gold medals granted to the Smithsonian institution and to the fish commission. Besides, there are ever So many presents of great value given by foreign powers and potentates to presi- dents of the United States and other Of- fieials of this country, which by law they were not permitted to accept. Among these last were a bottle of dia- monds and bottle of pearls, which are not displayed in the collection of gems at tSc museum.
 Once in two or three years the treas ures of the museum in the shape of gold, silver and jewels arc cleaned. The gold objects, inclosed as they are in cases almost air-tight, need very little touching up. In the collection of rare coins are some very extraordinary curi- osities. Among them is an original Egyptian silver piece with the head of Cleopatra on one side and that of Marc Antony on the other. There are also specimens of all the moneys mentioned in the Bible, including the widows mite" worth half Q f2Ttlia-. of Judca, the silver GoInan ''tribate penny" val ued at ton cents, the s!,cllcl of Jerusa- len, and the tetradrachm of Sidon and Tyre.