Waterbury evening Democrat., 1891-01-22
IN THE NATIONAL MUSEUM.
It's Treasures from All Parts of the Globe
of Inestlmable value.

4 ITS treasures rom ALI Parts OF the GIob0
of Inestimable value.
The most valuable jewels in the Ma
tional Museum in Washington, d. c.,
are the relics of our great men near the
entrance. These are worth tens of
thousands of dollars In intrinsic value
of the gold and jewels of which they
are made, to say nothing of the work.
manship. There are swords by the
dozen set with diamonds, guns inlaid
with precious stones and canes which
have heads of gold in which gems are
embedded. A guard is detailed to watch
them night and day. Each case has q
burglar alarm connected with it, and
the least meddling would set an electric
bell ringing and call the museum army
| together.
The Grant collection is one. 1t is
made up of hundreds of gold articles ex-
quisitely engraved and brought togeth-
er from all parts of the world, of rare
stones, of china more valuable than
though it were of solid gold, and of 9TH
er articles which if melted down would
fully pay the Presidents salary for a
| year or more.
| In one case there is a complete col
lection of gold and silver coins of Japan,
which has wonderful numismatic value
as it is the only complete set in exist
ence, except one in the Japanese treas
ury. Some of the gold coins are quar-
ter of an inch thick and as large around
ms the top of a dinner pail. Seven of
them cost SIS, 900, and there are perhaps
hundred in the collection.
In another case there are half a dozen
large elephant tusl1s which the King of
Siam gave to General Grant, and there
are six pieces of costly jade given him
by one of the Princes of China. All of
the swords presented to him are there,
and many of them have diamonds set
in the hits The sword given to Gen
eral Grant by the sanitary fair at New
York has solid gold head, represent
ing the Goddess of Liberty, which has
two rubies, two diamonds and two sap
phires set in it. The sword of Chatta-
nooga has fourteen diamonds embedded
in it, and many of the gifts which he
received from foreign monarchs are of
gold set with diamonds.
One of the medals which are in the
collection contains $500 worth of gold
and is as large around as the bottom of
tin cup. The gold articles in this col
lection would fill a peck measure, and
many cities seem to have given General
in which their freedom was presented.
The box which he received at Ayr,
Scotland is as big as cigar box, and is
of solid gold. The city of Glasgow gave
him still larger one, beautifully
chased and the gold box which he re-
ceived from the City of London is
wonder of artistic workmanship, bear
ing an engraving of the Capitol on one
side and of the London Guildhall on the
other. Enameled on its golden surface
are the union jack, the red, white and
| blue, and the Goddess of Liberty shak-
ing hands with the British Lion.
There is beautiful cigar case of gold
from the King of Siam, model of the
table on which Lees surrender was
signed in gold, and a solid gold invita-
ton card as large as postal card and
about four times as thick, which was
sent to General Grant in a solid silver
envelope, inviting him to a masked ball
at San Francisco. There are a number
of silver menus, a gold handled knife
which the miners of Idaho gave him.
gold headed canes set with diamonds,
and medals and othes articles of gold.
The order of the Shefekat, which the
Sultan gave to Mrs. S. S. Cox, is also
kept in the National Museum. 1t is a
star larger around than a trade dollar
which sparkles with more than n
hundred diamonds These diamonds
are set in gold on brown, gold and
green enamel. The star has five points,
and there are twenty-siX diamonds on
each point. 1t has beautiful ribbon
sash connected with it, and was given
to Mrs. Cox one night at the Sultan S
palace, when she went there to dinner
with her husband and ate Turkish
viands served up by French cook on
gold plates. After the dinner was over
the Sultan presented this insignia. She
thought, 1 am told, that she was to
have it forever, but it seems that His
Majesty only lends such presents for
life, and when she dies it is to be re-
turned to him.
The wife of Minister Straus was deco
rated with the same order, and she will
have to return it in the distant future
Uncle Sam has a vast collection of
the Jewels of savages. He has silver
ware made by the Indians of Arizona,
carved ornaments from Alaska and
great bracelets and anllets of gold, sill
yer and bass from India. One of the
most curious necklaces in his collection
is one of human fingers, which the men
of some of the Indian tribes wear, and
there is one made of sixty-seven human
teeth, with holes pierced at their roots
to string them.
This necklace was ten inches long,
and a number of teeth evidently need
filling. 1t came from the Fiji Islands,
and was found there in 1910. Another
necklace was made of human hair,
into which the tusk of the wal
rus XaS woven It was about two
inches thick and twenty inches long.
Another savage necklace is one of
human and dog teeth combined, and
there are necklaces of stone, of gold,
silver, copper and brass of all shapes