The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1891-02-14
SOME PRECIOUS RELICS.
Memoirs Of Our Great Men in the
Museum at Washington.

The most valuable jewels in the
National Museum at Washington
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 moth
ing of the workmanship. There are
swords by the dozen set with dia.
monds, 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 a
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 ofgold articles
exquisitely engraved and brought
together from all parts of the world,
of rare stones, of china more valua-
BILE than though it were Of solid gold,
and Of other articles which, if melted
down, would fully pay the Presi-
dents salary for q year or more.
In one case there is a complete
collection Of gold and silver coins
of Japan, which has wonderful
numismatic value, as it is the only
complete set in existence except
one in the Japanese treasury. Some
Of the gold coins are a quarter of
an inch thick and as large around
as the top of dinner pail. Seven
Of them cost 5000 and there are
perhaps hundred in the collection.
In another case there are half
dozen large elephant tusks 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 hilts. The sword given to
General Grant by the Sanitary Fair
at New York has solid gold head,
representing the Goddess of Lib
erty, which has two rubies, two
diamonds and two saphires set in it.
The sword of Chattanooga has four
teen 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 5000 worth
of gold, and is as large around as
the bottom of a tin cup. The gold
articles in this collection would fill
a peck measure, and many cities,
too, gave General Grant gold box
containing the papers 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 a still larger one, beauti-
fully chased, and the gold box
which he received from the city of
London is wonder of artistic work
manship, bearing 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
shaking hands with the British
Lion.
There is beautiful cigar case of
gold from the King of Siam, a model
of the table on which Lees surren-
der was signed, in solid gold, and a
solid gold invitation card as large as
a postal card and about five times
as thick, which was sent to General
Grant in solid silver envelope, in
viting him to a masked ball at San
Francisco. There are number of
silver menus, gold-handled knife
which the miners of Idaho gave
him, gold-headed canes set with |
diamonds, and medals and other |
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