The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1891-08-01
ODD rHINas lN pAWN.
Old Family Treasures of Great Value and
Historic Interest.

lookout for freaks, you know, and they
would just bore me to death" So spoke
u Halstead street man who has done
business under the triple ball sign since
the fire and who has in a section of his
shop devoted to the purpose, u collec-
tion of the rarest and most valuable ar
ticles to be found in Chicago.
Here's a book an old Frenchman
brought me. He had paid one hundred
dollars for it, and it is worth all of that
now" 1t was in two volumes, each
thirty inches square, heavily bound in
morocco, and printed entirely in French
on the heaviest of paper, very much
like linen, but softer. Each alternate
page was fine wood engraving illus
trating an event in the career of Ma
poleon. The text was in great primer
type and beautifully printed. To an ad-
mirer of the MAN of Destiny" the vol
umes would be almost priceless.
Here is a pair of revolvers that Gen.
Fremont carried across the continent
when he was earning the title of Path
Under. They are among the first made,
and are loaded with powder and bail.
Here is the ramrod And here is pair
of firearms still more valuable. Sir
Walter Raleigh carried these to Ameri-
ca and home again to England, where
after trouble overlook him, they fell
into the hands of an English family
whose descendants brought them to
America, and they finally drifted in
here let ten dollars go on them, and
they are worth it yet Here is a sword
worn by Stafford, who was beheaded in
| London on the charge of attempting
the life of King Charles. Oates and
Shaftesbury, the wretches gave per-
jured testimony against him. o,
learned heap of history in my school
days. A fellow couldn't gather up
things of this kind without knowing
that it helps him to put value on the
articles.
"These snuffers are from the house
hold of Lady Fairfax, of colonial Vir-
ginia. Here is a Bible that went
through the massacre of st. Bartholo-
NEW, and another that came over in the
Mayhower. And, speaking of Bibles,
here is one that had the back eaten off
by famishing woman in an open boat
on the Pacific ocean. Her ship had
been wrecked, and with six sailors she
and two other women drifted fourteen
days, the last five without particle of
food. But she lived through it all, and
finally drifted to Chicago She was
living here on the West Side few years
ago, and is yet, for all know.
"Did you ever hear of Henry Forbes?
Well, he was murderer who killed a
family of seven persons in little Ohio
town. He first murdered the man in a
quarrel, and then killed the rest for fear
their testimony would implicate him.
He had not intended to run, but his
nerve failed him when the last of his
desperate work was done, and he came
to Chicago. He brought several valua-
BILE things with him and pawned them
here in the city. [ got this dagger and
scabbard. The officers identified them,
but never came and got them, though
they had me go to Jail to see Forbes
after he was arrested. This belt and
badge were owned and worn by Sir
Hudson Lowe, Napoleon's keeper at st.
Helena, His valet got them in some
manner, and they descended to son,
who pawned them, 1 am sure, to get
money for drink. / confess to sort of
!
nected with Napoleon downfall or cap
tivity, going straight to the dogs. l
won't help specially, Int I'll be shot if
l offer to hold them back.
Here's some ornaments whitfield out
of stone coal by southern prisoners at
Camp Douglas during the war and some
other curiosities carved by Union pris-
oners in Andersonville. 1 got them OF
little old man who used to keep a
cigar store on Madison street He was
an intense patriot, though he never
dared to fight, and had made good col
lection of military prison relics. This
crown is made from leaking canteen
one of the prisoners had" The article
was curiously wrought imperial crown,
with colored pebbles set in tin flagree.
OF course no soldering was used, the
pieces being held in place by ingenious
bending alone. A cross made from the
brass buckle of an army belt surmount-
ed the whole, and a few shreds of tent
linen still showed where the lining had
once been.
"This little box drifted ashore near
Green Bay, Wis, from the Lady Elgin,
which was lost with so many lives some
years ago. In it was gold watch and
chain and toilet set The things seemed
to have been crowded into it in hurry
This old hat Gen. Grant left in store
at Cairo, ILL.,, after the battle of Shiloh,
when he came north for short consul
tation with Gen. HalleclS. He needed a
new one, and left the old one, with or
ders to keep it until called for-lil1e the
box Mr.. Blackboy left with Barkis in
the story of David Copperfeld The
dealer brought it up here at the time of
the republican convention in $780, So
many people were yelling for Grant
then for third term that the Cairo man
thought he could get fancy price for
the memento. But he couldn't, and |
finally bought it of him for two dollars.
guess it's all right, it's full of affidavits
that must have cost the Egyptian five
dollars to procure. No, don't care to
sell it. I'm starting museum myself.
This copy of old Curiosity Shop was
given by the author, Charles Dickens,
to lady who had encouraged him much
in his earlier efforts to write. She is
now living in Evanston, a grandmother
of the young man who brought the book
here If had good way of getting il
to her without giving him away, weuld
certainly send it back and lose the loan
though would rather have the book
than twice the loan. This old musket
was carried by an Irish soldier at the
battle of the Boyne, and his grandson,
who was on the Chicago police force