The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1891-07-31
ODD THINGS IN PAWN.
Old Family Treasures of Great Value and
Historic Interest.


cago pawnbroker to reporter of the
Herald; museum agents are on the
lookout for freaks, you know, and they
would just bore me to death" So spoke
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, a collec-
ton of the rarest and most valuable ar
ticles to be found in Chicago.
Here's a book an old Frenchmaa
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 adj
mirer of the Man of Destiny" the vol
umes would be almost priceless.
"lIere is pair of revolvers that Gen.
Fremont carried across the continent
when he was earning the title of Path
finder. They are among the first made,
and are loaded with powder and ball
Here is st the ls.,! ramrod: And here is pair
Walter Raleigh carried these f66 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 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, l
learned a 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 snutfers are from the house
hold of Lady Fairfax. of colonial Vir-
ginia. Here is Bible that went
through the massacre of st. Bartholo-
NEW, and another that came over in the
Maytlower And, speaking of. Bibles,
here is one that had the back eaten off
by a furnishing 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
family of seven persons in a 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 yalua-
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 pawncd them, | am sure, to get
money for drink | confess to sort of
pleasure in seeing him, or anyone con-
nected with Napoleon's downfall or cap
tivlty, going straight to the dogs.
won't help specially, but I'll be shot if
offer to hold them back.
of stone coal by southern prisoners at
Camp Douglas during the war and some
other curioSities carved by Union pris-
oners in Andersonville. | got them of
a 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 YVES gold watch and
chain and a toilet set. The things seemed
to have been crowded into it in a hurry
This old hat Gen. Grant left in store
at Cairo, Ill, after the battle of Shiloh
when he came north for u short consul
tation with Gen. Halleck. He needed
new one, and left the old one, with or
ders to keep it until called for-like the
box Mr.. Blackboy left with Barl1is in
the story Of David Copperfeld The
dealer brought it up here at the time of
the republican convention in 1880. 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 atfidavits
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