Iron County register., 1892-08-04
QUEER CHINESE SWORDS.
Deadly and Awful Weapons Conceived b.
GrieDtnlS

OrIentals.
Though DR. BedlOe the United States
consul to Annoy. China. has started back
to his post after his leave of absence.
yet through the delays incident to the
. shipping of goods from such far-off
lands and in getting them through the
, customhouse. some of his most interest
ing and valuable relics arrived only a
few days ago.
In his room at the Bellevue reporter
found the genial consul resting content
edly after his breakfast, as his eye roved
contemplatively over number of the
most deadly and awful weapons ever
conceived or executed by man. When
asked about these curiosly ugly swords
the doctor said:
Il was asked to execute a commission
for Rev. DIR. C.. NJ. Shepherd, the
distinguished Nebraska divine, a
gentleman who. though man of peace,
has one of the finest, if not the very
best collection of swords and other
weapons in the world. This led to my
examining several hundred rare and
curious weapons sent me for inspection
and approval and these are a few of
those | selected. No two are alike and
not one but what displays rare skill
nd inventive power on the part of the
Chinese swordsnith.
The handsomest of all is a generals
saber about four feet and d half long.
slightly japanese in style, with n edge
like 4 razor and a point that would ex-
tort admiration from Col. Jack Chinn.
OF Louisville. Ky. Unlike our own.
the thickest part of the blade is
the center. This gives great weight
to the weapon, joined to the appear
ance of extreme lightness. The scab
bard is made of hard, tough wood.
lacquered to represent black iron en-
crusted with mother of pearl The hilt
is of black iron nodded in the form of
a full-blown rose, the pearls of which
have been drilled with small holes, and
these filled with bright, brass bars.
The most curious to the lot to nv
eye is the so-called warriors two
bladed sword from Ho-Nan. 1t is only
about two feet long and in the scab-
bard looks very like the sword bayonet
of our own army. The scabbard is
plain, but very neat and covered with
white shagreen or sherkslxin and
you draw it the blade divides
into two, each fac-simile
of the other, double edged and
spear pointed. The twin blades have a
remarkable decoration made by drilling
seven holes about an inch and a half
and put in zigzag line from hilt to
point These are filed with pure cop
per, which is ground down to form a
smooth surface flush with the steel and
polished to a mirror-like brightness.
These seven stars, as they are called,
are found in nearly all the martial
weapons of Ho-Nan and are relics of
the old astrologic faith that still pre-
walls in many parts of China. It's hold
is SO strong that if the copper falls
out of one of the sword holes it is ac-
the luckless wielder of the blade usual
ly commits suicide to escape further
trouble.
''The short stabbinG daggers which
find favor chiefly with pirates and
revolutionists form a strong contrast
with the weapons described. They are
generally so ugly that they would be
ludicrous were it not for the purposes
to which they are applied. I have one
which looks like = queerly-made ace of
spades fastened into a wire-bound
handle. To increase the artistic effect
Of the weapon the armorer has followed
out a shallow, spoon-shaped concave on