The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-04-30
HERALDRY IN AMERICA.
A DOMESTICATED HER AID TALKS
OF BIS PROFESSION.


ate of the Herald's College, Who
Practices in New York.
From the Philadelphia Times
The heraldic fad has taken deep root in
this adaptive soil. Every fashionable
American dame yearns to own a coatof
arms, which she can display upon her car
riage panels. In consequence, heraldry
has become quite profession in several of
the big cities. and all well-known jewellers,
sGationers and carriage builders employ
skillful craftsmen in this particular line
One of the most successful Of these artists
resides In New York and does an immense
business. He is graduate of the London
Herald's College and a relative and pupil OF
Sir Bernard Burke. her majesty's ulster
king of arms. His practice" as he
phrases it. includes not only heraldry
proper, but also pedigrees and genealogical
researches on both sides of the ocean.
Speaking of his experience and prospects
in America this gentleman says: IF New
York were not the best center for trade
should be inclined to move to Philadelphia.
Half of the families who boast of armorial
bearings in the metropolis have no more
right to them than so many Fiji islanders.
1t is different in Philadelphia, where many
families are able to trace their descehts in
disputably and clearly back to British or
French ancestors entitled to coat armor.
But even in Philadelphia l suppose there
are parvenus who want pedigrees in return
for hard cash. The worst of this class of
patronage comes from the west, but | have
met with glaring instances in New York.
AS might be suspected, most of my
patrons are ladies, and the ignorance dis
played by even the best educated OF these
fair ones on all matters pertaining to her.
aldry is agonlzlng to practical herald.
Let me give you an instance. Some weeks
ago a lady applied to me to furnish her
family with a coat of arms. We discussed
the matter and found that she wanted ar
mortal bearings because her next~door
neighbor and dear friend sprinkled them
lavishly over her equipaRes, note paper and
other belongings. l promised cheer
fully to help her, because her name
was a good old Dovenshire one. and had
little fear of failing to prove gentle de-
scent for her family. al,s 4sls-r 49,
Events turned out as | had hoped.
unraveled the pedigree satisfactorily, hunted
| up the family arms and sketched them COR
| rectly 'differenced' for madame. They
were Argent, a single saltant gales,
trailing broken chain, or, in plain En-
glish, this meant: On a silver field leap-
ing ape, colored red, and dragging behind
him golden chain. The crest was an ape
| argent. Now these were arms honorable
enough, and had been granted to family
by Henry ~. in memory of a famous tradi-
| ton. L expected my lady pat
! ron to be highly pleased and
| showed her the drawing with considerable
JUNCTION. What was my horror when, after
brief glance at my poor sketch she dashed
it wrathtully to the ground and stalked out
| of the room. A few minutes afterward my
employer entered, wearing a very long
face. You have lost US a good customer
he said. That lady who just went out
claims you insulted her It appears you
gave her friend, Mrs. s.. a handsome lion
rampant. while the best you could do for
her was miserable pair Of red and white
monkey Imagine my feelings!
But this is only one Of many heartrend-
ing episodes. The other day a charming
girl of excellent family commissioned me to
paint her family shield. Il am not satisfied
with the Did colors,' she said, and you will
please alter them. You see | want the
picture fer my boudoir, which is furnished
in white and gold. The tints of our coat of
arms are staring reds and blues, which |
want toned down to suit the ROOM TWAS
In vain tried to explain to this young per-
con that armorial tints cannot be altered,
except ty royal decree. 1t was In vain
L argued that the purpose Of heraldrY
was not 70 furnish harmonious colorings.
She said That if l could not alter the tints
of her SHIELD she would give the commission
to somebody who could. AS conscientious
herald ihould have let the commission 90
AS business man | complied with the
ladys request and altered the arms from
red and Hue to silver and gold, thinking all
the whilewhat Garter, Norreys and Ulster
kings at arms would do aud say were thew
CONFRONTED With similar difficulty.
1.-THE tsstes of American ladies seem to
run toward dragons, lions, tigers and such
like warike beasts as their heraldic de-
vices. That fact is amusing to a herald
who knows that these charges are not
among tie very honorable, while they are
certainly the commorest. A charge in
heraldrYfor the benefit Of the uninitiated
is an object represented upon the shield;
and cha,ges, like society, are graded.
Talking Of honorable charges recalls an
incident which happened to me In New
York on my first arriving here. The wife
OF gallant eX-army officer came to me
for Goa OF arms. hunted up her hus-
bands shield and found that it contained a
chevronor. Now a chevron, which is shaped
like an Inverted " is one of the most honor
able che'ges in heraldry. My officers wife,
tingly unmarked: "You must bs mistaken.
Only nd-commissionedo officers wear chew
rons aid my husband was never in the
ranks
"Myletters asking for coats OF arms are
numerous. Here is one from the wife of a
wester congressman:
DEG SIR-Please sketch in water colors
my hsband's crest and send same. with
bill. . address given below. IL satsfac-
tory 1ill give you large order. Ny hus>
bands folks came from New England.
Woud like the crest to include a view of
the buses Of congress with the rising sun
behid them. My favorite colors are Grim |
son nd gold, so put IN as much of them as |
you can. Is a coat Of arms different |
fros crest? If so, let me know how much |
yoUwould charge to paint coat of arms |
too Yours, etc.
ireally believe that If the rage for |
arsorial bearings, pedigrees and the like
gos on increasing at its present rate your
gdernment will have to legislate on it az
Eropean governments have done. A |
ts1ff might appropriately be placed on |
hraldic devices, which are certainly luxu- |
r,s. People taking out arms in England |
&c taxed. Why should they not be 80 |