San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-12-06
A B,acksmIth,s Muserm.

| Henry Is. Smlth, OF Detroit, MlCn.
has collected an interesting museum
of local and general char" cter. He
began life as blacksmith at Muir
| frees boro, Tennessee, and settled in
| Detroit in 1868, He worked hard for
| little more than a bare living, aud
still found time and means to gather
| the things which into, ested him, and
! which now form valuable collection.
AS he himself explains ir, he always
| watched the secondhand stores of De-
troit aud other elites very carefully.
| Whenever he heard of an auction
sale of the effects OF an old or
prominent citizen he made it q
poIut to be on hand. That was the
| source from which many valuable
relics were obtained, including those
| of Gen. Cass and the Csmpau family.
For many years past he picked up
everything of historic interest which
bodied in his museum the Bella Hub.
pard collection of coins, that of Her
bert Bowen, the Young collections,
that OF ID. Farrand Henry, the Bern.
stein and Mrs Salmon collections,
and many others of equal note. He
also picked up many valuable odds
L
His collection includes a very COM
plets assortment of the relics COLI
iected by Gen. Lewis Cass. In
It are old newspapers de- ting beck to
| 1899, an ancient warming pan, old
brass and irons, tall brass CANDLE
sticks, candlestick trays or walters,
and ponderous shutters. From the
Abbott homestead he has andirons,
trays, shutters, candlesticks and
',ngs, bought from the. Jew dealers
after they had been sold at auction,
and from the old Campau home the
old iron coffee mill, candle molds, fiat
irons, three tin and two pottery tea
pots, sugar bowl and cream pitcher.
A copper stew kettle of unique design
was made in England in 2760, and q
small hair trunk was owned hy Mrs.
John E. Warren in 1850, and given to
Miss s. NJ. Warren Devioit descend
ant in 1852 There Is brass tea kettle
that once belonged ID George Wash
ing ton, and another that was used by
Mrs. James X. Polk, and q unique
brass candlestlck that was used by
Sir WIN. johnson. There is q map OF
the city of London 10 1907. one Of De-
troit in 1885, one of Washington In
1850, valuable old steel portraits of
Washington, Gen. Harrison, gran d.
father Of the President; Daniel Web.
ster, Edward Everett and Henry Clay.
These were executed many years ago
and are very rare. Mr.. Smiths muse
UNI includes on almost innumerable
collection of relics of the wars of the
Revolution. 1912, and the Rebellion,
There are four trees which contain
! al Io
ancient and curious English bar shot,
10 less than sixty-four different yles
of pistols, ranging In age from the
invention of such weapons down to
the present time, one being a twelve
cham bered old French biunderOuss,
the sabre carried by Gen. John Nor
gan during his famous raid, a banjo
made from an old pie pan and places
of wood by Union soldier in Libby
Prison. and what he claims to be the
key of Libby Prison itself
"
Nc st Expert Thieves in the World.
An Australian military officer who
recently visited the British forces on
the borders of Afghanisten relates
the following of some of the native
hes there: "The h'll men in the vi
nity of where We operated are the
most extraordinary thieves L ever
met. They actually steal sheet
from under you as you sleep upon it.
Greasing themselves all over, they
suuirm black and naked on their
bellies past the sentries in the dark.
They take all risks of being shot with
eat cheerfulness. Wormipg into a
mans tent they will tickle him with
a feather while he sleeps. Flies and
" nged Insects are common all night
Il ig. AS the sleeper turns restiessly
over the thief Will pull the sheet q
little outward, and so he keeps on
tick ling until he has got his sheet.
They prize calico highly, and steal
sheets with great delight. One man
got into swell artillery officers
tent, who woke next morning
d find every scrap OF his heavy
gold lacing cut of and stolen. On an
other occasion q man got into sol~
dier's tent. To prevent this tbieving
all rifles are chained and locked in q
rack, while the owner sings the key
round his neck. There are ten men
to a tent. The thief finding he
)uldn't take one rifle without steal
ing the KEY, settled the matter by
walking off with the whole rack and
ten rifles Sentries? Try your hand
as sentry among them. You can't
see or hear them in the darkness.
They are like silent snakes Ofcourse,
q sentry would shoot in minute II
he could hear or see anything )shoot
ar--but he doesn't. That is why they
are supposed to be the most expert
thieves in the world. Did you ever
try to catch a CREASED pig by the tail?
You can sometimes make knot IN It,
but you can't do that with hn
man.