The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-09-15
AREAL MUSEUM, INDEED
S. A. F. Goodspeed's Large ColIec-
tion OF Curiosities in Warwick.
THE OLD MAN HAS TRAVELLED FAR
He Has Not Only Many Rhode leland
Antiquities, but Things From All Over
the Globe. and Ie Is y Genial and
Generous Gentleman.

Generous Gentleman
Half way between Buttonwood and the
village Of Apponaug. and overlooking the
waters of Coweset bay, and in the dim
distance the steeples of East Greenwich
there stands low, humble dwelling
owned and occupied by an old man named
S. A. r. Goodspeed, who frequently is
spoken Of as hermit.
There is nothing in the building itself
TO attract the notice of passers-by, but
during these summer days attention is
called to it by the great garden of old
fashioned flowers that surrounds IT,,
wherein such old-time blossoms as pc
| tunas, holly-bocks, sunflowers, bachelor
buttons and old maid pinks flourish and
receive constant care. Also in this gar
| den is a smaller one, the bounds OF which
| are in the form of coffin, and at the head
| Of which is n wooden cross with the fol-
| lowing legend:
THE DEAD PAST.
From the thorns OF this life may we gather roses.
Mr. Goodspeed when he erected that
was actuated by the thought Of the poet
to put away he past and vain regrets,
and on them as stepping stones try to at-
tain to things better and more ambi-
The immediate effect on the visitor is
to look for other curious things: and IL
Mr.. Goodspeed is at home he will be in-
vited to come in" and he will be enter
tanned by the sight and description of
many curiosities from all parts of the
word, and among which are many from
RHODE ISLAND families.
Mr.. Goodspeed at ouc, impresss one
by his picturesqueness lie Is 40 or more
years of age. small Of stature yet withal
-. .,,I t.aln u,.I l. DE- al ..,.I
| flowing hair surmountcd by peculiar
cap bespeak him as man of the sea.
| And one is apt to consider how out-of-
place he is away from some old New
England seaport town.
| Mr.. Goodspeed has in fact followed the
| sea for many years, and has been around
| the world, and into nearly all the ports
| many times. He was born in Newport.
| but his life has been spent mainly away
| from RHODE ISLAND. He came to the
| place where he now lives about four years
| ago from Communipaw, where he had
| previously lived for many years in the
| same lonely, but not altogether unen-
| joyable manner. He says he is not a
| hermit, although designated "a such. be-
cause he likes the company OF men and
women, and hermits do not like that OF
men and especi lily not that OF women.
Inside the House.
On entering the house person Is at
once impressed by the scrupulous neat
ness Of arrangements, and the cleanliness
| of windows ana uncarpeted floors. Next
the attention will be drawn to the great
number of paintings hung about the
walls, all done by Mr.. Goodspeed. They
are artistic because the genius for portray
| ing just what he wanted to is In them.
They commonly represent ships and sea
sketches. There Is also one of his Com
munipaw home.
In an adjoining room are his treasures
| of curiosities. One corner is devoted to
| those of the Indians and other aborigines.
| They were obtained by Mr.. Goodspeed
during his four years OF captivity among
| the Western Indians. who had their home
somewhere in the Colorado river. They
| include n full Indian suit of headdress
| leather shirt, pants, leggins and mocca-
sins; numerous scalp locks, 81 ono
| tomahawk, one of the oldest and best
preserved in the country; pipe OF peace
| of the Onondaga tribe, IA Comanche pipe.
and most important OF NIL pipe Of the
Montezumas, bearing their hieroglyphics,
| which the Indian chief who gave il
said was as old ms the grass. There are
also pottery, baskets and teapots made of
| wood and bark and a skull. These were
| all brought from he Indian encampment
| by MIR. Goodspeed when he was released
| from captivity, and aboye them hangs iis
painting of the village, drawn rs he re-
| members ii.
Other ancient American historical
| relics, referable to the settlement Of the
| rev orld, include the head OF Dutch
| axe, rusted and otherwise time worn. IL
was dug up at Communipaw, together
| with lot Of human bones and all are
| supposed to be relics OF the Communi-
| paw massacre.
Curiosities OF more recent date Of the
| country's history include dagger taken
| from the tent of Jefferson Davis just pre-
| viohs to mis- capture, a flag from the Con-
| federate Fort Wagner, and the door latch
| and lock from Washngton's headquar-
| ters In Harlem, an old building which
| now stands or recently stood between
| One Hundred and Seventeenth aud One
| Hundred and Eighteenth streets, Eighth
avenue, New York.
| The RHODE ISLAND relics alluded to are
two nails from the coffin OF Roger Will
Jams, and n fragment from the stone on
which Roger Williams landed. On this
Mr. Goodspeed has engraved the familiar
scene Of the landing aud welcome by tho
Indians
A Pottery Dish Of Betsy Williams.
From Betsy Williams household there
| Is "A pottery dish. From the household OF
Gov. Winslow, the first Colonial Gov
ernor, there are dishes, pots and ket ties.
and the Governors spectacles. one with
frames of heavy metal, and many -jointed,
| as made in olden time. These, together
with the Betsy Williams dish. come TO
Mr.. Goodspeed by inheritance, his mother
being descendant In the fifth genera
| tion.
OF the colonial time these relies are
shown: Two dishes brought over in the
| Mayfiower, which were owned by
Ann Hathaway aud Mary Mason; n Dutch
pipe said 10 have been smoked on Bowl
| ing Green when the English hag wss
hauled down by Desbrosses aud the