Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1892-11-25
SOME PRECIOUS RELlcs.
Mementos Of Our Great Mon In the II.
scum ut WASHINGTON.

Mementos OF Our Great Mon In the ~
scum ut Washington.
The most valuable jewels in the
National Museum in Washington are
the relics of our great men near the
entrance. These are worth tens ol
thousands of dollars in intrinsic value
of the gold and jewels of which they
are made, to say nothing of tha
workmanship. There are swords by
the dozen set with diamonds, guns
tnlafd with precious stones, and canes
which have heads of gold in which
gems are imbedded. A guard is de-
tailed to watch them night and day.
Each case has q burglar alarm COM
nected with it, and the least medI
ding would set an electric bell ring.
ing and call the Museum army to.
gethcr.
The Grant collection is one. 1t is
made up of hundreds of gold articles
exquisttely engraved, and brought to-
gcther from all parts of the world, OF
rare stones, of china more valuable
than though it were of solid gold, and
of other articles which, if melted,
down, would fully pay the Presidents
salary for a year or more.
In one case there is u complete col.
lection of gold and silver coins of ia.
pan, which has Il wonderful numis.
matte value, as it is the only com.
plcte set in existence except one fn
the Japanese treasury. Some of the
gold coins are quarter of an inch
thick and as large around as the ton
of dinncr-pail. Seven of them cost
So, 900, and there are perhaps hun.
dred in the collection.
In another case there are half q
dozen large elephant tusks which the
King of Siam gave to General Grant.
and there are six pieces of costly jade
given him by one of the princes Of
China. All of the swords presented
to him are there, and many of them
have diamonds set in the hilts. The
sword given to General Grant by the
Sanitary Fair at New York has q
solid gold head, representing the
Goddess of Liberty, which has two
rubies, two diamonds. and two sap
phires set in it. The sword of Chat
tanooga has fourteen diamonds i'm
bedded in it, and many of the gifts
which he received from foreign mon
archs are of gold set with diamonds
One of the medals which are in the
collection contains 5000 worth Of
gold, and is as large around as the
bottom of a tin cup. The gold ar
ticles in this collection would fill a
peck measure, and many cities, too,.
gave General Grant gold box con-
tanning the papers in which their
freedom was presented. The box
which he received at Ayr, Scotland,
Is as big as cigar box and is of solid
gold. The city of Glasgow gave
him a still larger one, beautifully
chased. and the gold box which he re-
ceived from the city of London is o.
wonder of artistic workmanship,
bearing an engraving of the Capitol
on one side and the London Guild;
hall on the other. Enamelcd on its;
golden surface are the union lack, the
red, white, and blue, and the God!
dess of Liberty shaking hands with
the British Lion.
There is u beautiful cigar case of
gold from the King of Siam. model
of the table on which Lees surrender
was signed, in solid gold, and a solid
gold invitation card as large as a
postal card and about five times as
thick, which was sent to General
Grant in solid silver envelope, in
viting him to Il masked ball at San
Francisco. There are g. number of
silver menus, gold-handled knife
which the miners of Idaho gave him.
gold-hcaded canes set with diamonds.
and medals and other articles of gold.
Jewellers Weekly.