The morning call., 1892-11-06

fresh conquest. Sometimes the mania runs
for old Bibles. old Shakespea or classics,
the FIRST examples of printing. or cd monk
ish manuscripts illuminated. Egyl tian
papyr, Babyl0nian bricks, or the literature
OF India, now made transcendently inter-
estIng since the very modern discovery that
Sanscrit is the key to all the prominent
thought-growing languages of Europe,
from classic epoehs downward. Some
times, again, the mania runs for bind
ngs or other raw materials on which
literature is stamped. The collector wDo
viii pay thousands for an old Bible or
hundreds for Shakespeare is an enthusiast.
Happily, all these craZes tend to the pubic
benefit. The collector loves his hoard so
absorbingly that he cannot die in peace II
he knows it is going with the wind every
where. The famous Spencer library, rich
in the antiquities of printing, now goes to
Manchester as purchasers gift. Both the
Smithsonian Institution and the British
Museum have benefited by many cohtribu-
tons, seemingly generous but in reality
spced with sel6shness, a fduelary form OF
immortality. Should lt ever be the lot OF
the United States to form a national portrait
gallery, there will be numerous contribu-
tions Of the eminent and honorable, and II
well painted they will be all acceptable.
While the bOok-hunter who has stacked
his house from cellar To garret with muSty
loads, not one-twentieih of which can he
have read, must depart this life with psng
that he cannot hover around the shelves In
Spltlb III EOI III DOQy, lner6 is no particular
polgnancy In the breast of the rich man
who owns ine library as n show. Some
successful men there are who look upon
pictures as furniture and books as furni-
ture OF another class, valuable principally
on account of their bindings. The uncut
books remain uncut, and nearly the whole
remain unread. But these men are not hob
bylstS, at least In the manner OF the bibllo-
phile. AS far as literature goes they are I'M
posters, not hall so respectable as the
sfan laTt Ia 4 D1aa for
faithful service, said library being found 10
consist Of few books on cooking and two
or three religious works useful in the
canon's calling.
Saying farewell TO books must be laehry-
nose If you love them. but il is much more
affecting TO part with natural history col
lection which you have formed by personal
effort. The range of the natural history
collection is only limited by the earth's
superhcies. There are hundreds of pursuits
for the lobbyist in quest of happiness:
Shells, seaweeds, fishscales, fossils, birds
feathers, butterflies, beetles, birds skins.
skins of mamma 5, birds eggs, plants, both
of land and sea, seeds, fruits. leaves. min
eral specimens, woods are all the bases
of collections Nothing comes amiss to the
naturalist Even meieOric dust may satisfy
his aspirations, and the counting of notes
IN the sunbeam, and the sitting OF them into
the organic aud inorganic may send glow
of comfort through his frame.
The naturalist Is sad-eyed when he says
adeu to his life's work. As it were, he
has not only placed his own specimens in
the cases or On the shelves but discovered
them, described and identified them. They
are the children OF his brain. In the main
the true naturalist Is cODtented to the end.
Poor Darwin slipped away from life as
quietly as baby goes to sleep. The night
before his quietus came he was occupied in
studying seme plants under experiment.
On the morrow he would have resumed his
task. He died as he would have wished.
Ii Is one of the troubles of the modern
universities that collections are offered
them every day In some branch OF natural
history for which no funds are available.
and which Ii would be of DO advantage TO
own II there were funds. Collections are
mostly valuable aud most thoroughly iu-
strdetive 10 the pelsOD who makes them.
No very great botanical value, for instance,
attaches 20 the paintings left 10 Kew by
Miss North. They are paintings, but not
works of art; they are commercially faith
ful copies from nature, but are not the
plants themselves. Miss North visited
every country on tile globe and painted her
plants from life. 1t was singular hobby
and Kew has the benefit of ii in a museum
provided bv Miss North herself. Had she
described the plants in the manner OF Mr..
Grindon there would have been more in-
formation for the public.
The com collector AIDS In the elucidation
OF history and be builds his own monument
when be leaves all his specimens to some
the one In the San Francisco mint, donated
by pioneer. is OF very great value. One is
apt to smile at the sight OF a coin of Semi
ramis, bat complete set OF The coins of the
United States Is feature " hich must be
admired, especially when we learn that one
silver dollar is worth a few thousand dol
lars. The collector Of postage stamps is
also an elucldator of history. None Of the
stamps are ancient, bnt they come from all
parts OF the earth, ana some of them are
tn IA Valu
a craze not destined to die. As an aid IN
the instruction of youth IL has its place 1t
tends to form habits of acquiSiiiyeness, and
that is an element Of success ID business.
1he antiquarian Is always prOdding the
ground for relics. The ruins of a X oman
town are meat and drink to him; Greek
temple, torso. head OF marble gives him
joy; mummy is revereDced; tue fragments
Of monastery, abbey or ancient church
are religiously preserved and copied as a
guide 10 the modern architect. Anything
that can throw light on the past is welcomed,
for the antiquary lives in the past aud lives
long time, too. An international exhibI-
tion of antiquarian relics could not fail TO
be attractive. 1t would contain much that
is spurious, but the false would be certain
of detection. Probably all the clubs that
killed Captain Cook would be returned with
thanks TO their respective donors.
In Europe nearly all the old families pos
sessed OF old mansions are fond of collect
ing armor. Some of the halls are grimiy
decorated with the shining pauoply OF
mailed costume. The suggestion of such
display is that the owner had disiin-
guished ancestors, although a good deal of
the aTmor cannot legitimately be traced to
them. but rather to an old junkshop Not
only that. but much of ii is spurious The
hobby, however. eXalts the family tree and
the artist Is glad that there is craze for
armor. Allied with this taste is the collec-
ti0n OF weapons, of every kind-batIle-axes,
crossbsws, daggers, swords, guns and ois-
tolls. Quite al armOry may be found in
some houses, and the visitor is apt 10 be
impressed with the quaintness of idea the
ancients possessed on the art OF fighting.
But they were responsible for greater
slaughter than now stains the field of CON-
bat.
Nearly every police headquarters pos
sesses gTues0me collection of weapons of
crime-such as burglars jimmies, cLisels,
masks and dark lanterns. knives and pis-
tolls Of murderers, phials Of puisons. ropes
or earters OF suicides. bombs OF dynamters
and many other articles upon which the law
LAYS its clutches when In wicked hands.
Nothing comes amiss in these dread mu-
seums. IL these curiosities were not In the
showcases Of the police they would be found
In the dime museums.
Everything that interests the human mind
may be the subject Of the collectors pas
sion, ana not even the grave is spared TO
afford lt indulgence. The grave mounds of
extinct races are pillaged, tie tombs of
the ancient civilized races are ransacked.
Mans thirst for knowledge defies limits.
and the collections that cnme down "a leg
acies assist In extending the horizon of
vision. DECAY MACKART.
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WEST VIRGINIA DEMOCRATS.