The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-12-09
PIPE COLLECTING.
Some Of the Great MeeTSChaum COlIeC-
lions in New York.
Pipes That Are Worth Thousands of
Dollars-Pipes That Have Had Re-
markable Histories Prince Bis
marck,s Prophetic Smoker.
ks Prophetic Smoker.
From the st. Louis Republic,

New York, Nov. 21.-Of all people the an
tiquarian or collector is the most interest
ing when you get down to his inner con-
sciousness. but it is not everyone who is so
privileged. 1t matters not what he NAV
collect, be it stamps, SNUFF bottles, sword
guards, china, revolutionary relics or even
pipes. he has always such a wealth of de-
tail connected with his hobby at the tip Of
his tongue that even those who are not
personally of the cult" of the collector
feel themselves interested also, almEst
against their will.
Since Sir Walter Raleigh, or dear old Sal
walton Yeo, who knows which. introduced
the divine weed" as it is aptly called, in
10 Europe, there has spread all over the
world desire to beautify the pipe and to
own fine specimen. The Turk has his
pipe sticks" specially grown and tended
for him until they are ready and matured.
the far Asian who rises from the common
fooly to sometimes a comparatively high
position. carries with him the humble pipe
Of brass fittings, clay chillum and cocoa
nut shell water receiver and in the hey
day of his prosperity it will be crusted
with jewels. The Englishman loves his
Bulldog" the Irishman his Fitzgerald
clay, the German his ''wassersack." And
so It goes. until 1t is not surprising to find
here and there man who collects pipes for
their variety and beauty only and not es-
pecially for the fumigatory pleasure he
may obtain from their possession.
One Of the two greatest pipe collectors
who ever lived was the Marquis de Watre-
vile. whose smoking-room in Paris had
the walls covered with costly types, some
49, ic cla fvaad ne a
$1,000 and all arranged with great beauty
of design.
The other was the well-known Captain
Bragge of London, whose collection was
valued at $4,000. who had agents in every
part Of the known world, and whose collec-
ton was deemed worthy in 1889 of being
made a special exhibit during the summer
season at the famous Crystal Palace, near
London.
Not only in Europe. however, are the
famous collections to be found. Right
here in New York are there fine ones, vary
ing from $1,000 to $4,000 in value. One of
the most beautiful collections is that of
Pierre Lorillard, the tobacco manufac-
turer and race horse owner of New Jer-
sey His collection is estimated to be
worth about IS, 900. The gem of II is
Knickerbocker pipe, which has a stem
about twenty-four inches in length and
is one of the oldest pipes of the revolu-
lDndIH DtIlOu. >. ~ W AiooA VI NhAH NAtJ
has a collection valued at $4,000. He is
very shy of admitting that he has such
thing as a pipe belonging to him, but his
collection is mounted in handsome cabi-
nets, and some of the specimens are mira
cles of art in workmanship and design.
They are all meerschaums
OF course il is known that number of
the finest specimens of the Viennese art
are somewhat broad in execution, and it
does not do for every collector to shout
his catalogue from the house tops. An
thony Comstock only last spring de-
manded that prominent cigar dealer in
this city should not place in his show
window some miracles of meerschaum
carvings which represented such well
known subjects as "Leda and the Swan
The Judgment of Paris" 'Narcissus,"
etc, although the pictures from which the
carvings were made have excited the adj
mration of the civilized world, and are
worth thousands of dollars.
ogden Goelet has a very fine collection
of meerschaums which he has been many
years getting together. In his collection
is a very fine representation of Washing
ton Irving's Dietrich Knickerbocker An
other rare pipe is the famous st. Nicholas
Society pipe, which is the work of an
American artist in meerschaum. Fritz
Kadenberg, and which is regularly
smoked at the annual dinner at Del
moncos of this leading society. The pipe
Is Of the comfortable curved shape, and
has sitting on the cover of the bowl an
exquisitely carved figure of old Peter Stuy-
Vesant, the first governor of New York,
While another carving represents Wonter
Van Twiller, the first governor of New
Amsterdam, and another portrays, reclin
ing under a tree, Van CORTLAND, the first
governor of Communipaw. The work is
beautifully done, and the pipe is treas
ured accordingly.
Fred" Gerhard has a very fine collec
ton. Nearly every pipe in his cabinet
presents a woman's head, and the types
OF beauty embraced in the collection repre-
sent almost every nation on earth Some
OF the pipes being colored or partially col
ored, gives them an air of naturalness in
the carvings which the white meerschaum
does not yield.
A. f. TAFT, the artist, is great smoker
and has quite a collection Of meerschaums,
nut he has a weakness which is found in
not more than one collector in a century,
and that is a weakness for giving away
specimens to intimate friends. Mr. TAFT
smokes all his specimens, and after he
has had one for time and when it seems
10 be improving, some one will admire it,
and away it goes. He still retains one,
however, which he bought in Liverpool
and commenced to smoke about fifty-four
Years ago.
The late DR.. Norvin Green was an en-
'uuslastc collector. His finest specimen
was brought him a few years ago from
heidelberg by his daughter. 1t would seem
mat this collecting mania ran in the blood,
Tor his son, James Green, who spends a
5000 deal of time in Europe, has an even
nner collection than his fathers. The
rev. John Murphy of st. Francis Xavier's
Is great collector; so, too, are ]. Q. A.
ward, the sculptor; the Rev. Waldo Mes
S,aros, J, A. Harper, Mr. Cisco, the banker;
y" ). Woods, H. c. Dereham, J. Richard
son White, the ''Deacons s. son; w. Post,
george Ehret whose Teutonic master
pieces are gems of art; Frank Ehret,
George j. Gould and Col. Fred Grant. The
latter secured many fine specimens while
located in Vienna.
me beauty of the meerschaum pipe lies
IN It's adaptability to expression. skill
Iul artist can so carve pipe that when
ihlshed it will have light and shade not
10 be produced possibly, with any other
substance And under the coloring that
smoking the pipe produces are brought
out details and effects that even the artist
uld not foresee. In eoloring, when a pipe
y IN design the head of a woman, the hair
WIN hrst show the color, although It IS
kf 10 Tho