The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-10-07
a woMAN's QUAINT HOBBY.
She Possesses a Collection of Eleven
Thousand Buttons.


Mrs. Mary E. Harris of New York city
is said to have the largest and most
unique collection of buttons probably in
the world.
Mrs. Harris is now visiting at the home
of her brother, Mr. George E. Lathrop, SO
Blue Hill avenue, RoXbury. She has
brought her collection of buttons along,
and takes great pleasure in showing them
to her friends.
Mrs. Harris has seen various collections
of old coins, stamps, etc, but to her
mind they are not half so interesting or
beautiful as these buttons.
There are 11,OC0 inthe collection, and no
two of them. she claims, are alike.
They have come to her from various
sources, and, indeed, many of them have
very remarkable and very thrilling his
tories.
Some of these buttons have reached her
through the hands of sea captains and
have been brought half around the earth.
Others have come from old wars and bat
tlefields and some are oddities picked up
at the bargain counter.
There are ornamental buttons and but
tons for homely use.
The digniied colonial button is strung
alongside the frivolous Partisan affair
that savors somewhat of the gayeties of
the European courts. These gorgeous
souvenirs of a previous century are
pointed out with pride on Mrs. Harris
button string.
Some have been picked up on the beach,
and have weird tales of shipwreCk, and
then there is the modest little button that
comes from the quiet old homestead in
the country, and has been in the family
for generations.
And still they come for Mrs. Harris
rarely goes anywhere that she does not
find something interesting in buttons.
when ] began this collection she ex-
I'D DeODlp who
thought that there were not more than
999 different kinds of buttons in the world,
and it was the result of a wager 10 the
contrary that induced her to begin.
That was about thirty years age, when
she lived in Portland Me. 1t was quite
the fad to hunt the button" AMI Mrs.
Harris has continued her play through
lie. Well, she collected 1000 buttons be-
fore she left Portland, a score Of years
ago. She has since lived in New York.
and there, of course her opportunities
for collecting novelties were create.
How do you avoid duplicating your
Llttons?' she was asked
ooh" she quickly replied, 81 have re-
n,arkable memory, and the moment /
glance at a button know if ] have IT on
my chain"
Mrs. Harris arranges the buttons very
prettily in festoons. There are lob on
each chain and she has el,ven chains She
brought them down to the sitting room
in her apron and as they lay curled Up in
h+r lap the strings Of various colors
locked for all the world like q brilliant
serpent
one can have no idea of the pains she
takes in sorting and arranging this infin-
ito variety of buttons, that the colors
may harmonic and the ensemble prove
attractive.
at first" she went on to say, 81 used
IN string the buttons on fish lines, but
fnd that they are not strong enough.
Trnon several occasions the strings have
broken with the weight upon them and
tho buttons scattered in all directions.
81 have just commenced to restring
them on copper wire, and you can Inn
cine what an amount Of work II Is. But
then" she remarked, lit will probably be
The last time. because my collection Is
practically completed"
As she ran over the brilliant festoons
abe would call attention 10 the more an
tcresting ones, which were marked with
a hi of string or a bright ribbon.
rhey all had shanks, and were strung
together with careful regard as TO their
shape color and size.
now this button" she said, pointing
20 a large brass military button, was
vvorn bv a soldier in Napoleon's army.
think It was In the retreat from Moscow,
or I'm the last charge at Waterloo"
There was a large nat brass button
which was worn inthe war Of 1872, and