The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-09-14
SOME CURIOUS HOBBIES.
Queer Whims Of Minds Given to Con.
tcmplating Important Matters - Lido.
syncrasicS OF the Great.

syncrasics of the Great.
From Tid-Bns.
A very peculiar hobby was that of an
old woman who had been employed at
court in the capacity of nurse, and
who had most extensive collection of
pieces of wedding cake. The cakes to
which the fragments belonged had been
cut at the marriages of the highest in
the land. The place of honor was given
to portion of Queen Victoria's we'd
ding cake, and nearly every royal mar
riage that had occurred since the ac-
cession of William " was represented
in this curious collection.
Lord Petersham. q noted dandy in his
day. had hobby for walking sticks
| and also for various kinds of tea and
| snuff. All around his sitting room were
| Shelves those upon one side laden with
canisters of Souchong. Bohea, Congoa,
Pekoe, Russian and other varieties of
| tea. The shelves opposite We're decor
ated with handsome jars, containing
every kind of snuff, while snuff boxes lay
| here. there and everywhere. Lord Pc
tersham prided himself upon possess
| Ing the most magnificent array of
| boxes to be found in Europe, and was
| supposed to have fresh box for every
| day in the year. When some one ad-
| mired beautiful old light blue Sevres
| box he was using, he lisped out "Yes,
| it is nice summer box, but would not
| do for winter wear"
Count Henry Won Bruhl. a famous
| German diplomatist. busted himself in
collecting boots, shoes. slippers and wigs
of all shapes, sizes and fashions. This
curious hobby was rivaled by that of
a late King of Bavaria, whose collec-
| ton of hats was uniOue
A King of Wurtemburg boasted the
possession of above 5000 copies of the
| Bible; and nicotine-loving American
| reveled In a treasury of pipes, of which
| he could count 365 specimens in meer-
schaum, brier, glass, china and clay.
The Duke of Sussex, brother of King
| George ii, had pair of hobbies that
| We're wide as the poles asunder. He
was an indefatigable collector of Bibles
| and of cigars.
a Collector of Slippers.
Pope Plus TX was a collector of
| slippers He always had twenty-four
| pairs In his wardrobe. made of red cloth
embroidered with gold, and ornament
ed with solid gold cross, his cham
berlain being strictly enjoined not to
part with single pair, however well
worn they might be, to amy of the many
Wigs and walking sticks We're the
| special vanities of Mr.. William Evans,
some time principal clerk in the pro-
| thonOtarys office for Anglesea Carna-
Won and lMerioneth and so highly did
| he value them that he bequeathed one
| of each to three different maiden ladies,
| for whom he had in turn felt a tender
| ness in early life. Another gentleman
| had a hobby for scarf pins. He Is said
| to have kept a book containing as
many pages as there are days in the
year, in each of which a different pin
was stuck. Every morning he fastened
| into his scarf the pin which occupied
| the space allotted to that particular
date, returning 1t to Its place when he
undressed at night.
NJ. Nestor Roqueplan, Frenchman
of letters, was collector of warming
pans, and devoted a gallery in his house
| to this article of furniture. where visit
ors might enjoy the privilege of behold
| Ing the identical warming pans that
had aired the beds of such celebrities as
Queen Mary of Scotland, Catherine de
Medici, Gabriel d'Estrees, Diana de
Poitiers, Mime. Pompadour, Marie An
toinette, Mile. de FOntange and other
noted personages. Another eccentric
Frenchman was bean enthusiast. He
wrote Il DOOK upon Tno history Oh Harl-
cots and their influence upon humanity.
and rejOiced in collecting beans from
all quarters of the globe and carefully
labelling and arranging them. Some Of
the specimens were very valuable, hav-
ing cost as much as 500 francs. His
death was hastened by the mysterious
disappearance of some Japanese beans,
upon which he set especial value.
Given to TcapOts.
A European lady living in Japan ac-
quired no fewer than 700 teapots of va
rious patterns and kinds. Another lady
had hobby for collecting bonnets.
She made rule never to part with one
she had worn, and, when she died, left
behind her wonderful collection of
feminine head adornments.
Gillot, the founder of the world-re-
nowned steel pen business, had a pas
sion for Cremona fiddles, although he
was absolutely without musical knowl-
edge. a London barber's hobby was
the collecting,of dressing cases--a hob
by which he pursued with such avidity
that on his death 800 of these articles
came into the hands of his executors
The queen Of Italy is said to be an
enthusiastic collector of boots and
shoes. Her collection includes shoes of
Marie Antolnette, of the Empress Jo-
sephine, Mary Stuart. Queen Anne and
the Empress Catherine of Russia.