New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-05-12
THE CURIOSITY SHOP.

SCIENCE AND PATHOs ON BROADWAY.
In the very heart OF busy. bustllng Broadway there
II quaint little shop In odd contrast with It's neign-
bors The practical Jostles II all sides. Jewery'
confectionery and drygoods shops millinery. tailor
Ing and dressmaking establishments surround IT,
The little curiosity shop has nothing In common with
these Its wares appeal only to the few who love
TO study nature both In sentent and inanmate I're'
The door which gives access to the place shuts the
visitor into an atmosphere OF quaininess ana an
tiauity entirely distinct from the world without,
Here are many odd and curious things-idols carved
out of roots and sod 10 the passengers OF eastpouha
ships which have anchored In Japanese waters;
curious musical Instruments beautifully carved ana
odd In shape and sound-the brazen trumpet OK
China and the weird, crooked horn Of an African
beast used by the savage tribes TO warn their enc
mics OF war; swords without number and war c'ups
straight and curved Birds. beetles. butterflies. eggs
and such small deer are plentiful. ana or lndiah
relics and Indian manufactures there Is an endless
supply. Here is a blanket. yet uncompieted' SUI"
on the primitive handioom Of a New-Mexcan squaw'
That gttering convex shield will hang somewhere
In a studio, and that quaint battleaxe above inc
shield. Artists are liberal patrons OF this UNIQUE
merchandise. An odd object hanging on the wall Is
a dancing buste, an Indian ornament. which re-
sembles the ruficd tall feathers Of several big gop-
bier. on end in a furious gale With such an odd
appendage strapped about his waist an Indian war
rior presents n comical appearance IN the nahce'
There Is a thick pad arranged under the feather
streamers TO make them stand out Tne great
sceptre OF the chief Is there. and pipes not only OF
Moth American Indians. but OF the dignitarles OF
ancient countries; pipes OF ornate workmanship 10
iong-stemmed and cumbrous that trusty servant
must light them for the masters USE Beads prace
let's baskets and tribes OF all kinds are strewn al
over the shop and shelf after shelf Is fu OF rare
shells brought from foreign shores
II shipped big truckloads OF shells ana curl
Am
prietor when asked what demand there was for MS
goods IT ship to Buffalo. Cleveland New-Oreans'
Chicago and other cities. sell to Dealers VINO puy
In small quantities for retailing at the seashore ana
other summer resorts. at country fars ana sihiia'
gatherings In the country. but have many New
York customers A little girl. maybe Twelve or thr-
teen years old. whose parents are wealthy comes
in here frequently with her governess and makes
purchases to add TO the little collection she - get
ting up She goes into raptures over the tnhss anu
her teacher says she pets and pays Win those s"e
has at home as II they were real companions. ihelo
Is an old lady who sends her mad every day or Two
10 see II have any kind OF shells. She spends
hours In sorting her collection. and sometimes
she gets herself wheeled here in her chair so as TO
enjoy seeing the other things Teachers and ladies
come and make small purchases and get me 10 eH-
palm ali about them. that they in turn may explain
them to their classes The small charge Tor the
things they buy does not begin to pay me for my
kd
sometimes I a ptful case. One evening.
much after s o'clock, young woman came In and
asked II she might look over the things. she was
shabby dressed and. although her face was delicate
and refined. her whole appearance and manner were
so strange that feared she was intoxicated regu-
lar customer white haired elderly gentleman, was
examining some OF the things. and she went up to
him and commenced a conversation She talked so
well really so eloquenty OF many OF the specimens
that he and | both became much interested ohe
could have lectured class In geology. botany or
kindred subjects and have made money that way.
In a couple of days she came In and asked me IL
would let her have shells to paint that she
might sell them. I asked her II she was In need and
she said yes; that she had to make her living. let
her have the shells and told her II she wanted help
at any time to come to She got shells quite
often after that, and. although she talked great
deal when she came here, she never said anything
about herself I suggested once that her accent
made me tbink she was an EnglishwomapkArd she
repied evasvely that she had often been taken for
q Bostonian. Two months after this she came one
Sunday afternoon and said she was In trouble; sne
could not make any money and had nothing to eat
all day gave her some money, and that Is tho
last time have seen her. The old gentleman whom
she met here on her first visit found out at cheap
restaurant which she frequented something OF her
history She was a Virginian. was highly educated
and brought up In luxury and had been lett properly
by her mother Her father and brother squandered
this property and had her shut up In an insane
asylum In order not to be troubled with her. She
escaped from the asylum and made her way to New
York The restaurant keeper thought that she had
never been insane. but that confinement In the Inc
sttution terror for fear she would be detected ana
sent back and her utter loneliness and wretched-
ness had partially unsettled her mind.
There Is a certain bond OF fellowship between
peope who have a taste for collecting antiquities
and brc-a-brac" continued the proprietor OF this
old curiosity shop. THE other day carriage drove
up and an old gentleman alighed and entered the
shop. He told me he was ninety-two years Old ana
that he had come all the way from Boston 10 snake
me by the hand and 10 talk with me- MY daughter
wrote me from across the water. from Paris, mat
there was collector OF shells in New-york he said.
and although travel but little, took the boat mo
very night got the letter 20 come and see your coli
lection started my store Lwsn!y.elsht years ago.
Of shells found that nobody bought my ahellA and
guessed Il was because knew noleing about ihen,
ssosn ware wE.n " p.S ecs 0 my
sS Il ss 70 sp ee e ns s"S s % s.
va. only ny secondary business Ny shop no!
opened until after o'clock In the evening but had
md talk about the thing. d!,,sas.ns anything new
and propoundIng their own theories.
,"The love, for this kind Q, thing Is born In some
nucnce over them. have many children among my
money they have saved up from their weekly al
only or 10 cents. They stay long time and seem
delighted to hear about the things, uncon.ciously
listen. There are two little errand boys who come
here regularly from Brooklyn. and II the price OF
the article they want Is or 10 cents than they
can pay offer to trust them until the next week.
Invariably they decline my offer, saying they would
rather walt until they get the rest OF the money"
where do your best shells come FROM"
From Singapore. Madagascar; many OF them
from Islands iL the Indian Ocean"
at seems strange to ship shells to Florida when
she already has them.
yves; but Florida has not many rare shells
Often. however. ! get a consignment OF Florida
shells, assert them clean and polish them, and send
them back In a marketable condition. There is a
thick skin found most fine shells which has 10
be got rid OF with acids and other preparations
There Is lady out in New Mexico he continued
"who makes business of trading for Indian curl
osities which I sell for her She keeps a supply OF
Ard ..i,Ioh