The record-union., 1895-06-29
RARE OLD CURIOSITIEO.
Valuable Collection of Antiquities il
Flushing, L. |.
Books and Documents Which Date
Back One or Two
Centuries.

A little low frame building on Broad
way, near the Bridge-street station OF the
Long Island Railroad at Flushing, is sc
humble in character as not to attract the
attention of any passerby, yet within the
walls of the building is stored one Of the
most valuable and remarkable collections
of antiquities in the United States. Here
for more than twenty-five years, the
owner, j ohm J. Halleran, has been stor-
ing the accumulations of his labor. Six
rooms in the main building, three in al
adjoining, and a barn, which he has
leased as d storage room, are filled Will
as varied collection of curlOsitles as ex
lists anywhere. The most remarkable
lack of care in the arrangement of the
many thousands of articles. Rare ole
paintings, valuable bric-a brac, silver
pieces and furniture are piled together IL
indescribable confusion. evidently the
result, as Mr.. ualIeran states, OF lnsufh-
clent space.
In walking through the rooms one
stumbles over mass OF swords and
Inuskets, and knocks down painting in
al effort to get away from cOllidlng With
an ancient piece of furniture. The stairs
ascending To The upper floors are lined
on each side with old. papers and maya
zines, so that only enough space remains
to permit careful passage, Among the
many interesting books ls directory o1
New ork City, published in 1892, orig
inally the property of one William Beck
man. The directory gives George Wash
ington as President OF the United states
and Tobias Lear az his Private Secretary,
John Adams being Vice. President. An
other rare book is Woods History OF
Long Island, dating from 1929. A history
of Natick, Mass. ,em bodies many interest
ing laws in force in the years about 1850,
among which is given the code of laws
adopted for the government OF Natlck III
lG5l. Still more rare Is a Latin book hav-
ing the date Of l5ll, side by side with the
ANNALS of King James and King Charles
L. dated 1851.
Wandering from literature into art, the
deYotees of the latter can find in this col
lection hundreds of rare paintings and en-
cravings. Two curious old paintings
hang in a back room-'Penn's Treaty
With the Indians and The PeaceablC
Kingdom" These are framed in ma
hogany and supported by thongs OF
leather. These paintings are not less
than 100 years old. Among the portraits
in oil are several of Washington, one o.
Franklin Pierce, one of Thomas Jetler-
son, and one of Joseph Jefferson, all III
an excellent state Of preservation. IL
the collection OF Washington paintings is
one originally the property of the Society
of the Cincinnati. In engravlngs are
found many very old works, one repre-
senting Washington giving his famous
order: Put none but Americans or
guard tonight" Another immense en-
craving is representation OF the Lords
supper.
In Illustration of the remark able care
exercised in the "olden times" in the
preservation of legal docu ments, MIR
Halleran has bundle of parchments
consisting of deeds, etc.. ranging in date
from 1915 to 1904, all in perfect condition
and entirely leglble. The inaugural ad-
| dress of Franklin Pierce dated March 1
1853 is printed on silk, as are the repor
of the committee of the United States
Senate against transportation of Sunday
mails, dated January 10, 1929, and An
drew Jack sons proclamation and fare
we'll address. Away back in one corner
of an upper room is large panel com
posed entirely of inlaid pieces of wooC
i'll representation of a bouquet of flowers
There must be 10000 pieces of wood il
the panel. Mr.. Halleran considers this
one of his most valuable curios. The ar.
lists name is e. Nolkert. The pane
bears a bust of Washington in inlaiC
wood at the top.
Lovers OF old china can revel in col.
| lection OF several hundred varieties I'm
| mense cabinets, rare antiquities in them
! selves, are filled with the most valueb blt
! pieces. On the same floor is an extensive
! collection OF pewter and silverware, con-
| sisting of probably ZOO articles. Fur.
niture, consisting of rare old Chippen
! dales and valuable mahOgOny pieces, tllIs
! two rooms completely and ls scattered
about through the building. Many o
! these articles of furniture are great curl.
! osities A number OF hint-lock mus
! kots that were used during the wars OF
/ 1776 and 1872 are among the many article:
| Of interest. Thirty-tive clocks are par>
of the collection, dating from the time o
the First Empire, represented by half
| dozen pillar clocks; clock that requires
| winding but once a year does daily duty
! 1t is hand made and ia said TO be abou
! 10 years old. The dial is two feet IL
| diameter. The case is a foot thick. The
! balance wheel is composed of six brass
balls revolving on an upright bar. a
clock with out one hand points out th'
! Quarter-hours. Several OF the olt
''grandfather's clocks" are among the
/ lol.
Almost covered by mass of candle
sticks and candelabra, is a magniticen
sideboard, inlaid with satinwood anC
pearls, and near by a drawer cabinet o
mahogany with probably twenty drawers
in it. A bundle OF genuine flax and sew
/ eral spinning wheels in close proximity
remind one of the days when our grand
mothers did their own spinning. Among
| the silver pieces is a Wine receptacle made
up of five compartments. A Key is in
serted and the sides open, disclosing cut
| glass bottles, which can be securely
! locked after use. 1t is quite evident tina
our great grandtathers preferred trusting
their liquors TO the safety OF a lock rather
| than to The honesty of the servants.
! As an illustration of the apparently
careless manner in which this immens'
| collection is arranged, although it mus