Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-04-25

CpllecLlonS OIL Americana IN TINS part OF
the country, and the largest in this
State with one notable exception, that
of j. Henry Rodgers of New Castle,
whose valuable papers are to pass under
the thud of the auctioneer's hammer.
True, Mr.. Gayley has not In his co.lec-
ton such portentious document as the
Duke of York deed, but his collec-
ton embraces autograph letters of the
founders of the Republic, of many of
the royalties of Europe, of famous
generals whose exploits adorn the pages
of history, and in fact he. has the auto
graphs of most all the men distin-
guished from time to time In the nations
history.
For years Mr.. Gayley has been at
work on this collection of Americana,
which has been pleasant divertise-
ment for the collector, notwithstanding
the fact that the task of preparing and
arranging such a colossal cabinet of
valuables has been enc which required
not only the greatest amount of care,
but the work has covered period OF
nearly IS years. During that time the
collector has secured many of tine rarest
gems.
Mr.. Gayley has prepared cabinet in
which the collection is kept and from
outward observance it would seem to be
library containing a great number Of
well preserved books, but which in
reality are blank volumes neatly bound,
containing manuscripts of famous men,
autographs letters, extracts of docu-
ments conspicuous in the affairs Of the
nations, in addition to pictures OF
celebrities conspicuous in history.
The books Of manuscripts are all
arranged alphabetically in the cabinet,
are marked royalties" "Men of Let
ters," Generals" Miscellaneous" or
whatever the case may be, and there is
general index in which brief memo
randum of the subject is chronicled, so
that one has only to consult the index
and then turn TO the volume in the cabi-
net which corresponds to the number in
the index. 1t is difficult to tell whether
the greatest pains were taken in the
work of collecting the antiquities during
a score of years or more, or whether the
work of arranging and indexing col
lection of 5000 different subjects was
not even more laborious, in view of the
care that must have been taken.
To attempt to give fragmentary
part of the cabinet of remarkable papers
would be an extremely difficult under
taking, and besides it would occupy a
great deal more space than tine ordinary
reader would care to scrutinize nova.
days, so that the article will be confined
TO q general description Of the collection
for the present, with here aud there a
- mention of something of interest border.
ing on the extraordinary. The collec.
ton is rich in "reminiscences of revolt.
s,l g. l. Al.
members of the old Continental Con,
gress, the signers of the Declaration oi
Independence, u great many reyolu.
tionary officers, besides the royalists.
The collection of Presidents of this
republic together with the Cabinet OIL
GERS is complete in every particular, anG
there are the Justices of the Supreme
Court, Vice Presidents, stat men, sci
entists, explorers, discoveries, NC, ant
when it is known that the manuscript
and the pictures Of many OF these nota
bles are i'll fairly good state Of preser
walton, one can better imagine the car,
with which they have been handled
from time to time.
Among the papers is the log bool
from the Alliance, one of the first fri
gates of the United States, and pape
John Paul Jones.
Daniel Webster and Henry CLAY con
tribute several valuable papers, and in
letter to Elliott Cresson, the Phladci
phia philanthropist, an extract of whic
follows, Clay's position in regard to I'll
tariff is distinctly set forth:
1.-THE effect in my mind, is not as
the principle but the measure OF protec
ton to American industry. A high an
untixed tariff leads to perpetual cantr,
! versy and instability. Ihave, therefor
thought it best to adhere to the compr,
mise, which, being consented to by a
parts of the nation, may be safely relic
upon. 1t affords certain, aithoug
moderate, but think sufficient, prote,
ton as to most, if not all articles Of d.
mestic production
The letter was written at Ashlar
~ under date of November 18th, 1910, al
from the tenor of the historic epist
one would imagine that Clay, while II
free trader, was opposed to ii
doctrine of high tariff. From Ii
discovery" one of the first explorit
vessels atloat, has been preserved q
original return of powder and she
which bears the signature Of Geor
Vancouver, and which bears unmista
able signs of unique and rcmarkab
spelling, under date of 1895. Gcner
Washington issues u card of credentia
to David Humphreys, as Minister Plcl
potentiary of tine Kingdom of Tripo
the Duke of Alva contributes his sha
to the collection, as does the Du
Dorleans, and Louis N, the boot
tyTant Of France.
~ The collection contains document
the handwriting of George |, Il pa
masters order from George II, pl
trait Of George Ill, Charles TX N
many others, including Il paper sign
by Queen Victoria in the second year
her reign. Benjamin West, Thorn
jefferson, Julian Hawthorne, Thoa
Hood, and other notable men ull CO
I tribute papers or manuscripts to /
N collection, and letter Of Caesar Rodn
IA TO Jacob Broome, is very interest
splstle.
Y ~. lhe collection would hardly be col
re without some memento in writ
A from the pen of William Ewart Gia
\ \ stone, and the Grand Old Man CT
/ tributes manuscript to the cabin
l | which is one of the jewels oil the va
able autographs souvenirs. Tie re1
IA utionary papers Mr.. GayleyYalucs VI
n ighly, and no sum could induce him
art with any Of the manuscripts he !
ven years in collecting. Abstracts
riting and historic articles endcarcd
M cry heart will never part company
ng as the collector lives, nor will
.lginal of the deserted Village p
company with MAUD Muncr,n ;,
Il D,-.l, 1 .I.ia