The morning times., 1896-02-16
SEEN IN SHOP WINDOWS
Interesting Relics Found in un-
attractive Places in Town.
ARTICLES WITH HISTORIES
A Visit to the Second Hand Dealers
Reveals Many Curious Sights-Ar-
ticles of Every Description May BE
Found in Their Windows-CarI
Brownies art" Exhibit

"A shop window does not always have
| TO be artistic to be interesting remark
ed a weIl-inforned washington man the
! other day. He then went on to describe
a San Francisco pawnshop's dirty little
window that had displayed behind its dust
| covered panes of glass a ring the eX-
| Queen L.liuokalani had given one OF her
| favorites, who had become stranded by
| the time he reached the Go,den Gate: two
| guns used in the late war between China
| and Japan; a live chameleon, and a hundred
! other things almost as varied aud interest
| ing.
There are show windows in Washington
nearly il not quite as interesting. Few
| cities in the land offer better displays Of
] the window draper's skill than this city
| does in her large departmental stores. But
| these displays appeal to an artistic taste.
| There are Others that appeal to the curious
| On a downtown back street is window
| that has no peer for uuiqueness in ali this
| broad country. The widow itself is not
prepossesslns or out OF the ordinary. 1t
| looks just like scores OF other windows
| in the same street with its heavy wire
! screening fastened to a wooden frame, so
| that it may be taken off in the daytime
and put back again # night, when house
breakers are more apt to appear or when
| drunken man is liable to fall through it,
| But the windows contents are Varied and
wonderful.
AN HISTORICAL WINDOW.
The window might be called the advance
| guard OF the secondhand store behind it
and If there is greater variety of articles
| i'll the store than there is In The window
il must be true that Plato never dreamed
| OF half OF the funny things there are in
earth alone. leaving the heavens entirely
out OF the question. Everything in the
| window has seen service in some way or
other and there is not single new article
| there.
In the left hand corner of this window
Is box OF old coins and Confederate bills
Like many other things In the place the
dust has settled down thickly and looks
as though it had not been disturbed for
months. There is here almost every con-
| ceivable tool carpenter uses. Hammers
lie around in profuSion. saws, and also
/ planes, chiscls, augers, squares, levels,
| jack knives hatchets, and anax.
| None OF these things are arranged in
| classified groups. but are mixed up with
| almost every object that money can buy.
! There is a full equipment for an orchestra.
| Hanging in the background are all sizes
| There are violins. Zithers, banjos, and
| guitars. A tenor drum and several drum
| sticks can be seen. as well as flutes, tam
! bourines. and sleigh bells.
IntermiXed, lying over and under, aroun d
ana beside this chaotic mess, may be
mentioned. as only fraction of what the
| window contains. the following: pair
| OF crutches, an oxen yoke, several pairs
| of opera glasses, py glasses, whole ar
nIories of guns and pistols, pair OF lady S
| patent tipped shoes, telegraph instruments
| and electric batteries. pocket books. spoons,
dumb bells, rubber boots, corkscrews,
napkin rings. mon key wrencheS, etc. And
| all this in a glasS-encircled case not more
than four feet square nor five feet high.
PANEs WITH HISTORIES.
On another street there is also window
worth going u long way to see. This spot
| is intended TO display the wares of man
| who turns and caryes in wood and ivory.
| The contents of This window do not embrace
| such variety as the place just described,
| bat in the row of canes that are lined up to
| view like tin soldiers may be seen many
| an unusual trophy.
In one corner stands Il cane the wood
| for which the shoEkeeper explained came
from Pixies Peak. Only the stem Of the
cane has been turned out. The great head
has been left in its natural condition, and
| resembles the head and face of a child
| wrapped in hood.
Another walking stick with peculiarly
| crooked stem. the wood turner said. came
from Mount Ararat, but he Immediately
counteraCted any sense OF truth that might
have gone with this remark when he
| pointed to a set of chessnen lined against
| the back OF the window. He avowed that
| they were cut from plank that had come
| from Noah's ark, and threatened TO grow
angry when he saw that his statement
| was AIKEN with deal of saline in
| gradients.
CARL BROWNIES ART EXHIBITS.
Carl Browne of Coxey army fame, is
| responsible for the attractiveness of one
| shopman's window. This particular win
dow is on the Avenue. Browne has turned
his vast and varied talent" TO art, and
| The humble shopman's window reaps a
part of the benefit of the transformation of
Jtle ''wealer'' TO artist.
Carl has placed the image of his affec
| tions, his girI-wife Mamie, on canvas
about four by six feet square. II one did
| not guess, by the grotesque crudeness OF
| the work, that the 'Commonwealer'" did
| it, he might tell by the artists signature
which is emblazoned i'll bold letters with
| the date of the creation at the right-hand
side of the bottom Of the canvas.
Mrs. Browne, in the picture, wears a
wealth of hair that is almost golden, and
which falls careleSsiy over her shoulders
She is clad in pink dress, with rich pink
! embroidery about the bottom of the skirt
| It was evidently the intention of her hus
| band-painter to represent her as seated
| in a green-upholstered chair, not unlike
| a pulpit chair, but, like the Irishman who
| had eaten a persimmon and could not tell
4 9TH hf y-li 1nu nr Sin npln hE
initiated cannot tell by looking at the daut
| whether the figure is standing or sitting
| There is not the least semblance OF perspec
| tive about the work, and not the originality
! that a house-painter would be required tc
| show.
In an adjoining window Mr.. Browne has
| a picture of his own profile, painted be
tween that Of his first wife and his living
one. This work is done on a piece OF
oil cloth stretched over barrel hoop an6
the originator of it asks the small remuner
alton OF $75 for his pains.
Il know that the spirit OF an artist is re-
| incarnated In me- declares Browne. 81
| think Raphael's spirit is mine, but am not
| yet certain about that. / have opened my
studio here, though / have never taken any
| lessons. / did not need TO. Here of late
have been painting much from the ideal and
think shall yet be able to make something
| from it"
On the walls of his Studio he has very
large picture Of the Common weal' army
and the heads CT the Washington police
force. One of the pictures Of the ideal
he referred to is that of nymph about tt
jump into a stream FROM Il bit of greer
| shrubbery.
He is little shy In his perspective
there" remarked one of Brownies admirers
as he gazed on the picture. ''If that young