Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-10-20

MARIE MArHER, THE CIGARETTE COLLECTOR.
rcsenting. however, an expenditure Of less
than $i5O. Ten times that amount
wouldn't purchase the collection.
An odd fad Is that If Marie Won Zcii,cr
Nather, an actress who has an cxtraor.
binary collection of ciga5'tEcs. In her cx-
hibit are weeds of the Kind smoked by
royalty and many others that are remark
able.
Miss Mathcr's cigarettes are on cxhsf,i-
ton mt her home In New York. Each ono
10 mounted I'm ~ rosewood case on n gold
pin. She has cigarettes from Sumatra.
Hindustan and Egypt. two that were msdc
in ireland. one from the Prince Of Wales
box ana one from box Of the Count dc
Csstcllanc.
Miss Mathcr IL Of well connected Ger
man family and was for years succcssful-
~ connected with "Rnbin Hood She
was tho late y. :. Gilmorc's leading 3D.
prano singer and Is - composer Of merit
and reputation.
Strange ms IL may seem, 10 IL q London
er, not n Bostonian, who collects beans
MY collection comprises beans from ev-
cry part of the world. Sumo of them being
extremely rare" hc says. "I n man
brings me dozen of n new variety, have
to buy the whole assortment, for tho value
of the collection depends uron the scarcity
Of tho specimens, and II n dozen other col
lcctors had that particular bean its worth
to me would bc enormously DECREASED.
You can easily sec that beans arc expensive
to collect. My collection has cost me 81
600, and pay n gentleman go n year to
write out its history ON each bean. You
can read the writing with n rnaepifyins
glass;
Stil, ,v,or. rc,,,.-,-.,,o a.. A. ..,.,.,- H.
II a collection Of hundreds Of grains Of
rice upon cnch grain of which Is written n
| stanza ~ I'm Mcmoriam.'' This method
Of perpctuating Tcnnyson cost its contrivcr
thousands of dollars The same collector
has 500 stuffed birds III common species.
each dcckctl out In gorgeous feathers Of
other birds, mostly Of tropical Species
What the sense Of this collection Is noiciy
| not even tho owner, has ever been able tn
explain. The collector Is surely the most
| advanced of his kind. for in addition 20
| these exhibits he has also n valuable col
lection of intricate silver work. mainly in
minute patterns. Another collector keeps
hundreds Of jars Of tea ON his shelves. from
which he occasionally gives tea lunchcons,
| mt which only this beverage and delicate
waters nre served. still another has
amused no fewer than l0s mechanical
PPiHS uuithuClr~. WHICH ART n continual
source of anxiety to him lest their pipes
should get out Of order.
1t remained for a New York negro 20
collect rabbits feet. Every colur,-l man
knows the mysterious value of a rabbits
left hind foot. and all negro gamblers carry
them for luck. Many white gaInblcrs do
also But old Joe has never attained any
remarkable luck from his many rabbits
feet. He hangs about tho big markets, GO
ing through the rubbish heaps and refuse
barrels I'm search Of the treasures he prizes
Nothing else appeals to him How he
makes "a living Is not known u the mar
ket men. All his time Is spent about the
markets. Occasionally he sells one Of his
treasures to n gambler or n curio seeker,
but most If them he keeps strung on n
cord which hangs about his neck He Is
very old, hut declares that he has as many
years of life left as he has rabbits fcs.t. as
they ward of disease rs we'll ns IN luck.
Collecting strange things will ursioub,-
edly continue as long human nature dc.
veiops along abnnrinal lines and will
bruadcn rs new inventions broaden the
field.