Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-03-19
ONLY PAPER MACHE.
DUPLICATES OF FAMOUS RELICS THAT
FOoE A FELLOW. ~. -

and the Az That Severed Marys Head.
0rswsoms Rarities which We Don't
Have to Go to Europe to Sec. 3,
Those who want to enjoy the sensation
promised by Joe, the fat boy, to poor Mrs.
Wardle, when be remarked to her pleas
antly, "I wants to make your flesh creep"
will get 1t at q show window on Fulton
street. The window is filled with most
remarkable array Of instruments sugges-
tive Of horrors-wars beheadings, tor
lures lifelong imprisonments and slavery
on the galleys. There are suits of armor,
apparently ponderous, old, battered he'll
NETS, rusty knightly swords, which imme-
diately suggest to mind that loves to
dwell on auld lang syne:
Their bones are dust:
Their good swords rust;
Their souls are with the saints we trust
Then there are letters, foot chains, with
the iron cannon balls attached; war hatch
cts, pixies. daggers, heavy keys from terri
BILE, tyranincal prisons; poniards, scimiters,
headsmens axes-everything grewsome
that can appeal to the creepy feeling and
bring strange thoughts to the nineteenth
century man as he views the collection.
The attention Of the writer was natu-
rally attracted to the show as he passed
down Fulton street one day not long ago.
l say naturally because it is, after all, hui
man nature to be attracted irresistibly by
something THAT will make your flesh
creep" When hangings were public spec
tacles, half the town would shut up shop
to go and look at them Most of the arti-
cles exhibited that day were replete with
fascinating historical interest. Their til
ties were given in bold writing on card
board tags
Here was Gallo Roman shield Of the
fourth century. In another corner was the
sword Of the Duo d Aquitaine, A. d. 1853
Near by lay the poniard Of Ravaillao with
which Henry Of Navarro was assassinated
in the streets of Paris in 1910. There was
an extraordinary Ratchet with six blades,
used at the battle of Pavie, 1926. There
was an interesting ball and chain used on
state prisoners in the rNgn of Louis XIV.
An iron chain and "prisoner's necklace
provoked vivid and shuddersome thoughts
Anklet, ball and chain, used in the Bas-
tille-ugh more and more shuddersomel
A few other weird objects lay around,
such as a double neck yoke, used in an
Gent galleys and prison fortresses; de-
oapitation sword, five feet long; heads
mans AK Of the fourteenth century,
mace or war hammer Of the thirteenth CEN
fury, an ancient Saxon Ratchet, the he'll
met and gauntlet of Henry III of England
the breastplate of his armor, engraved with
the arms and insignia Of the Order Of the
Golden Fleece, and-a Grecian war Ratchet
used by the Spartans B. c. 1909.
The awestruck observer thought that
that was a pretty big claim for the old
Ratchet, "but, after all, I argued ''they
are all the time digging away at old ruins
and are finding all sorts of things that lead
back nearly to the flood"
looked again, and my eyes bulged as /
beheld a weapon tagged Sword of Joan
of Arc" Well, after all, that might be all
right, too, though how the dickens did
this fellow ever manage to make such a
wonderful, rare and expensive collection
and exhibit it in Fulton street window,
to tempt every craftsman who might pass
by?"
Again, "Roman dagger Of Brutus, with
sheath, with which dagger, not sheath)
Julius Caesar was assassinated." Well,
we'll, well!
"And," thought I, lam I gazing at the
very dagger that struck down the very
man for whom when at school conceived
a supreme aversion because he wrote a
book beginning with the statement that
all Gaul is divided into three parts? Good
old daggern'
But l looked with far different emotions
at big sword labeled "Sword that de-
capitated Mary Stuart
l happened to be Scotsman, and this
struck me as not being exactly right
had my doubts, and plunged into the
store trying to think up how many kinds
of cheat l would call the man inside il
trapped him.
l asked for the proprietor, who came
forward smiling "See here" said the
writer, IF you can prove to my satisfac-
ton that that thing in the window is the
sword used to behead Mary, queen of Scots
the real, bona fide, original article-I'll
make arrangements by which you can get
all ad. in The Sunday Press for nothing,
and if the proprietor won't give it to you,
why, I'll pay for it myselfr'
The man looked at me for minute and
then burst out laughing. Its too bad,''
said he, ''but I'm afraid that cannot get
my free advertisement.
''Ahan' said fiercely. "Then you &C.
knowledge'--
Hold on a minute said the man.
Ihao q lnlSnty SOOu lmltatlOn or the
original weapon, and that is all it is No
body would be deceived by it if he handled
it, but it looks splendid in show window
or on wall. It's made of papier mache."
and all these other things that lock SO
solid?'
''All made Of papier mache. Most Of
them are made in Europe from originals
and are shipped over here. Ha, ha! You're
not the first man to be fooled. have to
meet challenges and inquiries like yours
every day.
Great is the ingenuity of modern man.
kind. What is to prevent us all from rig
gipg up sham baronial halls now and ar
ranging imposing collections Of antiques
which will surpass to all appearance even
Sir Walter Scott's celebrated one at Alb
oottsford? Nothing except the want of the
money, and not very much of that is need
sd, for papier mache swords and suits Of
armor and Bastille relics don't come high
Hurrah, boys Let Every man own his
own British museum be now our motto
And who knows? Perhaps soon we'll be
able to buy exact papier mache reproduc-
tions-full size-of the castles, cathedrals,
ruins, towers and fortresses OF Europe,
and OF the pyramids and sphinx of Egypt
to boot
Then what will the ocean steamship
companies do? The desire for "furrin tray-
9l' will ho ht,,,,toJ