The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-05
RARE OLD-TIME RELICS
A COLLECTION OF HISTORICAL IN
TEREsT OWNED IN THIS CITY
Some Valuable Books Possessed by
Mrs. Winchester and Mrs. Fanny
WaIIer-RevoIutiOn Costumes.


been made in this city. perhaps none ex-
ceeds, in historical worth. that of Mrs. w
F. Winchester, of North Illinois street
Mrs. Winchester, Mrs. Fanny Walker
Wilder and her daughter are members of
the Daughters of the American Revolution
and of the Indiana Chapter of the Colonial
Danes of America, and the articles which
they have brought together are many of
them A large number of the articles
have been used by members of the D. A.
r. to illustrate the historical papers which
| have been read before the society. Not a
few of them have come to baser uses in
private theatricals, where old costumes
have been necessary. The articles range in
date from 1923 to 1890 and embrace a wide
variety. To an enthusiast the collection
| is one of great value and to the persons
who have no record beyond a grandfather
or grandmother there is much interest
| created in the manner of making and the
| merit Of the things themselves.
The greatest interest might center in an
| old silver bulls eye watch, with a thick
| glass face. The case is easily removed,
and hidden in the back is a small round
paper bearing the dates of it's repair, as
| was the custom of the early days. The two
| dates on the paper are 1874 and 1895. To
a
tiny loose cylindrical key. The watch has
not been wound for many years. A cup
saucer and spoon belonged to Mrs. Win
| chester's colonial grandmother and it was
brought by the family over the mountains
| into Ohio and later into Indiana 1t was
the custom in those days for any lady in
| vited to a tea party to take her own cup
| saucer and spoon, as china and silver were
! very dear and no one had enough of such
| things to supply her company. The three
articles are of quaint, flaring shape and
| the spoon is marked M. p A genuine
cockade hat dates from time before the
| revolution, as the cockade is black Inside
the hat is a witch's pin, long rusty-look-
| ing pin with a twisted head. There are
| now three Of these pins preserved in a
| sealed bottle in a case at the Salem, Mass
| custom house devoted to the witchcraft
relies. On the other side of the hat is a
| brass seal, which is one of the earliest
| seals made in this country. The eagle and
| the stars representing the thirteen original
States were a part of it. A cane, which
was owned by Asa Wilder. and which has
| been carried by five generations, if not
more, is made of a Malacca reed 1t is
hollow. The head is plain ivory, bearing
| on the top a tiny brass plate with the
| come almost effaced by wear The first
known owner had it in 1853. A small pic
| ture Of a feather was made by an old nun
| in convent in London. The nun was the
| drawing teacher Of a member of the fam
| lily. An old engraving, THE Death of Hip
poiyte," bears the date 1885, An article
| which one might take to be a billiard score
| is known as an abacus. 1t is an arithme-
| tic rack and by it the children of the
| colonists were taught numbers. This
| abacus was taken from the residence of
| Mrs. Ramsey, one of the ancestors, who was
woman made famous by her saving the
| life of Major Andre who was a prisoner
| at her husbands house after his removal
| to Pennsylvania.
HAIR OF SEVEN GENERATIONS.
An old chintz housewife or 'huzzuf," as
| it was called. was made In 1855. The cot
ton material is strong and the colors are
| rich. Things in those days were made to
last and this article was expensive at that
time The material cost more than 81 a
| yard. 1t is a strip, like broad ribbon,
with several pockets made to fasten to
the belt by loop of cord and in it the
housewife carried her keys and thread and
| needles. One of the curios quite out Of
| the ordinary, is in a frame with a glass
| front. This contains locks of hair Of seven
| generations on the direct female side of the
| family.
In the corner Of the hall stands the old
| clock. 1t was owned by William Walker.
of the Roger Williams colony He was a
cavalry officer in the army Of the revolu-
ton. He was wealthy Quaker who aban-
doned evrything but his Quaker hat and
gave all of his fortune to his country.
Continental money is found in all his
torical museums, and in this collection there
is one piece 1t is a square of white paper.
on which is printed in old text ITO counter
felt is DEATH" 1t is a sixpence printed in
| Philadelphia by John Dunlap in 1777. On the
back is printed the section authorizing the
| commonwealth of Pennsylvania to issue
| such money.
Among the books which are in the collec-
ton the one which is priceless to the owner
and the one which gave entree to the two
| societies is a religious book which has in
the front, on the fly leaves, the family rec
ord, made by the boyish hand of PhiIip
Schoff, who is said to have carried a gun
when he was eight years old He helped to
| defend a depleted village after the battle Of
| Valley Forge. The book which contains the
family record is THE Rise and Progress of
Religion in the Soul" 1t was published in
! Philadelphia in 1898. The date of the first
birth given is 1740. Philip Schoff's pepper
box is treasured with the book Lovers of
rare and beautiful lace would find more than
| common interest in the pieces of old lace
owned by Mrs. Wilder. They are the ola
Flanders lace, known as point d'Angleterre
of the palm leaf and rose pattern They
have been known to be in the family since
100. The only other piece known to be in
this country is in the Boston Museum. 1t
is only on the rarest occasions that Mrs.
Wilder ever wears this exquisite product OF
| the skill of some fingers long since dust
Handmade pieces of linen and cotton that
| were made when the colonists refused to
| wear anything made in England form part
| of the trophies, and with them is a hand
shuttle and the teeth of flax hackIe. the
| too difficult for the women. A pewter plare
| and a platter from Valley Forge were pre-
scented to Mrs. Winchester by friend in
| Illinois, who gave them with the historical
| information that they were dishes said to
have been used when Washington was en-
tertained at Valley Forge and to be the
ones from which he partook of his dinner
An old wallet, too large for any modern
/ pocket, bears the date of 1892, and a quaint
! little iron lamp, which used to be hung on
the wall. filed with grease and a rag for
| a wick, was used in 1895.
THE OLD-TIME CALASH.
For real style the women of the early