The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-10-02
NORTH SEA ANTIQUES
HOW The Willy COLLECTOR DEALS
IN FUTURES WITH THE PEASANT.

The Plan That Must Now BE Adopted to
Secure specimens of Old Dutch Furni-
ture-Imitatlons Are Made and Freely
Sold 20 Collectors Who Are Not Posted.
Though nearly every dealer I'm antiqui-
ties will deny it unless he sees that by af'
nrming such thing cautiously he can
get higher price for the articles ut pres
emit In his warerooms, it is fact that tho
old furniture marts of New York and Lon
don-New York pOrticularly-haveb been
SWEPT very nearly clean. There are still To
- found, il is true, good pieces of ancient
furniture-colonial, Dutch, old English,
French and Spanish-here and there, but
they arc seldom pieces of ms fine quality
and of as good style of decoration as 1t
was possible to purchase ten years ago,
while at moderate prices it Is impossible to
buy anything of great excellence, save 10y
the barest chance. To the unwary, tho
badly posted collectors, the old furniture
mart does not show CHS, for the trade has
been tempered with, and limitations arc
freely sold in many q1arters. Buying old
furniture is now like buying japanese Gu
rios i'm Japan-one must be keen collect
or not to loaGhhimseG up with plausible
seeming "truck."
Holland especially has been ransacked
by tho agents of American and English
dealers in every hole and corner so thor
oughly that nothing remains to be pur-
chased The well to do in the towns ard
villages, even in tho open country, will
not yield, of course, to the wiles and per
suasiveness of the dealers agents, even
whom n very high price is offered. Within
. In two a npin Is
themselves Of old furniture concerns have
been visiting this corner of Europe in tho
hope of doing better, hut they, too, have
failed to pick up much of value 1t is said
that practically every cottage in the land
of the bikes has been gone through, with
Disappointing results.
Old Dutch furniture has such Il sure and
profitable sale today, even when the dealer
himself has Co pay high prices for 1t, that
this state of affairs is most distressing
one. The only chance Of getting any speci-
mems now has come to be by visiting the
islands of the North sea that are off the
line Of travel. There tho dealer meets with
some success, though he has to buy in n
most curious way. He arrives at some
small village or town hardly known to
the rest of the world and, taking his post
ut one of the tables in the "taproom" of
the little tavern of the place. begins to
smoke a long pipe and to quaff a mixture
Of schnapps.
About the room arc seated Dutch vii
layers, putting away placidly without
word. Chance Offering, the dealer speaks
10 the one nearest him and announces the
fact that he is dosirous of buying some fine
old pieces of furniture. The Dutchman
smokes meditatively for full five minutes
before he answers that he is sorry, but ho
has none to sell. The dealer, still sending
out clouds of smoke from his pipe bowl
and ordering more schnapps, after allow
ing the proper number Of moments to pass
in silence, asks if he then does not know
of some one who might be induced to sell.
Half day has been consumed altogeth-
er before the villager finally answers that
he thinks he does know of such man.
There are more pipes and more drinking,
and then the Dutchman agrees to take the
dealer to that man the following after
noon. The next day there is another ses-
sion of smoke and schnapps in the tavern
before they start out. AT the house of the
villager there is another hour Or two spent
in leading up to the subject, haste of any
kind being hated in dealings with the
North sea islanders, and then, after care
full consideration, the grizzled old head of
the family decides that he cannot sell his
household relics.
Any other man than thoroughly post.
ed dealer would know be was beaten and
leave in disgust But the dealer who I'M
derstands these islands and the ways of
their inhabitants has another card to play.
Bidding goodby to the old man, he and
his guide go in search of the son. The
dealer while he was in the villagers house
saw the furniture and knows what no
wants. The son is not so obdurate He
likes the clink and the rustic of the gold,
silver and bank notes the dealer produces.
But" he says, 81 cannot sell the fur
niture. 1t is not mine To- sell" All the
same, he looks wistfully at the money.
81 understand" answers the dealer.
"Of course you can't sell. The furniture
is not yours. But it will be soon, perhaps
in less than year. Your father is getting
to be an old man. He will die in little
while. You are the heir When he dies,
the property will be yours to do what you
will with.
The son smokes on stolidly, but with a
CLEAN of understanding in his heavy eyes.
He looks up Mt the dealer with great inter
est
"Now," that gentleman goes on, 81
have proposition TO make to you, myn-
hcer. Promise me when your father dies
and you come into the estate you will sell
me this and this and this" Gle names
several articles he saw iii the house.) II
will pay you so much for them and so
many guilders down to bind the bargain. I"
This proposition Is invariably accepted,
and something like SO in gold secures
these pieces of furniture. "When your IA
ther dies, mynheer," the dealer continues,
"you can let me know. / will send you
the balance of the money, and you can
ship the goods over to me-"
1t is in this way that the best of the old
Dutch furniture has to be bought nova
days. So honest are these North sea is
land peasants that no bill of sale Is made
out and no agreement drawn up. The
young peasants word stands and is thought
sufficient When he comes into the estate,
ne carries out his end of the bargain and
sends over the furniture. New York Trib-
| une
Dissipated.
"I am confident, " said the cheerful Id