The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-06-06
OUR NEW YORK LETTER
A STORY ABOUT Mr.. STRAUs, WHO
is TO RETURN TO TURKEY.

How His Piece Of martha Washington"
Porcelain Turned Out a Deiusion and a
snare-Transatlantio Travel and Sea-
shore Notwithstanding Sentiments.
NEW YORK, June Especial. THE
appointment of the Hon. Oscar 5. Straus
] to the Turkish mission, brings TO mind a
little story which, while considered good
| joke on him when first told, shows that he
possesses the sort of feeling which prompts
one to pay well for articles Of patriotic in
terest.
One day late in 1892 he sent an agent to
| the auction sale at Philadelphia of the
collection made by the late j. G. Mcguire
| Of Washington Whether the agent bought
freely or not is not of record, but no did
| get one article of which Mr.. Straus was
exceedingly proud for nearly month.
| This article was nothing less than de-
lightfully quaint piece of antique porcelain
listed on the catalogue as Martha Wash
| ington' fruit stand. >" And indeed it was
dainty affair of itself, though Mr..
Straus' great pride in its possession lay in
its associations. OF course the agent didn't
get it without a struggle, there being sew
eral bidders almost as determined us he.
However, Mr.. Straus considered that the
price paid, $3.50, was more than reasonable,
and he put in several days congratulating
himself on the cheapness with which he
had acquired so rare relic. Moreover, he
was confirmed in his impression by an
offer of $500 from friend TO whom the
dish was exhibited
How He Was Undeceived.
Naturally that piece of porcelain soon
became one of the show articles in the
Straus home, and nearly every person to
whom 1t was exhibited congratulated the
owner and praised its beauty in unstinted
terms. But one day il was shown to an
expert, who looked at it long time be-
fore saying word.
"Wellg" Intercepted Mr.. Straus after
several minutes of impressive silence.
"Well," replied the friend, who CHANGED
to be a business associate, I'm sorry but
we still have several dishes exactly like
that down ut the store, any one of which
you could have had for the asking They
were made just before the centennial ex-
hibition in 1876 and were sold at Phila-
delphia in that year as souvenirs, though
frankly termed replicas of the real thing,
at Sl.75 each. They went very WELL too,
though they were not all sold, and, as
have said, we still have several in stock.
"What makes me certain that this is one
of our souvenirs is the fact that we could
not initiate the fabric Of the original dish
with absolute accuracy, and this one has
the peculiarities of our dishes. To make
it more interesting" concluded the speak
CT, "dishes like this and, in fact, replicas
of Martha Washington's entire tea set,
were made by your own order, u skillful
worker in porcelain being sent to Wash
ington for the express purpose of copying
the original set, which is kept at the capt.
tai i'm the care of the government
Mr.. Straus remembered the circum-
stances at once, but he could not believe
he had been tricked until the expert who
copied the original set had been sent for
He identified the dish promptly as his own
handiwork and Straus then acknowledged
that the joke was on him.
Transatlantic Travel and the Shore.
AS the weeks pass without anything
serious being done by the Spaniards on
the sea transatlantic travel is beginning
to pick up amazingly. The revival is by
no means Of sufficient volume to make the
total sailings equal those of previous years,
of course, but still the number of Ameri.
can visitors TO European cities is now
found TO be two or three times as great
this season as was looked for a few weeks
ago. And some of the companies, notably
those operating the new and phcnomcnally
fast vessels, are going to have q pretty
good summer after all.
One of the most famous Of these ships
has made hardly single trip as yet with |
out full complement of passengers, and
sailing days at the piers of tho company
fortunate enough to own her present all
the hustle and hurry that were features in
the fiushest days of the past. That all the
ships of the American line and several Of
the smaller ones of the other lines have
been temporarily withdrawn no doubt
contributes "a share to the good business
on the big boats of course.
1t is worth mentioning also that a sim
liar state of revival is beginning with re-
gard to the seaside resorts 1t is true that
they will not be so well patronized at the
beginning of the season as usual, but 1
am informed by the proprietor of one
large shore hotel that his present book
ings are so satisfactory that he has recon-
sidered his determination TO keep the
house closed, and that he looks for decid-
edly good business in the latter half of
the season.
Changing Sentiments.
Quite as significant as these changes
from fear to confidence are the changes of
sentiment regarding tho future of this
country that are going on daily in this
town.
Before the breaking out of the present
war it is probable that at least half of the
voters in New York were dead set against
the annexation of Hawaii. Now while
there is still strong minority opposition
to extending our possessions by anncxa-
ton, there Is probably a decided ma
jority i'm favor of the proceeding A
corresponding change with regard to
the size of our standing army in
future is also taking place, and this is
especially true in tho ranks of "organ-
lied labor" In the past it has been
the cry in union circles that the only ex
cuse for an enlarged army was the capital
lists desire TO have an armed force always
In hand TO help put down strikes. There
are many union men who still hold tho
same views, but they are less numerous
than formerly, and IN gentimeu6 That