The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-09-29
GIRLS OF NEW YORK
WAR SOUVENIR MAD.
ARE.

army or navy may be seen upon her
belt Small Spanish coins have been
made into sleeve buttons and breast
pins and are very pretty.
While some of the girl souvenir hunt
ers went on board the vessels TO get such
relics as could be used in decorating
their hats and clothing one shrewd little
maiden started out with another pur-
pose in view. She started To collect
relics that had some value. and. judg-
ing by those she has got together and
exhibited. her mission has been sue
cessful one. Hers is one of the finest
collections In New York.
With a big roll OF bills in her pocket
she went on board the warships as they
came to the home station from the
scene of action. She inquired about the
vessels and the kind OF time the men
had. Then she got down to business
and wanted To "see" some Of the relics.
The men brought them out. and as the
| different articles were handed TO her
| she would ask where the men got them.
| In this way she obtained the history OF
| the relics, the names of the men who
| cot them and where each came from
| This adds to the value OF the souvenirs
| all OF which are interesting.
The curios are artistically mounted on
| panel of highly polished quartered
oak, with the name OF the article and
its history. With one exception all were
taken from the Spanish vessels that
| were destroyed off Santiago harbor by
| the American feet on July 3. In the
center of the board is an ugly looking
machete about three inches wide an>
two feet in length. The blade has been
ground to razor sharpness. IL was got
from one OF the insurgents at Guanta
namo by private of marines who was
stationed at Camp Mccalla. 1t look:
the death dealing instrument 1t Is. Oh
either side of IL are mounted severa
silver spoons and forks which. from
appearances. have been in hot place
They are burned and twisted out o
shape. on the back of the spoons Is In
scribed the name of the ship they wer,
| taken from. One of the seamen OF th'
Texas got them from the officers quar-
ters OF the Almirante Oquendo aftel
that ship had been sunk.
| A steel boat hook from the Cristoba
Colon adorns one corner of the panel
while the most grewsome trophy is
Mauser bayonet. Ii was pulled out o
the back OF an unfortunate sailor who's
body was found in the forward turre
| of the Spanish cruiser infanta Mars
| Teresa II is placed on the panel oppo
site the boat hook. A piece of the pat
ent log line of the same ship is on tn
board below the machete.
A common agate iron plate has ais
found one Of the more prominent place
on the panel, and one would wonde
why IL was placed there. Upon clos
inspection il will be easily seen why
was given one Of the best places. Th
inscription on II reads. Taken from tn
United States steamship Merrmac jus
before she was sunk in Santiago harbc
by Lieutenant Hobson."
Near the plate is a queer looking pieC
of steel. 1t is one OF the keys to Il
Kingston valves" and was used
sink the Cristobal Colon when the Spar
iards saw there was no chance of e
cape. Two small shells from the rap
fire guns and one OF the l pound
shells from the Almirante Oquendo a
placed along the bottom OF the pan'
while the most valuable trophy OF u
collection is draped on top. II is pa
Of the battlefag OF the Spanish cruis
Cristobal Colon The flag was TAX,
from the ship shortly after she strut
her colors by some OF the crew OF q
flagship New York. The rest Of Il
flag was cut up by the men and di
tributed. There are also some SPANS
coin and the inkstand taken from Il
cabin OF Captain Eulate OF the Vizcay
To add 20 the value OF the battlefag
the Colon n certificate stating where
was got was given To tho girl by q
man who secured the trophy.
h MARY +. JENKINSON.