The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-01
VALUABLE WALKING STICKS.
Historical Facts About Some Famous
HIgh-Priced Canes.
From Tlt-Bits.

FROM l1I-BltS.
In hairdressers window at the health
resort of La Bourboule some little time
ago an ugly, ungalnly cudgel worth about
6 pence was displayed, together with the
notice, "a stick of genuine olive wood from
Jerusalem. 1t formerly belonged to Pontus
PLATE in the year q of our era Price 1900
francs" Any one DESTROYS of wasting a
little time might have asked the vendor
for proofs Of his veracity, but we, having
duly recorded the existence of this remark
able stick, will pass on to that of DIR. H.
Hale of Detroit, which liz, to the best of
our belief the most valuable stick ex-
tant
1t was formerly the practice of physi-
cian. as old prints prove, to carry canes
in the hollow heads of which some disln-
fectant was placed. which the doctor
smelled through the perforations in the
gold top; Dr. Hale's famous staff, how
ever boasts of head containing a fine
chronometer, and Is, with its jeweled or
naments, worth about $500.
1t is somewhat of a coincidence. that two
of her ma1estys most famous walking
sticks should be intimately connected with
the Stuart regime, but such Is the case
The staff of the stick she habtually uses
we learn, is of stout English oak, and was
made for an presented to Charles II by a
loyal subject at Worcester the wood being
culied from branch of the famous tree
whose leafy bcughs gave The wandering
King shelter from the CromWellian SOL
diery. The original head of gold was re-
moved some time ago and replaced by an
ornament taken from Seringapatam at the
fall of that city, in order to give her
majesty a better grip.
The Prince of Wales, who possesses no
fewer than 172 walking sticks, is obviously
also collector, but we very much doubt
whether he possesses a more interesting
specimen than that purchased al the Gull
loden sale by her majesty, the Queen, in
July, 1897 The stick IN question was made
of hazel wood and the head was fashioned
so as to represent Wisdom and Folly, but
the special interest 1t possesses is the fact
that 1t was once the property Of Bonnie
Prince Charlie Her majesty became It's
owner by an outlay of fl60.
A stick of more than ordinary interest
is one fashioned from an oar belonging to
one of the most famous vessels Of this
half century, the Confederate steamer
Alabama, that eventually cost this nation
some f3,500000.
The head is carved TO represent Capt
seunmes of the Alabama; below the bust Is
a dog symbolcal OF Mr. John Lancaster
yacht, the Deerhound, though whose agen-
cy many of the Alabamas crew were saw
ed when the ship was sunk by the Kear-
sage, off Cherbourg, in 1864. -Four cannon,
beautifully designed, from the upper part
of the stem, and the remainder of the
shaft Is carved TO represent hempen cables
altogether a walking stick not less inter
esting than the one with a gold handle
shaped like a cap OF Liberty, bequeathed
by Franklin to George Washington.
In July, 1890. a walking stick, once the
property Of George ", and before him Of
George III, was sold by auction for flS
The staff was OF ebony with top OF gold
upon which were engraved &C. r." and al
crown; the top also contained some locks
OF hair Of the Princesses Elizabeth, Mary
and Sophie.
II Is somewhat strange that the stick Of
Napoleon Bonaparie Great Britain's ter
rible opponent at the time Of the regency,
should be sold during the reign of the
fourth George for f3s-the stick by the
way. was Of tortoise-shell.