Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1899-08-11
ov1wl77.na R%or4sc4,Lp.
xtall.a sAspA.ep.r M.kes Him pay .
Ha9h Price for q Carlo.

OOTWIJ VItS9 KOT6SCeSteG
italian 6Aepkeepsr Makes Him Pny .
High Price for q Carlo.
An amusing story, told in the MEM
ortes Of an Old Collector" makes clear
the tricks in trade to which an un-
scrupuloas dealer in antiquities will re-
eoFt In order to get u large sum for his
waxes. The two parties were Alessan-
dFo 0aatsliani, the clever dealer, and
Baron Adolph Rothschild of Paris.
C~astAlani had managed to get hold
Of y superb enameled ever, together
with the dish on which it stood. He
knew that Baron Adolph had a fancy
Tor objects OF this kind: but he also
knew that 10 Rothschild was ever SO
carried away by his fancy as to pay
more than was reasonable for anything
tit pleased him. Castellani. who in
trade wa what Machiavelli was in pol
iNcs. devised a bit of strategy.
The Baron on arriving in Rome Wis
tied Castellant's shop ind was shown
the best things the dealer had, except
the enarncled dish and ever. When
everything else had been inspected,
Castelani drew from n hidden cup
board the dish, but not the ever. The
baron was so pleased with the dish
that he agreed to buy the lot of which
II was Q part; for one Of the customs Of
tho shop was not to Sell a rare speci-
nen apart from the group of which it
formed the PRINCIPAL object. The Baron
nAtA hnnvflv fnr tIo 1,.En1n lnp,aY,fiNu
that there was no ever to stand on the
diah, and departed for Florence.
Tha1s he was visited by an agent who
told him Of an old lady who wished to
s@A several beautiful majolica pieces.
III visited her house in the country and
was disappointed, as the majolica was
not fine enough to suit his taste. The
old Lady. seemingly chagrinei. left the
room to order refreshments, and the
Bafon saw, through the open door Of IL
bedpoom, q ever, covered by n glass
shade. on which rested n wreath of i'm
.nortHlAs.
Whsn the lady returned the Baron
asked permission to examine the ever
1t was brought out, and the Baron saw
that IN enamel was OF the same work
as that Of the dish he had bought, but
he wished to be certain that the foot
OF the ever would fit into the hollow of
the dsh. He inquired the price of the
ever, and was told by the lady that it
was not for sale, as 1t was the only
souvenir she possessed of her husband.
This Baron back to his room
had the dish %unpacked. and found that
tbs foot Of the ever fitted it perfectly.
The next day the Baron sent the agent
to o6sr the old lady IL princely sum for
the ever. He brought back u refusal
to tell. But at last the widows scruples
We're overcome.
Casteuani. with his Italian cunning,
had planned the whole a.fair. The
agent who called and the old lady who
WAS sentimental We're his aids in max
ing The Baron pay Il much larger sum
than he would have given had ever and
dish been sold together. The Italian
shnpMan's scheme had taken in the
Jewish banker, reputed one of the most
astute of business men.
The story will he appreciated by
those collectors who have been taught
by experience to distrust so-called
finds" The Arab. conducting II party
among the ruins of an Egyptian tenn
pie. suddenly stumblcs upon a scarab.
He offers it for sale as n genuine an
tiqus. W or three thousand years old.
Some IL buys it,, for did the Arab not
pick 1t up before the eyes of the whole
party? Yes. but two days before they
did not sse him bury the modern imita-
ton in that very spot.