The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-11-23
THE FINERIES OF
MRS. AGUINALDO
Creating Comment Among Girls
in War Department.
WERE PACKED IN BARRELS
The Captured Clothes May be Brought
to Washington and Placed on
Exhibition in National
Museum
WERE PACKED IN BARRELS

Washington, November 22-(special.)-
There has been a futter of excitement
among the women clerks in the war depart
ment over the announcement of the cap
ture at San Nicholas of the wardrobe of
Sonora Aguinaldo.
The females eagerly scanned the bulletins
to see if there was any description as to the
fineries packed away in the eighteen bar
rels, but they were doomed to disappoint-
ment, for cables from Manila only contain
ed the bare announcement of the capture
without any details The women are, how
ever, hoping that the articles captured will
be sent to the war department, and that
after all they may have chance of rum
maging through the barrels and getting the
latest fashions from the Philippines.
Mrs. Aguinaldo's Fineries
Already there are evidences of desire
from the country outside of Washington to
know what is to become of Mrs. Aguin-
aldo's clothes, for several inquiries have
been received from museum managers and
proprietors asking If there is any possibility
of a sale of these articles, and desiring to
be put on the list of would-be purchasers.
Some have offered quite substantial sums
lOI lut privilege Ol eAHlDlllilS THE eighteen
barrels full of wardrobe, and If the depart
ment felt so disposed it could turn in quite
| a comfortable sum to the treasury in an
auction sale of the captured finery.
Seriously, the question has been asked at
the department what will be done with the
property, now that it has come into the
possession of the United States army.
1t is stated at the war department that 1t
is the custom to dispose of property cap
tured in the war by sale, but in this in
stance 1t is not known what will be done.
The barrels of CLOTHES will be taken to Ma
Mia and stored in the warehouse there, and
remain subject to the secretary of war.
But if 1t should turn out that our forces in
Luzon capture the Aguinaldo family, and in
view of the fact that the winter is coming
on. General Otis may turn over to Mrs.
Aguinaldo her wardrobe, and this may end
bhe question as to what will become of her
finery.
Another Sug- es ion
1T has been suggested, and the sugges-
ton seems a good one, that the captured
fnery be brought to the United States and
turned over to the Smithsonian and Ma
tional Museum and thBt 1t De added to the
cOlectlOn OF costumes ana UNIFORMS ulS-
played in the museums
A wax figure of Mrs. Agunaldo, dressed
in one of her court costumes, surrounded
by other articles of finery, would make an
interesting and instructive addition to the
collection in the museum. lit would give a
Glance to the people of the United States
to see the Filipino ladies' dress, and the
exhibition would certainly draw crowds to
the museum.
This would be In line with the rule adopt
ed by the National Museum many years
ago. by which foreign people, with their
costumes, in characteristic attitudes, are
preserved in kindergarten lessons for the
American people. For instance there are
done in wax the most celebrated Indian
chiefs, with their squaws about them,
some cooking, others showing other Gus
toms in their daily life. THE figures are
clothed largely with relics captured from
the Indians during the wars Chinese and
Japanese celebrities, with aboriginal celeb
rites from the world over, are also here as
object lessons. The uniforms and camp
trunks off General Washington hats and
other pieces of clothing of Lincoln, the sill
yer and some pieces of the dinner set form
erly belonging to Jefferson Davis, with
some of his uniforms, are also in the Ma
tional Museum; While SUITS of clothing of
Lafayette and other wel-knowm men are