The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-10-15
Famous Service of
Wood From indie
pendence Hall.
MRS. MILLER'S TROPHIES.
The Star Spangled Banner
Waves in Her Col
lection.

Mrs. Susan Margaret Miller, of 20a6
Vine street, Philadelphia owns what IS
probably the most unique table service
in Philadelphia. 1t is called EYE Old
seventy-siX table service" and was
made from wood taken from Independ-
paired prior to the centennial in 1876.
Mrs. Mlllers father was David Kyle,
Scotch-lrish; her mother was CT Quak-
er parentage. George Lyman Miller,
her husband was employed at the hall
when the repairs were made. lie was
afteTward superintendent. Mr.. Miller
secured several oak joists, some of the
original pine flooring on which the
"signers'' trod TAT the time of the re-
pairing there were two newer floors
above the old original floofJ, and o
piece of a king post (the beam rising
from the tie-beam to the ridge. The
bits of liberty bell, which Mrs. Miller
has had inserted in every piece, were
secured in 1877. When the bell was
hung over the back part of the half
way, Irregularities We're filed and other
T.
Miller secured the filings as they fell.
After 4uch thought, Mrs Miller de-
cided to have her precious pieces made
into a table service, and T6 naturally
seemed the number of pieces for the set.
They were made piece by piece, as she
had the time and ideas, she herself TAX
ing every bit of wood in her basket
and watching the turner" or whatever
sort of workman was required until
he ho1 EraTC NOD
one piece out of her sight, and at least
one man lost chance of furthel work
because he tried to substitute another
DIT of wood. The time Mrs. Miller has
spent in the making of this set simply
oa4anet be computed. Day in and dav
ont-she has sat with a bit of sewing
or knitting perhaps. the shavings and
sawdust flying all around her. while a
workman followed her directions. There
are six napkin rings. six salt dishes
and cheese dish, the bell being made
of piece of the bells frame, showing
honorable scars, scanned by the belts
vibrations. A ladle, or dipper is clev-
erly conceived not to mention the
spoons and forks and knife handles.
There are six coasters" too. in which
glasses or cups find safe anchorage. Be
sides other coasters are tiles, made
from the original flooring; goblets made
liquor casters; glasses and bowls for
various purposes; a cake stand and a
bread board
The loving cup and large vase for
flowers are the browning features. the
latter being made from a section of the
kingpost The large stand that sup
ports the large pieces, though it is
SHOWN with the vase, serves a double
purpose. Being made most Ingenious
iy@ all comes to pieces disclosing
compartments which contain many re-
lics-bits of the bell, of the original
wood of the frigate Constitution, of
Commodore Perry's flagship the Law
renee, of the flag which floated over
Fort Henry during Britain's lombard
nentin 1914 (the same that inspired Kew
to compose the "Star-spangled BAN
ner }, of continental money, besides her
photograph and silhouette, her own or
lglnal catalogue, sworn to before and
signed by Mayor Filter, the seal Of the
city being affixed by Director BETTER.
Each article is labelled, so one knows
just. what piece of wood twas made of
and Where the bit of bell is inserted
All the picture frames in one of Mrs.
Miller's rooms are of the same wood
the scene before independence han i'm
mediately after the Singing" the de-
claration itself and many others. In
magnificent rosewood cabinet Mrs.
Miller keeps a cherished letter from
Whittier: the fame of the service had
reached him.
On February % and July of every
year Mrs. Miller. dressed in her Martha
Washington wedding dress, is at home
to any properly accredited citizen. and
it is her pride and pleasure to serve
them with old-fashioned spice cake or
other famous goodies from the table
decked with this priceless service and
cut flowers. Though solicited to do so.
Mrs. Miller dared not trust these trea-