The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-11-07
ON5E NBR|E AN.O|NETTF'S
SEDlG3OARD TREASURED BY A NEW
ENGLAND HAN THAT HAS A
ROMANTIC HISTORY
sToRY OF THE VALUED ARTICLE
EiOt to Have Brought the Owner
Frustrated by the Removal
OF the Unfortunate
Queen.

Now and then one is led to wish that
some inanimate object might foI once be
endowed with the power of speech, that
its story might be heard at first hand
although the unexpected sometimes hap
pens, however, the Impossible is quite an
other thing, and in regard TO tn. subject
of this article a plain statement of facts
is al that can b. given, says the St Louis
GiObe-Dcmocrat.
An interesting piece of furniture whose
history-could we hear it from Itself
would be well wor1 the hearing is a side
board which may be seen in the dining
room of Hon James P Baxter, ex-mayor
of Portland, Me. 1t was In 1881, when,
as its present owner was in Thomaston,
Me, he saw on eXi ibition a somewhat
impt sing sideboard, and with his well
known love of the ique admired, and,
at length, purchased the piece which was
sent to h $ Portland residence
The sideboard is of French marquetry
semi-circular in form, the appaI ent draw
ers OF which open like small doors by
silver handles, each hand.epiece being en-
sraved with an acorn and oak leaf Some
time after its removal to Portland a
woman called to see Mr.. Baxter and,
speaking Of the piece of furniture, asked
If he knew its history. No, he die not
know it, and upon this assertion the
woman made known the surprising fact
that it had once been the property Of no
less a parsonage than the French queen,
Marie Antoinette, and came from the
Louvre. Incredulous as this at nrst
sounded, subsequent investigation brought
10 liob
doubt the truth of the woman's state
ment.
STORY AND A PLOT
How it came about that the personal
property of the unfortunate queen was
found for sale in a little New England
town is story that must be told by it.
self, the plot Of which, had it succeeded,
would have added a page of romance to
the history of two nations.
During the years 1888 and 1894 there
hailed from Wiscasset Me-, or an island
in the Wiscasset harbor-called by the
Indians Jeremy Squam," and later
known as Edgecomb island-a man by
the name of Stephen Clough, gentleman
and shipmaster. Aside from his fine old
mansion, Capt. Clough had inherited by
marriage the stanch ship Sally with
which during 1893 he was engaged IL. car
rying lumber, under contract from Wis
cdSSeI 10 rance, Cnat capt. ClOuSn IN
terests were somewhat divided about this
time is shown by portion of his family
record, which reads as follows: stephen
Clough was at Paris during the reign of
revolutionary terror under RObespierre
and actively engaged in the aid of the vic
Tins Of Revolutionary vengeance" The
Sally, being noted for her speed in all
weathers was, as may readily be SEEM
an efficient ally in his work Of rescue
nj af OF, &ad
with the condition of affairs in France
was due not alone to the fact of his fire.
quent presence there, but to the addition
al fact that a neighbor and friend down
on the Maine coast was at the same time
trusted and wideawake French officer
in the military service of his country
This man, Bennete Claude de St Pry,
had in 1879 established a salt factory on
the shore of the Sheepscot, and while
nominally engaged in trade in America
was nevertheless in intimate touch with
the affairs of state In France.
CARGO on TTJU