The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-09-16

figured as link-a silver link-connect-
ing the present with the civil war. The
chest belongs to Mrs. Stone, 326 Pennsyl-
vania Avenue southeast, and the story
runs like this:
Mr.. Charles Stone. her husband, was the
editor OF the Memphis Appeal at the
time that city was captured by the Fed
eral forces during the civil war AS
the Federals we're bombardlng the city Mr.
Stone escaped from an opposite part of the
city with the paraphernalia of his office,
leaving his wife and children, who were
to 20 to Mrs. Stones old home in Nash
Vile, which was then within the Union
lines. Her flight was intercepted by the
Union authorities, however, and she was
ordered to carry her children South, with
the privilege of taking one trunk, that
to be subject to inspection. Mr.. Stone
had directed his wife to appeal to a GER
tain friend in case of trouble, and, at
her request, this friend consented to hide
the family silver until she found it safe
to come back. Upon returning to Mem
phis, after the war, Mr.. Stone heard that
the friend had been killed, and no trace
of the property was ever found from that
day until last week, when it came TO light
in rather dramatic way. In cleaning
out the vault OF an old storage house the
owner determined to open trunk and a
chest that had been lying around waiting
a claimant for nearly forty years. When
the trunk lid was pried 1t was found to be
full Of papers, brown and musty and al
most rotted into dust. The box was full
of silver. Mr.. Walter Stone. a son of
the house, who now resides in Memphis,
received word that the silver belonged
to him, but, as he had no recollection of
the matter, he concluded that IL must
belong to some one else of the same
name. His sister, Mrs. Bessie Chambers.
who had come on from the West to visit
her relatives and was then his guest, re-
membered having heard her mother speak
of the disappearance of the family plate
and at the second summons they went
to the vault and its owner handed over
the box. Mr.. Stone was greatly grieved
at the loss of the documents, which he
valued far more than the silver, but the
musty bits had already been carted off
by the rag man and, though he offered a
reward he was, unfortunately, too late
The silver. including a breakfast serv-
ice, large walters and trays, old-time.
massive castors, and an ice pitcher, was
black, as silver always turns when in
disuse, but the gold lining OF the sugar
and cream bowls was FURNISHED as bright
ly as though the metal were fresh from
the mint. Both the black and red pepper
in the heavy cut-glass cruets were as
pungent as the day on which they were
ground Mr.. Stone. the elder, died some
years ago, and his widow treasures more
than all the yaluables combined silk
dressing gown and a big, beautiful cup
and saucer of pink china, lowered with
gilt, that had belonged to him in the
long-ago days.
She IS a dainty little gentle woman
with beautiful silvery hair and soft
Voice that quivered with emotion as she
spoke of her long-lost treasure. 1T be-
longs to the past. and now that Mr..
Stone is no longer living 10 enjoy its re-
covery with me. | wish. if it were not for
the children. that it had never been found.
When | left Memphis | said that il l
could only get through the war safely
with my husband and children / would
be thankful. no matter what else went.
Everything else did go, but peace brought
us together and / was content"
Mrs. Stones daughter, Mss Stone, who
is well known among the younger artists
of the city has studio in her mothers
home She returned from Chicago Fri
day, ans, as she had moi heard of the