The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1902-03-19
IT LACKED NOVELTY
A COLLECTION OF HelRLOOMS THAT
WEARlED AN OBSERVER.

The System of Renting Out Family
Trappings Mt So Much Per Hour
Has Its Drawbacks.
Two guests We're being shown through
Philadelphia mansion In which n
nouyeau richie broker was entertaining
a party of fashionable friends. The
splendid array of family heirlooms, all
bespeaking lineage of earliest colo
NAL origin, deeply impressed one of the
party. He was stranger but lately
arrived from Baltimore. Oddly enough,
his companion, a Philadelphian, seem.
ed fiippantly Indifferent to these treas.
ured relics of family's honored his
tory.
Remarkable collection of heirlooms
our host has" remarked the stranger
as he stopped before battle Scared
sword Of Revolutionary days
Yes" drawled the Philadelphia
cynically. very interesting But un.
| fortunately II lacks the charm of nov.
| city for me. Already this season I've
seen the same batch of relics In three
other Philadelphia houses"
How could that be2"
"Oh, simple enough. 1t only means
that all four families, our host and the
three others | refer to, hired their an
cestral trappings from the same man"
Hired them?"
"Yes, hired them. We have In this
city an enterprising collector of colo,
NAL junk who makes business of
renting out family glory to all who
were unfortunate enough to be born
without IT.
"Wheww was the only comment the
astonished Baltimorean could utter.
And doubtless many Philadelphians
would be moved to say "Wheww II
they could learn how many members
of the Quaker City social elect are con-
strained to seek the assistance OF the
heirloom dealer when they wish to
give n brilliant function.
1t is deception that Is forced upon
them, for unless you have distinguish
ed appearing forbears you stand little
chance of penetrating the sacred pre-
eincts of the local fashionable set.
Ancestry, not cash, is the open SEES
anne, and even IL a man can claim som,
sort of family tree his pretensions art
questioned unless he can show some o
the furniture or portraits that hi
American forefather brought with hin
on the Mayfower or the Welcome.
OF course IL the two vessels name,
had been as large rs the Great Eastern
and had been loaded with nothing Blu
heirlooms they couldn't have carrie
half the stock needed to launch the dt
scendants of Pilgrim fathers into 81
ciety. Hence the need of an heirlooi
dealer.
He has his warerooms in Pine stree
in part of the city which was ono
the center of fashion, but Is now d
serted by that element in consequent,
OF the westward movement of the city
elect.
ostensibly he Is curio dealer, Dl
his revenue Is mainly derived frol
furnishing and hanging the walls {
fashionable dwellings with century oil
portraits.
This clever manipulation Of men
vanities has ancient, straight backe
furniture and copper kettles and snuff
ers for candles and bullseye watches
| and similar relics of ancient grandeur
all at your disposal for n night, wher
| you. poor fellow, with money, but NJ
ancestors, want your friends to know
what an old family yours Isl He also
has rare furnishings for libraries and
drawing rooms which you may rent II
you have the price.
1t matters not from what part Of the
country the applicant halls or what
particular descent he wishes to claim,
his needs are promptly filed.
For those who wish to pose as lineal
descendants Of the stanch old colonial
patriots who fought the stamp tax and
defed the power of King George at
Bunker Hill and drew up the Declare
ton there is especially attractive stock.
For the naughty cavalier who came
over" with Lord Delaware there are
costumes and furniture and portraits
of more elaborate style, as BELTS the
past of emigrants who In England
basked in the favor of the king and
were participants In brilliant court Ger.
emonials.
The Quaker City allegiance to the
honored memory OF William Penn Is
sentiment that the curlo dealer has
been careful to cherish.
On his walls be has portraits Of stu
dlous looking Quakers. On his shelves
are modest Quaker clocks that did
service in the days when the founder
was exchanging thirty blankets for
Philadelphia.
There are Quaker walking sticks, tin
der boxes, documents on all subjects,
household utensils legion.
1t Is true that this system of supply.
ing ancestors has Its Disadvantages.
Contretemps such as the one revealed
at the beginning of this article are
bound to occur. The hawklike eye OF q
connoisseur, trained to recognize In
stantly the value, authenticity and his
tory Of antiques, often plerces the de-
ceptlon and remembers seeing the
treasured family heirlooms" some
where else. But In the main people
are gullib,e. and the wealthy but pie
beian aspirant for social honors vaunts
the blueness of his blood and points
with pride to his hired heirlooms with
out much danger Of discovery.
And meanwhile the crafty Pine
street dealer smiles, wakes rich and
echoes a celebrated remark Of Puck's
regarding the average intelligence of
Observation-Disclosures North Ameri-
can.
The Hens Plant.
whats the matterf' asked the roos-
ter. "More observation-disclosures"
Hyoc - rnpiiad tho hon .I ca navar