The Tucson citizen., 1902-04-17
TT LACKED NOVELTY
4 COLLECTION OF HElRLooMs THAT
WEARlED AN OBSERVER.

Has Its Drawbacks.
Two guests were being shown through
q Philadelphia mansion In which a
nouveau richie broker was entertaining
party of fashionable friends. The
splendid array Of family heirlooms, all
bespeaking lineage of earliest colo
nial origin. deeply impressed one OF the
party. He was stranger but lately
arrived from Baltimore. Oddly enough.
his companion, Philadelphian, seem
ed fippantly Indifferent to these treas
ured relics OF n family's honored his
tory.
Remarkable collection Of heirlooma
our host has" remarked the stranger
as he stopped before battle SCARED
sword Of Revolutionary days.
YES" drawled the Philadelphian
cynically, very interesting. But UNI
fortunately it 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 be?'
"Oh. simple enough. 1t only means
that all four families. our host and the
three others refer to, hired their an
cestral trapptugs from the same man"
Hired Them"
"Yes. hired them. We have In this
city an enterprising collector OF colo
nial 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 Baltimore IN could utter.
And doubtless many Philadelphians
would be moved to say "Whew," X
they could learn how many members
OF the Quaker City socia! elect are con-
strained to seek the assistance of the
heirloom dealer when they wish to
give a brilliant function.
1t Is a deception that Is forced upon
them, for unless you have distinguish
ed appearing forbears you stand little
chance OF penetrating the sacred pre-
cincts of the local fashionable set.
Ancestry. not cash. is the open SEES
anne. and even If man can claim some
sort Of family tree his pretensions are
questioned unless he can show some OF
the furniture or portraits that his
American forefather brought with him
on the Mayfiower or the Welcome.
or course II the two vessels named
had been as large rs the Great Eastern
and had been loaded with nothing but
heirooms they couldn't have carried
half the stock needed to launch the de
scendants of Pilgrim fathers into So
cIety. Hence the need OF an heirloom
dealer
He has his warerooms in Pine street.
IN part of the city which was once
the center of fashion. but is now de-
serted by that element in consequence
Of the westward movement of the citys
elect
Osteusibly he is a curio dealer but
/ mis- revenue is mainly derived from
furnishing and hanging the walls OF
fashionable dwellings with century old
portraits.
This clever manipulation Of mems
vanties has ancient, straight backed
furniture and copper kettles and snuff
ers for candles and buliseye watches
and similar relics of ancient grandeur,
aIl at your disposal for night, when
you. poor fellow, with money, but no
ancestors. want your friends to know
! what an old family yours is! He also
aas rare furnishings for libraries and
drawing rooms which you may rent II
you have Tire price.
1t matters not from what part of the
country the applicant halls or what
partcUlar descent he wishes to claim,
his nee is are promptly filled.
Ioi those who wish to pose ms lneal
descendants of the stanch old colonial
patriots who fought ;he stamp tax and
.letied the power OF King George at
I:unker Hill and drew up the DecIara
ton there is especially attractive stock.
For the heughty cavalier who came
over" with Lord Delaware there are
costumes and furniture and portraits
of more ella borate style, as BELTS the
past Of einigrants who in England
baslled in the favor OF the king and
were participants in brilliant court GER
tliipNlaIS.
The Quaker City allegiance to the
honcrcd memory of William Penn is
sentiment that the curio dealer has
been careful to cherish
ON his walls he has portraits or stu
dous looking Quakers. On his shelves
are modest Quaker clocks that did
service in the days when the founder
HHs exchanging thirty bIaukets for
Philadelphia.
There arc Quaker walking sticks. tn
Ter boxes. documents on all subjects
household utensils a legion.
1t is true that this system of supply
ing ancestors has its disadvantages.
Contretemps such as the one revealed
nt the beginning Of this article are
bound to occur. The hawklHe eye Of
connoisseur. trained to recognize in.
stantly the value. authenticity and his
tory Of antiques, often pierces the de,
ception and remembers seeing the
treasured family heirlooms' some
where else. yint in the main people
are gulllb.e, and the wealthy but pie,