The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-07-01
N FLOATING PALACE
President and His Family VIII
Have Their Ocean Home
WILL 0UTSHlNE ROYALTY
Bath Tub Cut Out of a Solid
Block of Marble

The collecting habit is a mania that
few have escaped. the evidences Of it
being apparent in all ages and climes;
nor are the years of mans suscepti-
bility limited as they range from infancy
to honorable age. Nor even poverty can
insure immunity from the contagion or
spontaneous development Of the. symp-
toms; on the contrary, the purest type of
the collector is the man who has not
the wherewithaI to acquire on sight the
prize he discovers, but must undergo pic
tUresque privations in the byways Of ne
cessity. in order to hope for the ultimate
possession Of the luxury. As to the an
tiquity of this absorbing pastime the
most famous collection was the most
ancient-namely the specimens selected
and placed IL Noahs ark, the first cab
met
One form Of the craze which has turn
ed TO the lasting good Of science is the
delight which the naturalist takes in
hunting out various specimens Of various
forms Of life The career of the natural
scientist is adventurous spirit is a ro-
mantle one. as he beats his path into the
heart OF a jungle in quest of a suspected
orchid or digs into the depths Of the
earth for a former mineral or animal
life. Then, too, what great pleasure is
gained from the collection Of really beau
tiful things. the canvasses of some in
spired master, the inimitable japanese
prints which have but recently become
accessible to the countries outside that
of their origin. or the wonderful Italian
marbles cut in graceful age. But from
many. collections resulting from less grave
motives than these, q more mixed en-
joyment is had by the owners of them
and the owners of them and the gen
ersl public when it is admitted to the
cherished presences.
An esteemed authority in psychologssgI
matters holds the collecting mania in its
more popular phases to the direct re-
suit OF the passion for collecting religious
relics ia medieval times, and there is
much evidence Of this early movement.
Chronicles tell of the commission by FIar-
dicanute in 1881 of an ancient at Rome,
TO purchase the arm of St. Augustine for
100 talents of silver and one of gold
At the time of Henry VIII. the prices
Of religious relics fell off considerably
not only on account Of the alienation Of
many from the old faith, but also because
of the dissolution of the monasterits.
placing large quantities Of these posses
sions in circulation on the market. after
this decline the chief direction of the
mania seemed to be toward the objects
Of personal or historical association. such
as the collection in Canterbury Cathedral
Of the reputed ELECTS Of the Black Prince
his surcoat and parade shield. helmet
and crests, gauntlets and scabbard.
OF Horace WaIpoles propensity in mis-
collecting much has been writ
ten and this foiole was held in contempt
by the sober-minded historian OF the
time, Nacauley. who refers to Walpole's
research for Queen Mary's comb, Cardi-
nal NVolsey's red nat and articles of a
similar triviality to the serious-minded
historian. The wits and beaux Of the
period. however. though differently. and
took a great pride in the statesman's
fancy. a song of the day voices their
sentiment as follows:
Some cry UP Gunnersbury,
For lion some declare,
And some say that with Chiswick
house
No villa can compare;
But ask the beaux of Middlesex,
Who knows the country well.
If Strawberry Hin. if Strawberry Hin
Don't bear away the bell"
There was some of the finest and rarest
china and porcelain in this collection. /
at Strawberry Hin, and many OF the /
articles had unique association, as well /
rs intrinsic value.
The greatest vogue in old china led to t
The preparation Of many frauds by I'M
scrupulous merchants, who had one fav-
1rite method of conspiracy with the En-
ylish peasantry. This consisted of the
merchant of his agents travelling through
he rural districts with several sets and
1dd pieces Of antique English china made
he week before in Germany or Holland).
ana selecting several good housewives
1t different points along his route With
sach Of these ne would enter into an
agreement to sell his wares TO the unsus-
'ecting traveller, the good ! usewife in
urn telling likely story - her reIuc-
ance TO mart with this old set that had
)een q wedding sift to her grandmother.
lnd only succumbing 70 the pressure Of
necessity over sentiment when the trav-
lcr offered a sumptuous price. upon
which he was allowed to carry OF the
innocent crockerr; whereupon three peo-
BE were made happy. ana the sardonic
ines about The mouth or Trades mask
II comedy deepeRed
one OF the oldest collections Of indis-
articles was reported in The