New-York tribune., 1903-01-18

osTAn AUTOGRAPH album containing the names am ;, Of az M
Grant also those Of Generals sheridan AdmiIas
Farragut Goidsb9Tough and Dewey % G 's T- NordIca
and Hung Chang and wu Ting fang Queen
Of % Il qgod % Bsdde MAIDEN n9y ahe the
In spite of notices like this. which have been
printed in the newspapers and reprinted; in
spite of a half dozen detectives who have
hunted up and down the town, and whole day
which he spent himself in a personal search,
George w. Shiebler. the silversmith, is still
grfeving over the loss Of his autograph album
When DR. I.orenz was in this city Mr.. Shieber
sought to add the name of the surgeon TO the
rest and sent the book by one of his clerks TO
the home of DR.. Virgil P. Gibney of whom the
Austrian was guest. DR.. Lorenz was just
getting into a carriage when the messenger
arrived to go to the Yale dinner, and in some
mysterious way the album disappeared.
Whether ii was left in the carriage or slipped
into the street or was snatched up by some
vagrant the owner of the album has been un-
able to learn.
The ShiebIer autograph album has had
career that would do credit to diplomat IL
began in a humble way. like many a successlul
American and at first made the acquaInldlce
of people whom the great world KNOWS HttIe IL
anything about Gradually it made lts way lAIo
more exclusive circles met men ana women "ilolli
genius or perseverance or birth or wealth. hdu
brought into public prominence. until it num-
bered among its friends Presidents adIlliIals
generals statesmen. bankers artists, musicians
opd actors whose names are known to perTfla-
nent or transient fame.
A Sunday school class presented ME- ohlepief
twenty-eight years ago with tins album anu OH
it's front page the members wrote thelr hdnieS-
At first the book seemed destined to 80 the
way of the ordinary autograph album 10 %
tain the names of few relatives ana Iriehus'
and then fall victim to moths on tne top
shelf of some garnet closet Mt Shleoler nuni-
berad among his friends, however. many men
of distinction fer he began life as d clerk IN
the employ of the Western Union in the Capt.
+oI at Washington. Although his CHIEF duty
then was to count the words of the newspaper
correspondents copy and of the private dls-
matches of members of Congress, and hand them
over to the operators nevertheless ne impressed
those he met with his genial way
Mr. Shiebler left Washington in 1867 ana the
album was given to him in 1879 when ne was
living in this city Thus it was that when
member of Congress an officer Of the army OF
navy happened to come to town whom he kne"
Mr.. Shiebler would send him the album, with the
request for his autograph.
1t was not long before all the pages were nlIeo'
and then Mr.. Shiebler added more pages AS
the book grew, the ambition of it's owner grew
At last whenever noted stranger visited the
city or an actor became especially famous, OF
an artist became talked about because OF some
painting Mr. Shieber was sure 10 send him MS
autograph album. The owner never delivered
il in person. but would send it in care OF
messenger to the hotel where the person nap
pened to be stopping AS the volume became
more and more valuable his friends often used
to chide him for sending it about carelessly-
SOy1 1o1- he WOuid L
last the day came.
When the Prince of Siam was here Mr.
Shiebler sent him the album Days went by
and no reply came. The Prince went to Boston.
but the album was not returned. Mr.. Shiebler
made inquiry at the Waldorf-Astoria, where
the Prince had stayed, but told the album
was lost. He then telegraphed to Boston, and
the Prince replied that it must be at the hotel
for he had left it in charge of a certain clerk.
Armed with this letter, Mr.. Shiebler finally OBJ
tanned the hook.
Many of the names which were written in Mr..
Shiebler's album betray from a few
scratches of the pen or by their position on the
page. the character of those who wrote them.
Thus on the last page is the signature of Henry
Ward Beecher. under which Sarah Bernhardt I
wrote the words The last shall be first in the
Kingdom OF Heaven whereupon she signed her |
own name at the bottom of the page, that |
no could write beneath it. On the page
opposite Nine. Calve wrote, when she was |
asked to sign her name:
"Oh. Sarah Sarah! You would always have |
the last word
When Queen Liiuokalani was in Washington |
seeking to win back her lost throne of the Sand
wich Islands Mr.. Shebler chanced to be at the |
national capital on business He had his album |
along usual, hoping to meet some celeb |
rty whose name he had not secured. On this |
occasion Mr.. Shebler called at the hotel where |
the Queen was staying. and. after he had told