The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-10-25

l by Washington in the slaughter of the cherry tree, to the perpetual motion ma chine is being offered for sale, to the Worlds Fair management.
 An old curiosity shop of papers relat- ing to antique junk and modern freaks, fast preparing two over-worlSed clerks in the exhibits division for the sani- tarium.
 There is no stemming this torrent of oddity. The freak" mail arrives from the four ends of the country. It calls for polite notes, informing the writers that the exposition is not purchasing anything exeept wood and nails and staff for the exhibit palaces.
 Some of these letters are pathetic They come from the now fortuneless descend ants of once notable families in the early history of the nation; from one time slaves and from trappers and miners of the far west The professional eurio hunter and the snowman raise their the atric cry of For Sale.'
 More tragic than all other experiences was the appearance at the office of MT Skiff. director of exhibits. of the owner or the Washington hatchet. It was only presented as the keen-edged finale to a series of visits.
 A gilded axe, borne by fragile youth attended upon the first call. The insru- ment vas garnished with black rippohs and wore a sombre look. It was lntro- dncad as the 'identicar' blade used by TJncoln. in rail splitting his way to the Presidency. ..
 The late Professor Selim Peabody, then antfouarian of the exposition, dealt hiiiu- lv with his caller and felt the edge or the axe to be reassure1 It was ouil' Doc- tor Peabody escaped, but not TOT ions' Two days later saw the return oi the axeman. He held a rusty hatcnet oi tne crop of 1902 grimly grasped In ms hanu.
 nrba identical hatchet used by the Father of our Country when he felleo the cherry tree" The solemn announcement. startled the whole division. Visions or tetanus germs seemed to reek from the wicket little hatchet.
 | Placing a table between him and the caller. Doctor Peabody mildly sussss'eu | the differences of opinion when nave cast at length doubt on the Hooel story, The axeman's response failed 10 | relieve the unpleasantness Of the sltua- tion
 Tt does not matter who casts sus- pioion on the story; this is the hatche'' and the tool arose with swlsn ihto the air pr. Peabody's profound know ledge of anthropology averted crisis' He bowed gravely and replied: indeed cir since I get a nearer view, l recog- nize that it Is, without doubt, the hateS 1t"
 AM ugh the hatchet takes the lead in the le eat list of commonplace things used " Americans, other offers not so spectacular, yet none the less interesting because they have been presented by the more prosaic route of the mails, encum- Der the oddity pigeon holes. There are the shears used by Andrew Johnson in the days when he was tailor, a lowered dirk once the property of General Lafayette, old papers which belonged to Thomas Jefferson and of still nearer interest the night robe worn by President Mckinley on his death bed. A Buffalo woman, who claims to have made the historic gown in which the martyred President breathed his last, of fers the garment for a reasonable price. Director of Exhibits Skif suggested in his answer that he could not conceive of
 
 President being in possession of such a relic.
 A proud parent offers to rent his eight year-old son, who weighs 250 pounds. He has been informed that the exposition classification makes no provision for the exhibition of boys of any age. num- mifed cat and rat, the cat lying on the left side while it holds the rat in its mouth, also escapes the classification.
 Palmyra, N. Y, has the printing press on which was printed the first Mormon Bible. Inventors of new universal alpha bets and languages millions of stamps and tons of old coins make a collection that is appalling for It's immensity
 A Philadelphia man wants $300 for an old Spanish bell weighing 14OO pounds. with an accredited age of 25O years Belle Valley, Pa, has a sleigh 106 years old. The owner says 1t was used in car rying mail from Erie, Pa to Buffalo, long before the railway age.
 Amsterdam, Holland, pours its flood of prurient Literature" into the bewiIder- ing whirlpool of wheels" An echo of the same land of eerie art appears out from the busy money mart of Wall street
 It is an unique book published in 1720 vision of future great city on the banks of the Mississippi. In the marine forefront of a copper plate etching of tho