The San Francisco call., 1903-09-20
MeKFoR0. .ARIE

NHERE are more valuable laces in
town than we wist Of. In private
chapels and churches alone the
aggregate sum runs higher than
- $4,000, and that is but very small
estimate, so fancy what the total sum of
personal laces and the rare old bits that
have been handed down from one genera
ton 70 another would amount to. Some
thing too immense to even dream of.
Comparatively speaking few people
have the least idea what 1t costs TO ft
up q chancel. They fancy that a little
linen and a scrap OF lace is all that is
deemed necessary, but when they come
20 settle the bill they grow heap wiser.
Church laces are really divided into two
ciasses-the altar decorations and vest
ments To be sure not all the churches
have occasion to use or display rare laces,
but the Catholic. the Episcopalian and
the Jewish generally have their lockers
well filed and the more they have the
more they want, for the Temple of God
cannot be too fttingly decorated to please
them
ST. Ignatius Church has some wonder
fully famous specimens that are only
used on special feast days and then the
main altar is arrayed like Solomon in all
is glory. St Dominic's Church, tie
French church, old st. Mary's and St
ldary's Cathedral, the Spanish and the
Italian churches, Trinity and Grace Epis-
copal and Emanuel Synagogue have the
finest collections and frequently they run
into thousands Of dollars.
As a rule they consist mainly Of an
tioue run" laces, both in linen and silk
fnterwrought with gold thread or bullion,
Witch really was the old church idea of
the proper lace. SO many gold and silver
offerings were given to the church that
the god value was introduced into the
laces themselves. And why shouldn't IT
have been? Everything on the altar was
Of precious gold and silver. the very best
that money could buy. and the lace was
tie one thing that failed to carry out tbs
golden idea.
81 Dominic's Church has laces and
changes that amount to fully $4,000. and
even then Is not satisfied, and is reach
ing out and gathering in more year by
year When one stops TO consider that a
rare altar cover costs fully $500 and the
more ordinary ones anywhere between
600 and slOOe-that is for the main altars
and that the side ones are valued at
from $50 to $500. it is very easy to realize
how rapidly they count up
one way that ecclesiastical laces Differ
from Others is in the symbolic embellish-
rnents. Many Of these expensive bits are
0yrought with cross-bearing lambs.
crosses. chaiices wheat and grapes. SYM
bolfc OF the Eucharist, while some OF the
rarest ones picture kneeling saints and
madonnas.
Vestments figure largely in churchly
laces. and the private collections. which
are mainly gifts. amount TO a goodly
sum. -Four years ago, when Archbishop
Riordan went 10 Europe. he placed his
laces in safe deposit vault for saie
keeping. but he wasn't content with that
alone. He took the trouble and expense
70 have them insured for $4,000, Tor ne
knows. as well as many collectors, tnat
he possesses the finest private accumula-
ton of Irish point laces that there Is IN
America His abs. surplices and rocnes
are perfect dreams Of beauty, made OF the
fnirnitable laces. the sheerest linens ana
fashioned by exquisite hands
And this collection Of his is perpetualiy
Increasing. Nearly every time be con-
firms a class at the Sisters Of the Holy
Famf~y at the Notre Dame Convent or
at the Academy of the Sacred Heart the
sisters present him with a garment rare
and fine, generally made by themselves
Father Prendergast has splendid col
lection also probably worth from sz0OV TO
5000. the gift Of his parishioners on the
occasion OF his jubilee. and. in fact there