New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-10-11

One OF the most indefatlgable OF cpllvClVi9 -
Stephen Van Rensselaer,, jr- of West orange
n j. and New-York. Although Only INN -
one years old and collector for only fifteen
wears he has brought together fifteen THOUSAND
affects of more or less value and interest lie
collects almost any real old thing. His room III
an old white Colonial house in Northteld hoau'
West Orange, is a veritable museum II IL -
crowded that there is actually no opporIuh'tS
to sit down except on the bed. the only cH'i
being filled with sharp pointed lndlah arIo"
heads to the number of three hundred OF lou'
hundred The result Of an attempt 10 occupy
,bis chair would be as unpleasant as sitting
down on a school teachers chair Just aI'el lne
.bad boy" had placed bent pin thereon
14ara ond there one will meet with person
havin, q pronounced hobby. Usually 1t ls
hobby worth little to any one except to It's rlder'
who too frequently rides it to death anu
bores his friends with it in the process. II re
oures a good deal of common sense 10 cohtiol
a hobby. Occasionally one which has value
aside from that of an occupation TO keep us
rider out of mischief and a person OF common
sense become mixed up il some way, ana the
result is something OF value to the world
Probably Mr.. Van Rensselaer, would not tAilh
of his hobby and himself as such comhlna-
ton but ones impression after nearing MN
talk of his relics is that here is such combina-
tion He very nonchalantly says hobby Is
better than hanging around saloons. Mr. Van
Rensselaers hobby is collecting Indian rehcS
specimens Of birds, pistols guns, daggers' coins
Colonial relics and curios' OF miscellaneous
nature. Many of these specimens are rare ana
to be found in few museums. much less III prl-
vate collections.
Some impression of the comprehensiveness OF
his collection may be obtained from statement
Of the bare numbers of different articles con-
tanned in it. For instance, there are about elght
tbous,nd Indian relics AS for guns, his room
would furnish arms for large band or Mace
donian brigands The other day he opened the
door Of a closet that resembled a wardrobe, and
in the quiet tone OF a person accustomed to the
nosscssion of an arsenal Of such dimensions re-
marked: Here are about fifty guns. Here is
one had made to order in England. It's worth
about $500" This he took out and handed over
for inspection. All that the visitor could make
of il was that the barrel was beautifully mot
tied and apparently of that twisted steel which
he had heard was the delight of the eye OF the
sportsman Here are some pistols There are
about four hundred" This was said as he led
the way across the room toward a case COW
cred with glass, containing a large number OF
ristols of all sorts and shapes dating back to all
periods of pistols, so far as novice could de
termne. There one Of the old volcanic re-
pea pistols, the fOreruuuer OF the famous
Winchester rife. on top Of the case lay an Eng
Iish blunderbuss. dated l1Gl. This was none of
those short brass barrelled blunderbusses whirh
are frequently seen in collections. but mad a
steel barrel and was much longer and rarer.
So far could see there were not two
pieces alike in the case
Some people said Mr.. Van Rensselaer,. who
make collections Of pistols think numbers count.
IL many collections you will find a lot of Young
Americas Those can be found almost any
where All | want is the type. one Of kind
will supply that. l have collected these all over
the country, where My business takes me In
the evenings when have nothing TO do take
q look at the town and see what | pick up"
In Mr.. Van Rensselaer's arsenal. besides the
guns and pistols. are twenty four daggers and
ten black Jacks" The former were suspended
from "A picture moulding.
Arms evidently as meat and drink to Mr..
Van Rensselaer,. as he has a holster and revolver
strapped to the side Of his bed. In he