The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-07-09

seal maker for the Southern Confece- | racy. died in this city last week. He used to say that he made every seal used by the Confederate Government. and that he was regularly employed tor that purpose It was In the spring of 1861 that, at the solicitation of Sen- ator Benjamin, he joined fortunes with the Confederacy.
 T first went to Montgomery. Ala. which was then the seat or govern ment," said Mir. Raumgarten. T was armed with letters of introduction to Alexander H. Stephens. who immedi- ately offered me a good salary, which l declined agreeing to do all the work -engraving-at a price to be set by myself. My offer was accepted and I at once set to work engraving the great seal.
 While at Montgomery l practically completed engraving all the seals for the several departments of the gov ernment I secured the services of two experienced engravers from New Orleans, but after working two weeks and earning $500 each. they threw up their jobs and left. I had only worked six weeks when I sent for my wife and child. and I was able to put $2,200 in my wife's hands when she reached me.
 When the seat of government was moved from Montgomery to Richmond accompanied the officials, travelling on the special train. Immediately af- ter reaching Richmond, I set about establishing a plant. and soon had quite a shop. After finishing the seals set about preparing to make designs for stamps and money on wood plates. Eventually steel plates were obtained and beautiful specimens of the engra- vers' art were turned out. equalling the best work of today
 Mir. Baumgarten ran the blockade in the closing days of the struggle. In the latter two years of the war the subject of erecting hints for the coin age of silver and gold was discussed, and Baumgarten was sent to England to make the necessary arrangements for doing this. He was furnished with credentials to persons in England and drafts on the London fiscal agent of the Confederate States. amounting to more than f2.O00.00O. with which to purchase machinery.
 He went from Richmond to Will mington, where the start to run the blockade was to be made. Presenting his credentials to the officer in charge of the port, he was put aboard the blockade runner due to get out at the first favorable opportunity.
  Baumgarten approached the captain and asked tine reason for the delay. The captain handed him a pair of ma rine glasses and told him to take look. The glasses revealed fourteen Yankee gunboats lying off the harbor in semi-cfrcle.
 Do you think you'd try to get through that?" asked the captain. We can only go under the most favorable and I am ready, rather than be captured to blow up the ship and all on board"
 The vessel had a cargo of cotton, and most of the bales were ranged up- on the decks along the rails, fastened together with chains and forming bulwark about the height of a mans head. being splendid protection against a cannon shot. Mir. Baumgar- ten was led to a spot immediately over the forecastle. There the captain. lifting a tarpaulin, which covered the deck, displayed to the astonished gaze of MT. Baumgarten about six bushels of coarse gunpowder, which the cap tain said was to be used in blowing everybody to hell if capture seemed in- evitable."
 At midnight the blockade runner started. Bermuda was reached safe ly, but MT. Baumgarten had to visit there for two weeks to get a vessel to Liverpool. and this delay proved disastrous to him in a financial way.
 An uneventful voyage brought him to Liverpool and thence to 2 London. There he presented his credentials and drafts and sought to get down to bus mess at once. The fiscal agent, how ever, was out of funds. and, handing