Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-02-17
RARE COLLECTION.
Many Articles Odd and
Unique From Everywhere.
Mrs. J. Howard Chandler Pos
SCISSOR Of a Priceless Cabinet.
List Includes Valuable Minerals, Precious
Stones and Old Silver and China.


| and complete collection Of curios Of
great historic value, minerals from
| every cline and zone of the world, and
4 examples Of the h&nGicraft Of strange
| Ieople in the remote corners Of the
| other continents was found ~ jour
nal reporter who called at the home OF
! Mrs. j. Howard Chandler at II Bangor
| street Friday afternoon. While Mrs.
Chandlcr's hobby rs Il collector of the
| rare and unique is quite widely known
among her own friends, there are per
| haps, few Augusta people who are
| aware % the importance of this col
| lection which for Il number OF years
| has been in Mrs. Chambers keeping
| and 10 which she is constantly adding
| new treasures that may delight tie eye
| OF the frequent visitor.
The smaller articles in the collection
! are kept in Z large double-compart-
| mtnt cabinet in Mrs. Chambers cosy
| library. Here are stored wonderful AZ
| ticlcS from everywhere ana AL pos
| sess n little history of their own that
| might take the day i'm the telling.
| There are many little mcmcntuS of
| happy occasions in the years gone by,
| and there are others of apparent trif-
| ling imi .ortancc that, if they might
| speak, could tell of the making of the
| history OF our State ana country. Old
| ropes woven by hand 4 century ago
| attract interest, an old brass razor that
| shaved the face of some truS-
t. citizen 80 years gone. and
large assortment of very old and rare
china. pewter, silver tand linen tina
| would make the eyes Of the antigua
ran glitter in 4 feast Of anticipation
and delight.
| Among the more modern relics Mrs.
| Chandler has portions of the wood used
in the construction of the good ship
| Ruoscvclt upon which Capt. Robert +.
| Peary recently set sail for the frozen
| North. There are curious utensils re-
Gently sent over from Manila. and
equally crude and peculiar cooking i'll
Stluments from Hllsmoo. Alaska. one
| of the grim relics that occupies IL
prominent place in the cabinet is 4
piece of the rope through whose agency
the last man legally hanged in Maine
went to his death. This man WAS Will
kinson. who expiated his crime by
hanging in the state prison in Thomas
ton in 1885.
3 There is a large representation of
) curios from the Orient. y magnificent
I " carved piece looks very attractive
until one draws from the secret handle
, d long ana Nllianous looking dirk, tt-
| perci to Il needle point, and nearly u
foot long. This ornate weapon WIS
, | made by the skilled hand Of a Chinese
armorcr and it took the man yea"
t or more to complete the work. with its
? intricate carvings and decoration. IN
, this class of the collection, there is TOO,
Il number of very beautiful china
! pieces, all highly decorated after the
!: manner Of the FlpWcry Kingdom and
japan is represented by paintings and
wonderful bits Of pottery ana etched
, work From Manila there is Il drawn
f linen handkerchief, the like of Whlrh
; could probably be executed by no one
!, save q Filipino woman who spends the
!. early years of her life in becoming
!; proficient with III" nccdl" and Who de-
I votes ner whole life as is often the case
j. , in the making of Il dozen or two of
+ such trieS.
n The collection Of minerals is so large
that the writer cannot adequately de-
y scribe it. There are. however, Specl-
u mems Of rare jewels ana precious met
!, ais from all over the world. ana one
| little cube of mineral that would prob
{" able attract much attention if placed
I on public exhibition. is some crude as
!, | bestos, Just as it is taken from the
l., mine Its fibrouS construction is such
It that one unfamiliar with the product
r. would mistake it for Il vegetable
!. growth.
t Some diminutive paving stones thal
/ were picked up in the ruins Of the
J, city o. POmpeii must he thousands Oh
., years old and their prim and cartiu
r making shows that the hand of an
/ clients were as cunning as Of the more
|" modern artisans of today. chain 81
wood made from timber that sup
n ported Il part Of the old kenneb"c rlV'
IN q bridge, together with some nails ano
IS SPIKES from the same structure, Woul'
~ bring 10 tho mind Of the oldest inhab
liant" the old bridge which WAS burne'
le in -. There is q piece of wood takcl
re from Gen. George Wlshington's pew
he in ole \irginny. way back in days b"
=, fore the FIRST strife Of the new nation
cr and there are other relies of those day
n in silver, pewter ware and china.
Du OLD books, printed in the duain
~ script type used PRIOR to 1910. ana ole
newspapers Of days long before IN
of Civil war are among the most import
ant feature Of Mrs. Chambers c"liec
Y, ton and one of the formch is partic
ularly quaint ana interesting. In
pamphlet, for such it is, is printed i
=. tie old type and was published d
VI. | Massachusetts in 1902. It contains
n sermon delivered upon the death q
at Daniel Thurston. "a highly respecte
IL. | and piouS man." by Nathani!@ I'm
al mons, y. D., one Of the most note
ch preachers and leading churchmcn c
ms those days in New England
* Mrs. Chandler is also the owner of
:, very complete collection of picture pos
nd cards she having received enough I
Ter fill two large volumes in which nearl
OF every country in the world is repre-
IN scented and she has also a very inter
ar esting and unique collection Of photo
graphs that would be impossible {
duplicate. In the parlor of the Chandle
IN residence hangs 4 fine oil painting {
-. Mr.. Chambers father 1t was copie
from very small old-fashione
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