The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1907-08-22
HAS COLLECTION
OF RARE CUR|OS
REV. HUNTING POSSESSES MANY
ARTICLES THAT ARE NOW
VERY SCARCE.
INCLUDES NUMEROUS INDIAN TROPHIES
Among Collection Is One of the Four
Japanese Mandarin Swords in the
United States.
INCLUDES NUMEROUS INDIAN TROPHIES

as rare a collection of ancient arms
and Indian relics as any town can
boast of having, and such a collection
that would be quite acceptable to any
museum. The gentleman referred to
is Rev. G.. G. Hunting of the local
Episcopal church. During the past
decade Rev. Hunting has been adding
to his collection of antique firearms
and the like until he now possesses
small sized arsenal, some of the
guns, however, not being in firing
condition.
He has arranged the relics around
the big open fireplace at the rectory
and they are the first articles to at
tract ones attention as he steps in
side. They make fine display and
the visitor very soon commences to
ply Rev. Hunting with numerous
questions concerning this gun, that
tomahawk, and the like. A News
representative called upon Mr. Hunt
ing the other day with the intention
of remaining a few minutes, but in
the inquisitive manner that appears
to be second nature with scribes,
questioned his host concerning the
relics, and ere he realized it he had
spent the most of the afternoon ex-
amining the curios.
Suspended on the wall is a sword
like instrument, white in color and
elaborately carved. 1t is one of four
similar articles in the United States
and is Japanese mandarin's dress
sword. The sheath is composed of
ivory, elegantly carved, the folds of
the silk dresses of the Japanese char
oafn h ont int RI
the ivory. 1t took an entire year to
do the carving and the sword is val
ued at $500. There is one in the
Smithsonian Institute, one in the Ma
tional Museum of Fine Arts, and one
other, just where, Mr.. Hunting does
not know. The scabbard represents
dragon, the head having been carv-
ed at the hilt and the tail at the end
of the scabbard. The entire scab-
bard is carved, the work having been
exquisitely performed. The blade Is
oil tempered.
A shotgun, once the property of a
German prince, is probably the next
in Importance, the history in connec-
tion with the firearm being quite in
teresting. Before narrating the gen.
eral facts concerning the history of
the German prince it might be we'll
to give a short description of the gun.
In the first place it is much smaller
than the ordinary shotgun and is a
much more elaborate affair. The gun
is muzzle-loader and has two bar
rels, inlaid with 20 karat gold, rep
resenting dogs, deer, rabbits, birds
and the like. The steel is handcarved
and on the stock is engraved a vul-
ture flying over the remains of man
and his horse, representing the fact
that one of the ancestors of this
prince fell over cliff and both he
and his horse were killed. For sew
eral days a searching party hunted
for the missing man and finally To-
Gated the remains by watching the
vultures as they lowered over the
body.
Well, this German prince, armed
with his valuable shotgun and nu-
merous other fire arms probably just
as elaborate, struck out for Africa to
hunt for big game. The desire to
hunt probably descended from his an
cestor and history in way repeated
itself, as he met a tragic death, hav-
ing been killed by an elephant. His
personal effects were gathered and
placed on steamer, the destination
being his nome in the Fatherland.
The vessel was wrecked at Cape Horn
and practically the entire cargo was
lost. The shotgun was one of the few
articles that were recovered, and in
stead of going to Germany 1t was
brought to Uncle Sans dominion
and is now out in Rev. Hunting's S
residence, as stated.
''Here's a gun with little his
tory" said Rev. Hunting, as he re-
moved an old musket from it's peg on
the wall.
"You can see that it is a muzzle-
loader. 1t belonged to scout of the
early days who was one of Wells,
Fargo & Company's pony express
riders. He evidently had many en-
counters with the red men as he
drove shoe peg into the stock of
his gun for every Indian he killed
and a hob nail for every chief. In
all he has 54 nails in the gun
A Sharps rifle, a very heavy wea-
pom, was used by a man in ending
his existence after he had killed his
mother. The officers pursued him
and he exchanged shots with them,
wounding several. When hard
pressed he placed the muzzle over his
heart and pressed the trigger with his
foot. The empty cartridge and the
cartridge belt also make up part of
the collection.
Eight carbines nicely arranged
along the wall constitute more of the
relics. The carbines were used in
the United States army and each is
of a different model. Paper shells
were used in the guns and before
placing them in the breech it was
necessary for the soldiers to bite of
the end of the cartridge. One of the
carbines containes an automatic cut
ter, thereby saving the soldier the
trouble of using his teeth.
An old pepper-box pistol, used by
Governor Johnson, one of the terrific
rial governors of California, two CT
vii war muzzle loading revolvers con.
stitute the revolver section of the
display. One of the civil war re-
volvers was found on the trail tc
Nome thirteen years ago. 1t was
badly rusted, but was loaded with
IL