New-York tribune., 1907-10-28
TRAILING OLD CHINA.
Some Of Mrs. CamehPs Experiences
an Unearthing Colonial Finds

Rare old pottery utilized for ignorninious pur-
poses! Priceless treasures fed to the hensl Such
have been the experiences, as reoounted in THE
Buffalo Express of Ada Walker Camehl in her
china hunting tours through New England and
the states of the Middle West. One day in pass
sng through farmyard to the back door she
picked UP a small piece Of blue crockery and
asked the woman who opened the door if she had
any like it.
'tand. yes! had stacks of that answered the
woman.
Have you got il now?'' asked the collector
eagerly.
mo; it all got broke and jest pounded it up
and fed il to the hens she replied.
As 1 passed cut through the yard and gazed at
those hens" says the collector, visions came into
my mind Of rows of Easter eggs born into the
world with Canton blue shells or covered with
the sad love story Of Chang and his sweetheart,
Koong-Shee, chased over the bridge bv the irate
father and turning TO birds in his sight. Then the
thought OF Lafayette and of the Father of His
Country came TO me, as pictured IN old blue pot
dead and turned TO clay may stop a hole to keep
the wind away hath twentieth century parallel
On another occasion paint pot covered with
paint as we'll as containing It, was spied on a
back porch 1t was minus a handle. but the shape
had the familiar melon outlines Of the old Liver
pooi jugs. little scTaping disclosed the beloved
yellow; and the jug was bought, paint and all,
and carried home. Thorough cleansing brought 10
light the face Of Thomas jefferson the front
of the Jug and a scene Of the entrance of the
Erie Canal at Albany in black print side,
and on the other a view Of the canal al Little
Falls. II proved 10 he genuine treasure Of that
period. embracing the closing years Of the eigh-
teenth and the opening Of the nineteenth
American views for the decoration Of their wares.
In some cases, however. the natives know some
thing Of the value Of their treasures loath
10 part with them dour old ScOtchman hung
TO Tam o Shanter jug with ancestral tenacity,
md only yielded at last 10 price that
but insane lover OF old china would ever have
offered. The jug pictured the story of Tam-hs
adventure in the barroom. his midnight ride and
narrow escape from the witches-which was vivid
1y portrayed in raised figures of soft buff color
around the jug. a band of Scotch thistes encir-
cled the jug above the figures. while the handle
witcf's hand gTasping the tail Of
Another induced by pressing need to
part with an old ''America'' platter, upon which
around his neck. was perched upon a globe marked
America" Thus jid the Staffordshire potters, lay
ing aside all feelings Of patriotism cater 10 the
American market
American Colonial antiquities lie in the New Eng
land States and the states Of the Middle West"
says Mrs. Camehl with the growth Of CONNER
Cfal intercourse between the colonies and the Old
treasures and house furnishings found their way
the homes Of Colonial danes Soon after the War
Of 1872 Western New York Pennsylvania and Ohio
offered rich fields to settlers. The great-grand-
parents of the present generation made the journey
this then Far West in wagons as railroad travel
was unknown and with them went pewter and
china tableware. warming pans, foot warmers,
candle and spoon moulds, clocks, spinning wheels
and carding machines"
Mrs. Earle in her china wanderngs through the
New England States longed for the spacious cart
Of the nearly extinct pedler but Mrs. Camehl
finds the automobile ideal link between
the present and the past To be sure. her ap-
pearance, with old chairs, iron kettles and warm
neaU. and huge lumpy bundles bestowed here and
there, excites smiles and wonder she returns
through city streets but the spoils are their own
Compensation 70 the real lover Of the antique