The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-07-17
Owners May Not Know 1t, but
1T Is There.
William f. COnneIley Delves
Into History of the Past.
KANSAS is RICH IN RELICS
1t Was the Naturalization Gen.
ter of the Union.
Old Furniture of Especial In.
terest to the Antiquarian.

Romance is peepins out from every
corner of numbers OF Kansas MONIES
and their owners never realize 1t, ac-
cording to William 4. Connelley, sec
rotary State Historical Society.
Undoubtedly many Kansans have
almost priceless treasures in the way
of documents and relics connected
with the early history of the state
and the nation which rave peen
tucked away in an old trunk and for
gotten" said he. This historical So
ciety is attempting to gather these
things and preserve them for the fu-
ture generations
kansas is unusually rich in relics
For Kansas was the home Of the pio-
neer. 1t was the naturalization cen
ter of the United States. NO other
state is so rich in history and romance
We had ten years of Civil war, pc
ginning in 1865. It was here that the
idea Of confederacy that mad bound
the states together died, and the ma
tionalization idea was nursed INTO
life"
Mr.. Connelley also pointed out that
even though there are no relics in a
home. il usually is a mine o. history.
Almost every article of furniture, used
in modern time. is a silent testimonial
to the march of civilization, he said
LAS much perhaps, as any other one
thing. these modern convenlences tell
the story OF modern progress
Windows in the Roof.
window curtains for example" he
said are things we of the Occ1dent
learned from the Orient. Originally
all windows were in the roof, but the
time came when for convenience they
were put in the walls. Then, along
in the middle ages, there being no
window glass. a traveller from China
brought to Europe the idea OF using
cloth to cover them. This was the
origin of the modern window curtain.
serT7I- ,tr
tables were invented simply because
an English king, a lover of cards,
wanted a handy place for his CARDS
when they were not in use The mod
ern sofa is a present to clvllizatlo1:
from the Arabs, whose 'Suffah' was
a long bench upon which the indolent
reclined.'
MIR. Connelley described the steps
in the evolution of the modern chair
showing It's direct relation to progress
in comfort in other ways.
Evolution of the Chair.
Along in the Middle Ages he
said. usually there was but one chair
in a home, it being reserved for the
head of the household, while 3-legged
stools were provided for the less i'm
portant folk AS time went on and
chairs were provided for everybody,
the cross bar, which joins the front
legs, was added. This was for the
purpose of keeping the feet of the
ladies and gentlemen off a cold, I'M
carpeted floor. Then, in turn, came
cushions and padding, painted chairs,
carved and polished legs, backs, arms
and the easy chair.
Then there is always the furniture
that is named after the period of some
monach that tells story of political
intrigue and history.
Even picture frames date back five
hundred years to the monasteries
where the monks painted pictures OF
scriptural subjects on their walls and
were obliged to nail wooden frames
about them that one picture might
be separated from another.
And so these queer little romances
peep out from attic to cellar. People
would be happier in looking for them
than in searching for an elusive will
o'-the-wisp sort of romance"