Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-10-18
THE INKSTAND OF
THE DECLARATION
Made of Silver and Cost About
$4O0 in Present Money-Other
Colonial Lavishnesses

| utlpHld III Nne elBnteentn ana early HlHe'
teenth centuries. There were many Of them
engaged in the various arts, including Dun
can Phyfe, cabinetmaker. and the Syngs
| Davids, Williamsons and Howells, silver
smiths. At present it is necessary to con-
| suit various histories of the period II one
wishes to learn what these men did Our
cabinetmakers are referred to in the books
about Colonial furniture and our silver
! smiths figure in books on the development
of the fine arts in this country
Contrary to the prevailing impression of
the eighteenth century. Americans had a
taste for luxuries which they gratifed to
the extent of their means. There was
nothing nggardly about them. For example.
Christ Church. which was particularly CRATE
ful to Or, John Kearsley for his services to
the parish, presented him on May IL, 174G
silver beaker, purchased at cost Of
ii0 This is equivalent to $500 at the
present time. The beaker. however, was
not of local manufacture. II was made
in Cologne, Germany, about 1910. The base
is nodded and decorated with diamond work
and on the body are engraved figures OF
six of the apostles The beaker is now in
the possession Of the church. to which it is
supposed to have been given by Mrs.
Kearsley after the death of her husband in
l772. 1t is the oldest example Of silver
work in any American church in the United
States
Suggests Harrisburg Extravagances
But the churches were not the only or
ganzations lavish with their money. Fran
els Hill Bigelow Of Cambridge, Mass who
has written a most interesting volume on
Historic silver Of the Colonies and Its
Makers published by the Macmillan Com
pany). has discovered that the eighteenth
century Legislature Of Pennsylvania was as
iuXpvious in its tastes as the Legislature
which squandered millions in furnishing the
Capitol at Harrisburg. 1t bought an ink
stand of silver in 1852 for which it paid
nearly f26, or the equivalent of $3.50 or
$500 at present values. It was made to
order by Philip SynE, one of the best
known siversmiths in the colony, who was
carrying on the business of his father. II
was used by Isaac Norris and successive
Speakers until 17I5, when it was tIken
over by the Continental Congress with the
other furnishings in what is now known |
as Independence Hall. The SiEners Of the
Declaration Of Independence dipped their |
pens in it's well before appending their |
lldllleS 10 tlle famous document NdSllllb-
ton used it when he presided over the Con- |
sttutional Convention. When Harrisburg |
became the state capital II was moved to |
tn It city. II was lost sight Of in lSl9. |
Years aftcrward II was discovered in the /
Of Mr.. Smul. former clerk OF |
the House Of Representatives and the COM
piler Of the legislative handbook that still |
bears his name II was restored TO lnde- |
pendenCe Hall on June :. 1875, the ninety
ninth anniversary Of the day on when |
ia. snIt tff,Y,
that the colonies are. and of right ought to
be free and independent States 1t can
now he seen on the desk in the chamber IN
the hall in which the Declaration was
signed, mute witness to the Willingness
Of the ancient lawmakers TO be lavish with
the money of the taxpayers. There are in
Christ Church examples Of the work Of the
f lther of the Syng who made the inkstand.
one is a large, deep baptsmal basin pre-
sented to the church in l7l2 by Colonel
Robert quarry. and another is HasoH
even inches high. which Syng modelled on
a Queen Ann nagon of the date OF liOS
which the church already owned. This IS
said to be the first fagon made by any
American silversmth south of New YORK
Washington's Silver Camp Cups
one of the most interesting bits Of infor-
nation which Mr.. Bigelow includes in his
,olune is connected with the camp equip
nent of Washington. The commander OF
he Continental forces gave an order IN l1'7
q Edmund Milne, of this city, for a dozen
silver cups Mines bill fer them is dated
n I777 the wear toward the close Of which
Washington and his troops entered winter
amp at Valley Forge. The cups cost wash
ngton about the equivalent of $40 each, ac-
,ording TO present standards. He presuma-
,Iv used them to drink from in the hard
winter during which the sufferngs of his
nen moved him to pity and to prayer IL |
,e could have turned them into food and
clothing he would doubtless have done So
,ut we know that he did not give them up
or one Of them at least is still in existence.
[ belongs to w. Lanier Washington,
he Rreat-great-grandson of Colonel William |
Augustine Washington, the only son of
Vashington's oldest half-brother. Augustine
ound in various parts Of the country. John
of Deerfeld Massachusetts, a
prominent Tory at the time of the Revolu-
ion became reconciled TO the changed con-
itions when the new nation was estab-
ished In 1901 the directors of the banks
4 the United States, of North America and |
f Pennsylvania had a silver tankard made
" Samuel Williamson. of this city, and |
hey presented it to Williams in considera- |
ion of services rendered their institutions"
Williams gave the tankard to the First |
Church in Deerfield in 1882. |
I il cylindrical, with representations OF |
arrel-hoops about il at the top and bottom. |
he cover is dome-shaped and suTmounted |
y an eagle, and it bears an inscription re-
iting the fact that il was given TO Mr.. |
Williams by the banks named.
Another interesting piece of local domestic
ilverware which Mr. Bgelow describes is
pitcher made by James Howell in 1910 |
or the Coffin family, to which Lucretia
'offin Mott the famous Quaker feminist
II has an onion shaped bowl sup |
orted on three feet. 1t came into the !
of Mrs Mott and Is now owned |
y one of her descendants, Mrs. Lucretia !
lott Hallowel Churchill.
OF course there were silversmiths in other
arts of the country. The work of Paul |
revere is we'll known, and there are many
xamples extant Of the craftsmanship of |
ohm Coney, jeremiah Dummer, John Ed | {
rards John Hull Robert Sanderson and |
,dward Winslow Mr. Bigelows index of |
ilversmths covers four pages, with the |
ames running down two columns on each |
age, so that any one who knows the maker
( an ancient piece can surely find some-
hing about him in the volume. G. ID