The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-10-21
/ WONDERFUL
MUSEUM HERE
.u.etion Of Antiques, Jade and Many
n,her interesting curios Prob
ably Not ExceiIsd In
America.
p1EDR1r FOUND THEM
l.,v.led over the World and Haunt
ID wharves to Buy from Sail
ors, Besides Working
Geological Fieid.

Rtreet has in his home perhaps tho
ast museum of archaeological, ethnolO-
,csl and antique curios in America.
/ He made the collection all by him
or haunting wharves to buy from
silors returning from far parts. and
working industriiously in the geologi-
ral beds of Illinois and elsewhere, be-
tween trips to all parts of the world.
The collection is uncatalogued and
| sto,ed in his home in Keokuk, with
ome treasures, as jade vases by the
ovens that would make the mouth OF
Inv collector water.
n his museum were properly dis
hlayed in a metropolis and catalogued,
A would be famous.
Not Seen BY Many.
Piedrit came here from Warsaw
where he lived for years and had his
Ealuable collection in a room over
saloon. Nobody much knew about it
butsde of some Of his townsmen,
kloyn there, and the knowledge mas
bot been disseminated much better
Knee he came to Keokuk eight years
ego
He has the hobby of the connoiseur
kouecter strongly developed in his
character. and is delighted to show
lis museum to visitors, but not many
tone to see it.
He talked ABOUT 1t in a most inter-
listing way to representative Of The
Gate City today, and what he had
here in the Blondeau street house WAS
lmazing.
Is Known to Dealers.
The original collection contained
10000 pieces. Curio collectors and
Merchants of such wares come here
from every where to visit the collect
ion, and these merchants now and
then buy some of the specimens or ex-
change with the Keokuk collector.
One room at the Piedrit's residence
Is given entirely to the collection, cab.
nets being placed on all sides of the
room from floor to ceiling, and every
where about the house there Is an
bver flow, with many filled boxes
stored away
Mr.. Piedrit has made the collection
himself. He began in 1875, and made
Two trips to Europe, three to Mexico
hnd innumerable trips to all parts Of
This country. He was born in Warsaw,
Illinois and lived there until eight
years ago, when he moved to Keokuk.
During the time he lived in Illinois
he specialized on Indian relics to be
pdes, and has sold enormous quantities
pf these.
His collection of Indian axes was at
pne time almost complete collect
Jon of every known form Of axe used
py the first Americans.
There Is wonderful collection Of
metals and minerals and geological
specimens filling long case of eight
or ten shelves.
There are cases of small firearms.
One cabinet displays thirty-nine off.
ferent styles of ancient small firearms
from as many different lands. The
american specimen belongs to the
revolutionary period. There are an
cient daggers from Morocco, Borneo
and the PHILIPPINES.
There are collections of ancient
Chinese coins. There is a tortoise from
The Amazon river.
The collection of jade contains
"a LioiS CApQlSiIC FdcCo, oOebu
'ifully shaded in many tints, beside
small figures carved from jade. The
chlnese DRAGON and monkeys appear
On most of the Jade pieces.
The American Indian section con-
Jams thirty or forty pieces of Sioux
indian bead work, hundreds of arrow
feads, Indian necKIesses, strings or
wampum, and any number of stone
implements, the use OF some of them
being unknown.
There is a collection of Aztec idols
and other interesting possessions OF
that extinct race.
The collection of horns and anthers.
all mounted, contains several hundred
specimens from all over the world
rom Africa. from Hungaria, from
south America, from the Swiss Alps,
labrador and elsewhere
mere is hand carved table made
~ Lucerne, Switzerland, upon which is