Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-07-05
WASHINGTON, ID. c., June %
w Washington, generally known as
noncommerCial city, is BUSTING


w noncommercial city. is bustllng
center of one t-ade-the souvenir business.
The way to the capitol along Pennsylvania
avenue is marked by string OF stores that
cater only to the seeker of souvenirs.
A casual glance at the windows of these
stores would convince anyone that the day
of the victorian knicknack is not entirely
over The mahogany what not that stood in
the parlor corner and dlsplay ed snells,
statuettes and pine-cone thermometers on
it's towering shelves is perhaps relic, but
the kind of thing it held is still with us.
The window of any one of these souvenir
shops is crowded with glittering array of
what must be salable souvenirs. There is a
clump of paper cutters warranted dull
enough so that baby could cut it's teeth on
them with impunity, and rendered further
attractive by the capitol dome embossed on
each silver handle.
Beside the paper cutter is row of jewel
cases with shiny gold or silver finish and
red velvet lining, and the capitol, looking
as natural as ever, on the cover. Then, come
ranks of Silver candlesticks, vases, pin trays,
ink stands, a huge platter, spoons match
safes, in fact, anything the most exacting
tourist could desire to wish upon his friends
and every one of them displaying full face
view Of the capitol.
Above the carefully arranged disorder of
the window shelf hang pillows and pen
nants. The remnants have washington"
sprawled across their entire length, but the
pillows, as might be expected, wear. the capt.
toll, with a wreath of pink roses twined round
about it's dome.
The windows of these souvenir museums
are sure-fire bait for the stranger in town,
and even the hardened native may find nim-
self pausing to look over the exhibit. Sailors,
children, dreamy couples and ordinary tour
lists frantically collecting appropriate souve-
Mrs for the folks at home, are the patrons
who progress from the window to the lnte-
riOr.
Here they are rewarded by further won
ders. The window was only sample case,
but the shop itself might easily be warranted
to contain every possible article on which
the capitol could suitably be emblazoned
To complete the illusion of universe of cap
itols, mirrors in the walls back of the glass
show cases multiply the stock to the nth
degree
Contrary to a first impression, styles in
souvenirs do change The silver spoon with
some celebrated building adjoining the
handle was twenty years ago the popular
souvenir of a trip to Washington. Then
came the macerated money craze.
Souvenirs Made of Money.
The paper pulp which was left when old
bills were ground up at the treasury bore
faint signs of having been money. The pulp
was used largely in book binding, but some
geniuses thought of making souvenirs of it.
So fine was the paper ground and so tightly
monument could easily be labeled 100000,
and no one could dispute the claim. still
smaller PLAGUE of George Washington's
head, about three inches tail and very thin,
marked on the back $4,000.
The macerated money souvenir proved
profitable and popular scheme, and for some
years the little figures sold regularly. But
to make the money in the article more OBJ
vious an attempt was made to tear off bits of
good bills and paste them on to show parts of
figures The pieces were much too little to
be redeemed, but the government decided the
money souvenirs were getting to be nui-
sance. Treasury officials had acid put in
the water which macerated the bills in order
to destroy the printing on them. After that,
the macerated money looked no different
from any other kind of paper pulp, and the
souvenirs were spoiled.
The Postcard Craze.
But there is always something new to take
the place of defunct novelty. The postcard
had long and exciting career a souvenir.
When people collected them only few years
ago, there were dozen or more makers of
cards in Washington alone. Even now.
views of Washington sell by the thousand
every year. There are as many as 200 diff