New Britain herald., 1928-03-31

A$4e~~ wW~ SsSN *s4&NV N IVu9 O1 G10e
 rope and have him tell a story Of the wonderful antique vase or some
 trinket he purchased. He will gc
 on to auhstaptiate his facts with ! } story that the shopkeeper gave him
 the whole history of the object,
 when 1t vas made, for whom, how
 the original purchaser had to sell
 the precious thing because Of finan- ctal troubles and finally through
 how many hands 1t passed before 1t came into his possession.
 The true facts are that in nine cases out Of ten. the article pur-
 chased ts generally 8 reproduction
 of the original and only | connoisseur
 can detect the difference. although
 sometimes even he is puzzled and
 cannot give an honest opinion.
 Manufacturing of antiques has be-
 come an art. The reproductions arc so perfect that many a person could hardly detect the difference should the real antique be placed beside
 the reproduction. Shops Of antique
 manufacturers are busy day and
 night. Woodcarvers. silversmiths,
 goldsmiths, decorators and artists
 are employed by the thousands mak- ing these so-called antiques, and
 they are earning a goodly salary.
 whereas if this industry was not thought of by some man of visitN,
 who could foresee the advent Of the
 tourist, they would be idle.
 The European antique dealer is
 far superior to hts American broth CT inasmuch as he, in many cases, will supply his customer with a
 timeworn and faded document on
 which he will fnd the history of the purchased article. This Of course is also part Of the business.
 The writer had the unique ex- perience of going through several antique shops in Europe and fnd- ing identical objects in different shops, but never in the same city. In one case a beautiful vase arrest ed his attention. The shopkeeper, a 1 man Of some 5 years experience in tho business, began his usual line Of well rehearsed description and said that it was genuine antique and came from Egypt where 1t was made some ages ago for one uI the kings. The pHce was a little too high and the prospect left the store with promise to return later Some few days afterward he left for an- other city about 800 miles distant and while going around some Of the 1 shops chanced on the identical vase, which. according to the clerk Ihe 1 owner was out to lunch). came l from Persia. Persia being less cemmerctaltzed country and not 50 ezpensive as Egypt. the price was considerably lower. There is one thing the antique dealers forget they should have drawn up | con. tract with the manufacturers. that all antiques going out of the fac- tory should carry the same story.
 Antique shopping is an interest ing pastime. interesting in a sense. because yeu learn : lot Of things concerning the business and hea, many interesting stories about his- toricai persona3es. Real antiques are not to bs found in antique shops. Age old helFlooms of our forefath- ers have Ions been sarnished by philanthropists. who paid fabulous sums to have them placed in mu- seuMs tor tho eye to see. the hand ! not to touch and money not to buy.
 "Oh. had the most marvellous time. It was perfectly thrilling"
 Y have the worst headache today that I've ever had"
 It's the most wonderful thing in the world.'
 T was almost scared to death."
 Any person with half an ear can hear any of the foregoing express Etons in the course of his daily travels. attesting 10 the fact that this ts an age of exaggeration. Mod- crate descriptive terms are used no more. A thing or an event is either the greatest or the worst. Temper ance in speech has been forgotten, like temperance in driving. temper ance in spending, temperance in eating and temperance in living.
 An orchestra either has "it' or it is a nonentity. A pain in the side is always the worst. an injury is frightful, an incident is either glori- ous or dull. If an event hasn't plen- ty of kick" it is wasted. There is a hunger for the superlative. Nothing Is ever just plain nice. It must be one extreme or the other. A play is . wow or 1t ahould be tossed off the stage. A song is rave or 2 flat. The unsuitable greed for thrills ts reflected to some extent in the way newspaper readers demand their daily fare. A single death. un- less It occurs under unusual cir- interests few people ex- cept relatives and friends of the de- ceased, but the public smacks it's lips evsf | holocaust. A baseball game in which all the hits are for one base is passed over lightly: the sports page readers want home runs with the bases full, or nothing, be- cause they have no words in their vocabulary to describe a good game devoid of smashing. nerve scratch ing excitement. The fan who de- ecribed game a. "yery interesting has passed to that bourne whence no traveller ever returneth. Today he would be killed in the rush at the exits of the ball park.
 Exaggeration IS found in eyery- thing we do. Tall buildings, fast ships and trains and airplanes, an- nihilation of space and time by ra- do, absence of clothes from fe- males. loud screaming suits and on men. To the girls, thinss are just perfectly dear: to the men, they are 'knockouts.' Big { saiaries. bigger and bigger motor. cars. more luxurious living and the {