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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 29, 1922)
THE SUNDAY OREGOXIAX, PORTLAND, ' JANUARY 29, 1922 4 6 6 h f ir t '1 f, t t I f i. RARE COLLECTION OF BEAUTIFUL ORIENTAL TREASURES IS GIFT OF EUGENE WOMAN TO UNIVERSITY 'OF OREGON Airs. Mary Warner, Presents to State Institution, as Nucleus of Museum, Priceless Productions of Chinese, Japanese and Other Artists of Far East Dating Back in Some Cases More Than One Thousand Tears. ?,.;''" - V. r l 1 sSMb . ;e - I-. Vi. - ; ? Jj'iyb'ri' kl) .-. r :i?ff' if i'':,m,;,b I , . 1 'x L,i .rip wv . f - I BY LILLIAN JVULD. JUST a year gro last October quiet, unpretentious little woman slipped Into Eugene and took up her abode In East Thirteenth street, near the state university. No one dreamed or 'fairies or magicians at that time not even the drayman who delivered more than 100 tarrel. boxes and trunks at the new home. Tet today it appears that the University of Oregon has a fairy godmother mors wonderful than Cinderella's and as powerful as the genii of Aladdin's lamp. Jt is not every university that can boast a CMneso fairy godmother! I say Chinese because Mrs. Murray Warner, who last week presented her own private collection of oriental art treasures to the university, was for six years a resident of China and the only museum in the country which is on record as lravin? one of these coats. It has four, all the gifts of Mrs. Warner. Next Mrs. .Warner led me to three much, larger and I thought even more beautiful coats. These were joss coats, she said. On one, which was richly woven in solid silver and gold thread, we found the imperial signs for the sun and the moon. A joss coat, it seemed, was a coat whloh once every year a Chinese family takes to the tomb of its ancestors. There It is put on the image of the ancestor to be worshiped, where It plays an important part in the elah- sinco has beon a frequent visitor to on.ta service which follows. the orient. No magician's wand ever The bell In the picture has chased the poor warrior to "eat him up." ' There are two bronze mirrors, one 15 inches in diameter. Mr. Warner told their story so charmingly I have set It down In her own words. "There are many devils in China," she said, '-'evil b'pfrits no one can see, but winch are very ugly Just the same. It Is most unfortunate to have them around, so the Chinese hanfr up these mirrors. Then, when a devil comes along he looks in and he is so horrible he frightens himself away." There are a number of the most unusual Chinese bronze vases. They are Inlaid with gold and silver. Some are decorated with the three-toed dragon, the sign of great age. The Chinese dragon la a lve-toed dragon now. Its business is to capture The Pearl of Great Price, which is pro tected by flames. Where ever a dra gon is pictured there is a pearl also. In our Bible the flaming sword guards Truth, Beauty and Justice from Disease, Sin and Death. The dragon and the pearl are the Oriental symbol for this same story. No man can see the collection of Japanese. Chinese and Indian armor. guns, knives and swords without a thrill. There are two complete suits of Japanese armor of different styles, and one embossed asd Inlaid Turkish set. The several guns are richly In laid with gold and silver. The knives and swords compare with the Damas cus blades of our own CruBado period. Most interesting among them is the two-hbnd knife' used to behead the leaders of the Boxer rebellion in 1900. This knife was procured through the enterprise and daring of Mrs. War ner's husband. Mr. Warner was pres ent at the execution. There is a valuable group of the rich red cinnabar lacquer of ancient China. Like the Ming blue. this, too. Is a lost fert, and is so rare it is only found in the best museums. A few samples of modern lacquer were added by way of contrast. A collection of Chinese, Japanese and Italian coins has not yt been unpacked. A large group of Corean, Chinese and Japanese opium and to bacco pipes form a beautiful exhibit by themselves. Mrs. Warner has Included In her gift a great number' of unusual and valuable pieces of European art. Em broideries from France, Italy, kussrl, Hungary and Switzerland are among these. One exhibit of old Sicilian drawn work has no counterpart In any museum in America. The linen was woven and worked with archaic natterns In the convents of Sicily centuries bgo. A piece of 16th century stained glass, and a window repre senting St. George and the dragon. which was sent from uermany to Queen Victoria's jubilee are two other unusual articles. Italian lace and Venician china were also included among the occidental arts. Upon a table by Itself stands a large and beautiful clolsone vase. Its old design and wealth of color are destined to be the inspiration and de light of every rt student or visitor who sees it. Near by lies a book, which reminds me that in the last two davs Mrs. Warner has added a small library of unusual books on the orient as akey to the collection. The object of Mrs. Warner's gift Is to supply the much-needed art back ground for students of designing, color and composition. Her one stip ulation has been that glass cases should be provided for the entire col lection in order to insure its perma nent preservation. On hearing the news or Mrs. Warner's gift the Sculpture club re quested the privilege of providing the first case. The University of Oregon is not the first college that has benefited from the generosity of Mrs. Warner's fam ily. Nancy Foster Hall was her grand mother's gift to Chicago university. When it was built it was the most beautiful building on that campus. Smith dormitory at Harvard was the gift of a cousin. Apparently fairy godmothers reign by families. Mrs. Warners grandmother gave feter boro. N. H., a public library. Her mother recently has given the famous little village a beautiful historical building. Mrs. Warner nas neen namea curator of the new Oregon museum, of which "The Mrs. Murray Warned I Collection" Is to be the nucleus. FORTLAXDERS, MARRIED IX NEW YORK. CELEBRATE GOLDEN WEDDING IX OREGON. -sv ' ' New York and London Pastors to Change Pulpits. Dr. Norwood of City Temple mi Dr. Jrf frrsoa of BrsadOT B7 nrrmple Promote Intern tiol Friendship. - Davles Photo. MR. AND MRS. IV. F JOHNSON. Mr. and Mrs. W. F. Johnson recently celebrated their golden wedding anniversary at the home of their daughter, Mrs. Ida Frledlander of S2T East Fiftieth street. Mrs. Johnson was Miss Elizabeth Evarts. They were mar ried BO years ago in Canandaigua, N. Y. Their children are: Mrs. Jennie Wentz of Rochester, N. Y.; F. W. Johnson of Ocean Park, CaL, and Mrs, Frledlander. A large number of guests attended the anniversary celebration. produced a more amazing spectacle lhan tht presented by "The Mrs. Murray Warner Collection" now on .display In Mrs. Warner's, spacious home in IOiigenc. TV rcKcnts of the university, who v".iij tlio collection recently, passed I. it front door of the Warner home to an Interior as rich and brilliant as an oriental bazaar. Walls and fur niture, windows and doors of five rooms and two hallways were hung with the priceless tapestries, bro cades, embroideries and textiles ot ancient China and old Japan. Against this magnificent background stood a forest ot coat costumes embroidered and woven In the untarnlshable gold and silver, blues, reds and other in imitable colors of the older Chinese art. Two of the coats once were worn by members of the Chinese im perial family and car the emperor's personal emblems. In the interview she granted The Oregonlan's repre sentative Mrs. Warner tells us the stories of these and other coats, her different specimens 6f costly porce lain, bronze, brass, Japanese prints, armor and lacquer. "Why is an Imperial coat?" was my first question. Mrs. Warner smiled in the sunny fashion which has endeared her to all who know her. "If you mean, what distinguishes one from other coats, I'll show you." she replied. "Very few persons know," she added, as we stood oc tiptoe to examine the five distin guishing symbols. ' Upon the right shoulder of the royal rarmont was a woven disk repre senting the moon. In which a rabbit standing on tils hind legs was pound ing the elixir of. life. On the left shoulder was the red disk in which stood the three-legged) cock, god of the sun. Upon the breast were three smaller disks representing the con stellations. "The emperor," Mrs. Warner ex plained, "was known as The Son of Heaven.' His subjects believed him to be the descendant of the gods." The symbols on the shoulders and breast of the coat tell us that the sun, the moon and the stars belong to him. But that is not all of this great person's possessions Around the bottom of the coat ran the rainbow. Above this were the waves of the sea and still higher the mountains of the earth. The ground color of this particular coat was yellow, the royal color. Upon it were woven many kinds of good luck signs, among them the swastika, which we are ac customed to associate with the Amer ican Indian. On the left side of the coat's back was the emperor's own particular Insignia the ascending and di'scend-ing dragons. On the right s do was a brilliant flamingo, the in signia of the empress. Before we left that regal yellow cent I asked Mrs. Warner now she found It. She hesitated a moment, but consented to tell me the story. R'ie was In a hotel in Pekln. She had not been satisfied with the grade of coats the merchants brought her. One morning a dealer announced hlni s'if. He looked' around sharply sev eral tjraes before entering the room. At last he came in and locked the door behind him. Next ha took off his coat and put down his pack. A second garment followed the first and from around his body, where he had hidden it, the man unwound the yellow Imperial coat. In the days before the republic Treat reverence was shown such a garment. Mrs. Warner's servants would not remain in the same room with one. It is interesting to know On the wall behind the joss coats were two pieces of embroidery con talning every color Imaginable. They were eaoh 12 feet long and two feet wide. Birth days are very important events in Chin-, Mrs. Warner told me. These tapestries were made to cele brate the most Important of ell the ,88th! On them is pictured the aged couple surrounded by their numer ous children and grandchildren bring lng gifts and making obeisance. Included in the 25 coats and cos tumes was a man's wedding garment and an snolent blue and silver gown worn only In a religious ceremony called "The Noe Dance." There was a priest's robe brocaded In gold and light green on a dark green ground. "Why Is It all put together In patches?" I asked. Mrs. Warner augied. "That is the oriental idea of sym- bolizlna- novertv." she replied. "It Is well known that a Buddhist priest is a mendicant." The walls of one room were hung with Chinese paintings, some Illus trating the 13 seasons. One of this group was presented to Mr. Warner by Liu Sung-Fu. the best-known of Chinese collectors. Upon a table In the room lay 200 Japanese prints by the most famous artists. Several of them were by Hokusai, known to our western world as one of the great masters of all time. On the wall .of the stairway were 50 more prints. A tapestry which defies description hung from the celling of the upper hall down Into the lower. It is IS feet long and feet wide. Mrs. War ner was much annoyed in Shanghai by different dealers and the repre sentative of a large eastern museum who -wanted It. . She values it at S10, 000 and considers It one of the prizes of the collection. Near it hangs a valuable old- painting of the death of Buddha. Mrs Warner Is Justly proud of her porcelain display. It seems hardly credible that the students at the Uni versity of Oregon and all who visit during the year are to be able to see first hand beautiful examples of the famed Ming blue and white, three and five colored porcelain, besides the rare peachblow, oxblood and others. Many pieces of Japanese china in this department were selected for Mrs. Warner by her friend, the artist He lien Hyde. . The most interesting article of all Is a large blue and white Ming vase. It Is 20 inches tall and covered with a design in the wonderful blue said to have been produced from powdered sapphires. Mrs. Warner paid 32 yen or about 117 for It in Japan 15 years ago. It had been sold to the Japa nese dealer by a destitute Chinese. Mrs. Warner took it home with her to China, where an expert declared It to be the treasured Ming blue, one of the lost arts of an old dynasty. The vase Is more than 300 years old and Is valued at (3000. In a corner by itself is a piece of fine Corean crackle. It. too, has a story and shows how the Japanese art only an offshoot of the older art of China. Many years ago the Japanese imported skilled Corean ar tisans to teach them the valuable se crets of making crackle wear. These artisans brought with them many fine samples of their craft. The piece in the Warner collection is one of them! The "whole collection is an illus trated story book true stories. Among the bronzes and brass is a bronze temple bell 1000 years old. On the wall near by is an old print ' showing a warrior who has com- tt A-e) SmU-sooiaa Institution i miued ,ia. agsinst Just rfucb a bell. POKER HELPED WATTERSON SPEXK WELL ON morals Lat Editor, Broke Night Before Chautauqua Address on "Money and Morals," Makes Brilliant Address as Result. - (Copyright, 1922, by The Oresonlaa.) WASHINGTON. D. C. Jan. 28 (Special.) "Honest John" Kel ly, who sold his old gambling house In New York a day or two ago, fell to reminiscing about the place and incidentally paid tribute to the late Henry Watterson as a poker player. "Marse Henry" and "Honest John" frequently matched wits at tfie national Indoor .game in the. old days and the latter frequently felt the steel of the beloved editor's superior play or superior judgment In reading his opponent's poker face. Howevec "Marse Henry" wasn't al ways a winner at the fascinating game. A man now resident in Wash ington was managing a Chautauqua out in Salem, Neb, away back in 1904 and as one of the bright stars of the summer programme had en gaged Mr. Watterson to deliver a lec ture on the subject of "Money- and Morals." The editor got safely away from Louisville and started for Ne braska by way of Kansas City. There, while waiting- for a connecting train "Marse Henry" ran into some old friends, some convivial spirits who suggested that nothing would be bet ter than a little game of draw to while away thetlme which had threat ened to hang so heavy upon the colonel's hands. Time, it appears however, was the only thing the colonel had heavy on his hands that entire evening. When daylight came he was broke utterly and completely. So he sent a telegram, collect, to the Chautauqua: "Met some old friends last night in a poker game," it read, "and regret to report this morning that I have no money and less morals. If you still need en lightenment, however, on those sub jects please wire railroad fare." The fare was .forthcoming and the address was one of the colonel's most brilliant efforts. "Arch" Stevenson, ex-republican na tional committeeman from Colorado, known to politicians and lawyers far and wide as "Big Steve," has been In Washington on legal business and has Just gone home. "Steve" is not only big In stature but la big in heart and big in ideas .He believes in doing the big thing in the big way at all times. By way of illustrating these traits his friend, C. C. Hamlin of Colorado Springs, tells a story: It seems that a close friend of Steve's some years ago had just sold. his holdings in one of the Denver newspapers and obtained possession of a tidy bit of cash. Naturally desir Ing to celebrate the event, he called 58 th Annual Fur Sale Emphatic every reductions on Liebes furv ' The sale closes with special values in fur coats, among them: Marmot coat, trimmed with ringtail, sale price 117,50 Hudson seal coat, 30 inches long ; reduced to 137.50 Natural muskrat coat, 30-inch length; at -150.00 and others, too numerous to list! ESTABLISHED 7364 Steve and told him the plane for a big party that night. Steve listened to the arrangement as they were un folded and approved heartily of the extensive programme outlined to Kim. "Now, how much money do you think I ought to take along " finally Inquired the promoter of the cele bration. "Well, how much did you get for the paper?" asked Steve. , "Three hundred thousand," said the friend. . . "Take it alt," ea'd Steve. The Income tax department has many knotty problems put up to it but a preliminary decision had to be made a few days ago in a matter that was entirely new. The decision set up the principle that Americans paying off pre-war claims to Europe at the present depreciated figures of foreign exchange must pay a tax upon the money saved through the enhanced value of the dollar. The case Involved a firm which had Announcing the opening of our new Hat S hop Saturday, February Fourth inaugurating a unique Millinery Service Broadway at Morrison Incurred about $3,000,000 in obliga tions in Germany either just prior to the war or during the first months of It. Germany was so confident of her possession at the time that- the contracts for the payment of the sum specified distinctly that pay ment "must be made in .German marks." The astute business' of the fatherland wanted to be sure they would not be compelled to accept pay ment in depreciated foreign currency after their, "victory." However, history has recorded that the expected yictory failed to ma terialize and that at the recent rates of exchange the 3. 000, 000 in narks' was paid off with exactly 160,000, the mark having droppedfrom four to the dollar to 200 to the dollar. "Excess profits." said Uncle Sam with a grin. Word has been brought back to Washington from the big political poWj-wow at Columbus, Ohio, Wednes day night, that former Governor "Jim mie" Cox is to take the etunvp this fall for Senator Pomerene, who will stand for re-election from the Buck eye state. All of this Is a part of the democratic plan to win Ohio away from the republicans If they can pos sible do co. The fact that a victory for Senator Pomerene In a pivotal stato like1 Ohio might mean that he would capture the presidential nomi nation in 1924 is said not to have de terred Governor Cox in the least in making his plans to participate in the campaign. During the presidential fight in 1920 Senator Pomerene was most loyal to Governor Cox, working for hlra both In the state and out. The democrats are planning to loosen all their biggest guns on Ohio, feeling that if they can break the re publican line there they will have made a good start toward their re turn to something like normalcy In party prospects. The prohibition enforcement offi cers are out to point the finger of moral scorn at the man who speaks glibly about "my bootlegger." The prohibition folk say and with rea son that one never- hears nowadays of "a bootlegger." He Is always "my bootlegger-" Commissioner Haynes declares the expression grates on Als ears. "Why," he asked, "should a man be proud of possessing a bootlegger? Why should he be permitted to proclaim the fact from the house tops or In the drawing room?" It may be that before very long the man overheard to fay claim to a boot legger will be haled into court and compelled to tell who and where his bootlegger is and what he charges for the, stuff. Rumor has it also that not a few women these days discuss their own particular bootleggers at afternoon teas and bridge parties. But It Is not all one way. Some bootleggers are even proud of their customers. The fastest locomotive In the world was made In 193. NEW YORK. Jan. 2S. Two of the largest churches in the world's two biggest cities the Broadway tabernacle of New Tork and the City temple of London will exchange their ministers for six consscntlv Sundays beginning. May 7. Dr. Charles Edward Jefferson of the Broadway tabernacle will go to Lon don to occupy the pulpit ot the City temple, -which will send Dr. Frederick Norwood to take Pr. Jefferson's place in New Tork. The exchange -was ar ranged by the Interchange commis sion on speakers and preachers, an American lnter-church body with headquarters at the world alliance for international friendship through the churches, 70 Fifth avenue. New York. Dr. Jefferson will stay la England until the end of July, speaking in other prominent pulpits when he has finished his ministry at the City tem ple. After his six Sundays at the Broadway tabernacle. Dr. Norwood will devote the rest of his time lathis country to sermons in other churches and to college addresses. The Interchange commission an nounces also that Archbishop oeder blom of Upsala, Switzerland, has ac cepted its invitation to vls't America this fall and spend two or three months infa- speaking tour. The arch' bishop 13 described as one of the leaders In the cause of Christian unity and a master on the subject ot com parative religions. His coming visit will mark his first appearance in this country since he represented) th Scandinavian universities at a New; England meeting SI years ago. Invitations have been conveyed -to the Right Rev. Lord Bishop of Peter borough, England, to the Rev. G. T. Kay. his chaplain, and to the Rev. Thomas Nightingale, general secre tary of the Evangelical Free churches of England, and one of the leaders la the British branch of the world alli ance. It is expected that all three of these distinguished clergymen ir)l visit the. United States In the tall. CHICKEN NATION'S BIGGESTi Black . Jersey Giant at Modest Weighs SO Pounds. MODESTO, CaL The blggestchiclM en In the United States was sho t the Stanislaus poultry show at th4 Winter garden. It was announced by, L. Miles, secretary of the-county- jou1h try organization. This chlol: Js a capon weighing- S0 pounds. It is probably tlio most trav eled chicken of the feathered variety in the United States, having made all the big shows. It comes from New. Jersey. The bird is a Black Jersey Giant, practically a nnw breeds Khllll IE ME G(D- Furs and individual style shops Broadway at Morrison Sportswear for Spring! Melrosa tweed suits, 49-00 Havana, cafe-au-lait, sage green or Saxe blue, with matching narrow leather belts (or of the fabric, if you prefer), chic new tweeds haye extra long notched lapels and mannish patch pockets. . ' Sonya cloth topcoats, 65.00 The soft surface of this excellent woolen fabric lends itself happily to row upon row of stitching on collars and well-cut raglan shoulders. Belts fasten with shiny steel buckles; good bone buttons match the fabric which is brown, taffy or French blue. Coats are full lined with silk. Tweed Skirts,. 12.50 The newest arrival in the world of smart sportswear, the tweed skirt is in orchid, sage green and brown, with swagger patch pockets, and a very low price! - r Final clearance prices on Winter garments White and colored blouses in linen and voile Handkerchief linen blouses choose maize, blue, orchid and rose piped with white or are white piped in color Peter Pan style or shawl collared. 10.00. Hand-sewn voiles, rich with filet, Irish r Valen ciennes lace, 8.50 to 19.50 As soft in coloring as to the touch ; cashmere scarfs Rose, green, tangerine, toast, blue and orchid; in fine, smooth or a loose, square mesh weave scarfs that match one's tweed cost but 6.95 to 12.50. Charge purchases are payable in March ESTABLISHED 1864 Harriet Lee will shop for out-of-town customers.