1897

This is the story of a gift.

About eight or ten years ago your correspondent presented a gift to the Dartmouth Museum. The gift consisted of three different articles: (1) long-out-of-date silver coins, (2) bogus Spanish coin, and (3) a centuriesold tooth extractor and desk ruler made out of the "Old Pine." The silver coins, consisting of last-century silver ten and infant size five-cent pieces, are valuable because they are long out of date.

The Spanish coin is of the size of an American dollar. The silver of the coin is like the silver wash of our every-day knives and spoons. A part of this silver wash has rolled back and shows the coin is not silver but iron overlaid with silver of sufficient depth to make the entire coin seem to be of silver. I think this coin was minted in about the year 1700. Perhaps coins like this helped to pay the debt of the Spanish Armada, bought by the British.

The Old Pine fell sometime in the year 1893, if I am rightly informed. I presume to say the trunk was used for commercial purposes. It had very large lower limbs, many of which were taken to the carpenter's shop of the College. Your correspondent was idling one day in the carpenter shop watching the carpenter make souvenirs out of the limbs of the Old Pine. I presume many students also received some object which would constantly bring to mind one of the most valued traditions of Dartmouth. Somehow our most precious possessions are lost. We know not where we lost them. Hold this ruler in your hand, let your mind turn to such a memento, and perhaps will come to you, as has come to me, the music of three Indians voicing the sorrow of their hearts: When shall we three meet again?

The final object of the collection is not easily described, and part you will have to imagine. Hold in your hand a steel rod about ten inches long and in diameter that of a common pencil. On the end away from you there is a metal plate that will swing so as to be on either side of the metal rod. Along with the plate and swinging with it are two prongs. The plate and the prongs are placed on the inner part of the jaw. On the rod nearest to you there is an offset about four inches long and a handle similar to that of a gimlet at the end of the offset. The leverage of this instrument is so great that a two-pound pressure could easily twist the finger from the hand. The name of this instrument is Turnquet, pronounced Turnkey. This instrument is probably ages old. I doubt if there is another like it today. Of itself it is not valuable. Because of its scarcity it is precious to any museum.

I have received assurance from the director of the Museum that as soon as possible a place will be found for the display of these articles. I am writing to designate that the gift comes from the Class of 1897. I am also writing the director that as soon as possible we hope the gift may be securely housed.

Here we have two valuable articles: The ruler from the Old Pine and the Turnquet.

Class Notes Editor 52 Williams St., Rutland, Vt.