Jasper County Democrat, Volume 22, Number 18, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 May 1919 — AN INTERESTING COLLECTION [ARTICLE]

AN INTERESTING COLLECTION

A. D. Babcock’s Muneuni at Goodland Contains Many Relics. While in Goodland a few days ago the writer was shown through the museum of Attorney A. D. Babcock, and his collection of relics is indeed most Interesting. Mr. Babcock has been nearly 35 years in collecting toese various articles and the collection has outgrown the capacity of his office. He Intends td build an addition to the rear thereof the present season to better accommodate his museum, as be calls it. He has offered to give the collection —which is worth many thousands of dollars —to the town of Goodland providing the latter will erect and maintain a building especially for its care, but thus far the town has taken no action in the matter for the reason, no doubt, that it means considerable expense to erect and maintain such a building and the younger generation of people do not seem to place the value on these antiquities that older people do. Mr. Babcock’s collection includes many stone axes, scores of flint arrowheads, pipes, etc., etc., that have been picked up in Jasper and Newton counties that were used by the Indians who a few centuries ago inhabited this part of the country. He also has a great collection of guns, revolvers, sabers, etc., that were used in the various wars in which this country became engaged In the years past and gone; many old-time Implements and household utensils that were in common use a century or more ago; quite a number of relics from foreign countries that have been sent him by friends, and many old bibles and books that have great historic value.

He has a U. 8. patent for land that was signed by Andrew Jackson, the first circuit court summons ever issued In Newton county, signed by Zachari Spitler, and many other documents of bistorts value, together with a collection of coins and (paper money of the U. 8. Among his latest treasures are a number of bones of a mastodon, unearthed In northern Indiana some time ago, Including the jaw bones, tusks, vertebrae, tiba, ejc. The entire collection contains hundreds of articles that from an historical point of view are very interesting and valuable.