Show k venerable gavel philadelphia ledde some weeks ago a visitor to the senate noticed that the gavel used ajr the I 1 had no handle and supposing that it was ba fly banged up from long and rough use raised an alarm in the newspapers which has brought senator ingalls a number of hand some garvels gavels from manufacturers of such articles and offers from others W furnish a supply without charge to the senate ba r ingalls has declined to accept any of them for he recognize 3 that most of the favors are made for the sake of getting an advertisement although some may botne aiom pure patriotism As a matter of fact he mid speaking of the gavel without a handle that gavel never had a handle it is in just as and condition to day ai ever it was its origin and its history are not known beyond the fact that it is a section of an elephants tooth that it was in use in the senate fi atys ix years ago when captain babett first entered the eaDd that even at that remote pe f iod it was looked upon as a ven erable heritage from antiquity it ruay have nerved as a paper weight on budihas desk when that old patri I 1 arch lived one thing is certain it is a good serviceable givel yet age has not made it obe elete on tLe contrary every additional day adds to its association and increases its interest order you know was heavens first law and this denef able elephants tooth has been rapi ping for order so long that it seems quite possible that it may have been eaven eavens s first gavel and that there may never be another like it |