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tline3open  Sleazy divorce, asparagus tongs and right wing politics

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Author Topic:   Sleazy divorce, asparagus tongs and right wing politics
Dale

Posts: 2132
Registered: Nov 2002

iconnumber posted 10-23-2007 01:21 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Dale     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
[26-1521]

It is not often that silver gets into the news. But the divorce battle between Richard Mellon Scaife, prominent funder of right wing smear groups and his wife Ritchie has done this. The story is here:

Low Road to Splitsville

For us, the relevant quotes are these:

    One of the most astounding stacks of papers in the pile that is the Scaife divorce is the inventory of Ritchie's stuff, compiled by her lawyers. The list runs for more than 80 pages, like an episode of "Antiques Roadshow" that will not end. Meat platters, sardine forks, melon forks, a circa-1804 Dutch teapot, a painting by Magritte, Victorian cream pitchers, bread trays, candlesticks, a sterling silver nutmeg grater, flatware service . . . you get the picture. Much of it was stored at Vallamont, the weekend house Richard Scaife owns near the Rolling Rock Club.


    "Defendant has and continues to unlawfully hold in his possession six pairs of asparagus tongs manufactured by Mappin & Webb, Birmingham, 1926 weighing 10 ounces total," reads one of dozens of paragraphs. "The last-known location for these items was at 'Vallamont,' 132 Pheasant Circle, Ligonier, Pa. 15658. The estimated cost for these items is $1,800."

    Eventually, Scaife returned this massive collection, with Ritchie's lawyers accusing him of "dumping" the stuff on her without a proper heads-up. Scaife's lawyers countered that the transfer was handled with respect and care.

    It strikes me that $300 each is a bit high for Maupin and Webb sterling asparagus tongs. The truly sad not, for silver lovers, comes here:

    The real fight, though, was not over the Shreve & Co. finger bowls. It was over the dog.

See, even among the very wealthy, a dog is more important than Shreve finger bowls. A sad commentary on the age in which we live.

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June Martin
Forum Master

Posts: 1326
Registered: Apr 93

iconnumber posted 10-24-2007 09:06 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for June Martin     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Just goes to show that there is a customer for everything and everything has an afterlife. For me it would be a tough call between the dog and the silver. Thanks for a touch of reality, Dale.

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witzhall

Posts: 124
Registered: Mar 2006

iconnumber posted 10-25-2007 02:19 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for witzhall     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by June Martin:
For me it would be a tough call between the dog and the silver.

I must speak up to say that for me it wouldn't be a tough call at all! Maybe that's because I'm not "very rich" or maybe it's simply clear to me that an animate creature can return my affection whereas even the most glorious piece of silver will only sit there being adored and never give any response.

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tmockait

Posts: 963
Registered: Jul 2004

iconnumber posted 10-25-2007 09:32 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for tmockait     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Reminds me of a t-shirt I saw a woman in Madison, WI wearing back in the late 1970s, when I started grad school:

"The more I know men, the more I love my dog!"

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jersey

Posts: 1203
Registered: Feb 2005

iconnumber posted 10-28-2007 01:49 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for jersey     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Witzhall, I'm with you.
Wonder what the choice was in California.
Jersey

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