Chester Buys a Bust

On his regular rounds through Meriden, Conn, one day last year, Junk Dealer Chester Orsini, 29, stopped by to do business at the home of Barber John Cantarini, who was just moving out of his house. Orsini plunked down $10 for a heap of rags and old mattresses; then he noticed a 14-inch bronze bust of Lincoln sitting on the family trash heap. Orsini took a fancy to it, bought it for $2 and took it home to decorate his television set. But when he noticed the name stamped on the back, he showed it to a local dentist who had bought some old oil paintings from him before.

The dentist took one look and offered Orsini $100 for his find. The name on the bust was Franklin Simmons, a New England sculptor who had done statues from life of such contemporary heroes as Generals Grant and Sherman and Admiral Farragut. Orsini declined the offer and started checking with museums and with Simmons' niece. He soon discovered that if the Lincoln bust had been done from life, it might be worth $15,000 or more. Orsini dug into his savings for a ticket to Chicago, where he deposited the bust in a bank, hired a lawyer and began hunting for more authentication in the Lincoln country.

This week he was still hunting, and still waiting for his $2 bust to turn into a multithousand dollar bonanza. So far, no buyer has made a solid offer. But Barber John Cantarini is taking no chances: after threatening court action on the ground that his wife had sold the bust without his consent, he got Orsini's agreement to an even split.

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