Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1866-10-26

FROM . TO Aceter.
I And Paris brighter end freshef than
ever. The shop widows never were 50
splendid. The magnificent collection OF
levels IN the show " indow Of the famed
Spanish house OF Sa,nIer 4 Co., attracted
nc % strongly that ! could net refrain
from entering and c''qu.sing s"io the value Of
several articles H. their art,stic collsctson.-
A bracelet, composed Of saIphires, rubies.
topaxcs, and one .ms rad--csch stone set in
small dlHmonds--is one Of the rarest col.
leciions Of rea! stones in tie hands OF 4
dealer in Europe. Each stonc IL the pnre> 4
and iinest 81 It's kind 10 be had. Its value
is $1,000 n crown II fine pearls and
diamonds, $l2. 400 n set Of emeraIds aud
diamonds. $ls, 900 another IL rublcs and
diamonds. $4,000. One 81 the gentlemen
very DBL gingIy invited me up stairs to show
me their collection OF rare jewels. A breast.
pin, rather larger than twenty-five cent
piece. imposed Of n fine pearl m bag ~ .
pea, surrounded by diamonds Of rather q
smaller s'xe, with pendant of diamonds. II
valued o. $500 another, . black pearl
similarly set, with two pale rose colorci
pendants---thc latter ono Of the varcst Nv
els iound---at about the same price; while
near Il, n sho~y diamond brooch, ~ large
Is = tea cup. with sprays and pendants.
only 81, 800. The gentlemen told the they
wc.c gotten up for the foreign market
Thos for Egypt arc very complicated, both
in coloring aud design. lie told me that the
principal sales Of the Paris house this year
have been 10 America, comparatively few 10
England, cross To Russia, . arge amount
TO Egypt. The house has just dispatched .
sabcr to the King Of Siam which cost his
majcstry $4,000. Three enormous stones,
. diamond, ruby, and an emerald, were oct
in the handle. A superb opal and diamond
set attracted inc ~ its exquisite finish and
the fincness Of tho stones. Mr.. S. told ms
that this set could only be sold in America ;
th-t in France aud Spain there is super
stition That tho opal brings misfortune with
4, or rather, 10 capable IL Goretelling evil
doom, and no French lady will wear one.
The cases Of rare jewels occupy one room
while in another is IN immense collection o
articles Of the best taste, varying from 81
to $50 in pvicc. This hosssc is the only QUO
that has made use Of the Chinese JADE rs Al,
article Of jewelry-a pals-gseen stone-oI
which every imaginable ornament has been
manufactured. The Messrs. Sampsr have
four large houses the principal one IL at
Madrid; There is one ct Seville, and two il
Paris.
The oldest House In New Ham p.
shire.
The following is from the Portsmouth On
II Journal:
The Oldest house now standing, built il
Portsmouth, 10 the quaint brick house OF
the Weeks farm, Greenland. This is n,
blundcr, although it seems like one-for a,
the time that house was built, Grecnland
wns a part Of Portsmouth. We can find n,
written record of the year Of it's being built
but family tradition dates i,s creation ia
1857. by the father oi Leonard Weeks. Til,
house Vas built on the main road-but the
strengthening Of the road half century ego
throws il on circular lane several rods on
the side. The spccklcd appearance Of the
house ia made by having black header,
scattered among the bricks all over the
trout. The bricks were burnt in front o,
the house. Tie walls ot the house are eight
eel, inches thick. II 10 of two stories I'll,
lower story is eight and half feet, the sec,
ond eight fee TIE windows were origin.
ally Of small dismond glass set in Lead
Some Of them have been IN the house within
the last fifty years. Tho slccpcrs are Of RED
oak, about ten ineh.s in diameter, with the
bark ON. There are panks ON the inside o
the walls, and the plastc,ing rs ON rcft wood
nailed o the plank. There are ina ks Of the
house hc,ng injured by on earthquake. prob.
ably in 1850. II tradition is correct, this
i the o.dcs house in New England, being
two hundred and tweni >,ight years old.
This house was evidently built ms a sor,
OF garrison. with ANEW Of safety from being
burat by the Indians