The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1868-10-07

WEDNESDAY ............. .oCtobER I, 1900
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Two SHARPERs.-A noted sportsman, taking dinner
At one of our clubs exhibited diamond ring Of great
beauty and apparent value, on his finger gentleman
present had great passion for diamonds Alter dinner
the parties met in the Office. After much bafterlng
the of the ring consented to barter Tor the sum
of six hundred dollars As the buyer left the room
suppressed terDg struck bis ear lie concluded that
the former owner had sold both the ring and the pur
chaser. He said nothing but called the next day upon
ieweler, where he learned that the diamond was
paste and the ring worth about twenty-five dollars.
He examined some real diamonds and found one close
" resembling the paste in his ring. He hired the
diamond for few days, pledged twelve hundred dol"
lars, the price of it, and gave hundred dollars for its
He vent to another jeweller, had the paste re-
moved and the real diamond set His chums, know
ing how he had been imposed upon impatienty waited
for bis appearance the next night To their asonlsh-
ment they found him il high glee. He f0urshed bis
ring, boosted OF bis bargain, and said If any gentleman
present had twelve hundred dollar ring to sell tor six
hundred dollars, be knew Of a purchaser When be
told that the ring paste, and that he had been
cheated, be laughed at their folly. Bets were freely
offered that the ring did not contain real diamond.
Two men bet $1,000 each. Two bet $500 All were
taken. Umpires were chosen. The money and the
ring put into their hands. They went to first
class eweler v ho applied elk the tests and who said
the stone diamond of the first water, and
worth without the setting, 1920 The buyer put the
$4,000 which he had Won quietly in his pocket. He
carried the diamond back and recalled his 1920, and
With his paste ring his finger to his club. Tue
who sold the ring waiting for him. He wanted
to get the ring back he attempted to the whole
thing into joke. He sold the ring he said, for fun;
he knew it a real diamond all the time He never
false jewels. He could tell real diamond any
where by its peculiar light. He would not be
to cheat old friend. lie knew his friend would
let him have the ring again. But bis friend was stub
b0rnsaid that the seller thought it paste, and in
tended to deraud him. At length, on tie payment Of
$780, the ring restored. All parties came the
conclusion when the whole affair came out, that when
diamond cuts diamond again less sharp will
be selected. Mathew Hale Smith.
CHANGES IN NIAsARA-IHe Falls Receding. From
old resident Of the village learn several facts of
interest regarding the falls. Within the recollection
of my informant the cataract has reccded thirty five or
forty feet i'll places and fully ten feet in the average
These changes noticeable the Canada side
the of the Horseshoe Fall having receted per.
ceptbly within the past five years. This fact in con-
necton with the formation and general appearance Of
the walls of rock each side OF the lower level of the
river shows that the falls must have originally been
much lower down. 1t is an Indian tradition that in
former times there but one fall extending across
the river below the point spanned by the lower
bridge and the story is credited by the old residents
of the town. The pressure Of ice from Lake Erie car
ried down the upper rapids with terrible velocity de-
taehes many large rocks each winter while others
loosened, and occasionally drop during the spring and
OF huge boulder the evening of August %, while
locking at the Horseshoe, by moonlight from the bal
conv of errapn Tower. 1t started apparently about
fifty feet from the edge of the fall, and equal dis
from the foot of the tower. My attention was
attracted by be seeing about four feet above the
FOAM and az if lifted by the of running
under it it then turned partly and Disappeared
Five or six minutes later it again visible on the
edge of the fall, turning slowly as before. Here it
stopped for several seconds lodged against another
rock more firmly mbedded, but leaned gradually to
the left and finally dropped.
The fall of the greater part Of Table Rock some years
ago is also evidence of the gradual change that is
going in the topography Of the falls. The Cave of
she Winds and all paths leading under the falls are
pronounced unsafe by those who are well acquainted
with the locality; and each they become more
hazardous the rocks that have hung suspended SO
long must eventually give way to the pressure of water
from above
correspondence New York Post.
QUESTION OF IDENr1rT-A Clergyman Mistaken for
Brick Pomeroy. The New York Citizen tells the fol-
lowing: 1t is not generally known that Mr.. Pomeroy
the editor of the La Crosse Democrat and lately
of the Democrat in this city is young of refined
and elegant appearance, with a small white hand,
broad forehead and slim shape. He neither drinks
smokes and has of the characteristics of
seasoned hard shell of the oden school, while steady
glance from will make him blush to his ears.
His disposition naturally throws him with those of
religious tendency. Clergymen common visitors
at his office and find him ready assist the objects
they have in view. One of those who had bald head,
and whom nature had most uRjusiy set the seal of
the wine bbber, seated in bis Office writing,
when specimen of the fourth ward Democrat, more
than three sheets in the wind called pay his respects
to the king of the Copperheads. This fellow shown
into the same room with the clergyman, and walking
up behind the latter, who was leaning the desk
deeply occupied, brought huge dirty hand down up
his bald head that the marks of his fingers
visible for hours shouting " How are you Brick, old
fellow? knowed you at once, | did. How you
old cuss? knowed you by your bald head and your
red nose. You one of sort, you Give
em Old Nick, them Republican cusses; you are the
chap that can do that same, you see it in your
eye"
Explanations useless, and the clergyman rushed
into hr. Pomeroy's private apartments Tor protection
with the marks of the strong admiration OF his friend
still upon him.
THE DEVIL UNCLAIMED. -Rey. DR.. Chaplin writes as
follows in the Liberal Christian There has been
time when the calls for phianthropic activity
30 numerous and pressing as to-day. Our Northern