The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1870-02-02
Spreet $torp.
MR.. BAKERS RING

l have known Mr. William Henry Baker |
personally for number of years, and am |
inclined to think he has hitherto never in !
all his life told the truth. Now 1t is so
manifestly improbable that the most con
sistent man should protract a long and
useful career of storytelling to such extra
ordinary limits, without at some period
telling the truth by some sheer misadven-
| ture. that it IS quite likely Mr.. Baker may
hate committed himself in this instance.
| At least, the time has arrived for human
nature to assert itself, according to the
| doctrine Of averages.
Only once, gentlemen, said Mr.. Baker,
have | been deceived. William Henry
keeps his eyes open in a general way he
also takes the liberty ofseeing out ofthem.
He uses them, as a rule, for purposes of
observation, gentlemen. Still admit l
was, once, taken IN by as dead a swindle
as could be; 1 am not ashamed to own 1t.
1 made money by it after all, but was
| swindled
1t was about diamond ring. I knew
the fellow who had it for many years in
| the way of business. He was a CONNER
cial traveller, and used always to fash this
ring about whenever he came round on his
| journey A ieweler friend of mine, who
| happened to be in my Office once when Mr.
| Block called, and asked, Iremember, to be
allowed to examine it and had pronounc-
| ed the stones to be diamonds OF the pUrest
water, telling me 'afterward the ring was
worth about seventy pounds. Mr. Blocks
| initials were engraved inside the hoop ofthe
ring "R b. and besides that, it was a
ring of peculiar and rather old fashioned
make Indeed, having once seen the ring,
no one would be likely to mistake it for
another, Well Mr.. Block got into diff
culties, and went so entirely to the bad,
that never saw or heard anything more
! of him. But about two years afrerward,
| whilst walking down back street, my
eye was taken by q ring exhibited IN a
pawnbrokers window. "A1r Block ring"
I exclaimed directly; I'll swear to it" It
was in tray with a number of very seedy
looking rings, and was as discolored and
dirty as they were. | went into the shop
and asked to look at it. The pawnbroker,
an old Jew, said, "Yesh; might see his
ringsh but he didn't know mosh about
ringsh himself They wosh unredeemed
lpledges, what they wosh,-and
they wosh all market at the monish ad-
vanished upon them, with a very small
overplush for ineresh,-thash ish all he
knew"
There was no mistake about it. 1t was
Mr. Blocks ring, and had his initials in
side But how did the Jew get it? He
, would soon tell me. Referring to his book,
he found it had been pawned two years
ago in the name of Smith,-"Thash all he
i knew Would buy? 1t wosh dirtsheap,
: three poundsh twelve, and cosht him
all the monish!'
Three pounds twelve ~ l repeated,
2 thinking he had made q mistake fo1
: the ring was worth twenty times that
5 amount
I'FWen, if it wash too dear he had some
sheaper ones,-beautiful ringsh, you shee
e exshept that he alwaysh advanshed toe
I mosh monish on them. One couldn't un-
$ dershtand everything in his bishnish, you
/ shee from fat-ironish to diamondsh.
I bought the ring, after beating the Jew
, down half crown, partly to prevent hi;
a suspecting its value, and partly-wel
n knowing the disposition of the peculiar
people-to oblige him.
4 / wore my new purchase about, with nC
y little inward satisfaction at having better
: ed Jew at bargain. IN ny own mind
j accounted for its coming into his posses
sibn somewhat in this way: Mr. Blool
j must have sold thsTiDg whene m .ciiffficul
ties to some one else. 1t was quite Ger
e tain Mr. Block had not pawned it at th'
: Jews, or the Jew would have known 1t.
o value. The ring, must then, have eithel
t been lost by, or stolen from, subsequent
d possessor; and the finder, or thief (which
e ever it happened to be), being ignorant o
:, its value, had taken it to the Jew, whC
= knew no better. -r-.-.
= There is certain commercial club IL
J.; our town, which / occasionally visit. Tn,
e members are of an easy and somewha
0 ! lively disposition generally given to in
/, dulge IN that playful style of banter popu
S larly known as ''ehaff My diamond RIM
e came In for a good share of it. l car
II stand chaff as well as most men; but
y put it to you, if when you know very wei
V your briliants are real, 1t isn't little an
/ moving for the chaff of whole body c
l. people to assume the character of persis
It tent disbelief in the value of your jewelry
For instance, the waiter answers the bel
10 Did any gentleman ring p
j, '"Oh yes" one Of the members would re
J. tort; st is the gentleman with the past
diamonds"
Il Again, there are kinds of sham brilliant
l. known as Irish diamonds and Isle {
Wight diamonds. The club (not one or tW
as members, but the whole body refused
a. recognize such distinctions, and insiste
g, on designating the whole class OF shams
Bakers Diamonds Bakers Paste, m
gems were also denominated. They aetI
ally sent me by post a circular of SOM
body's Baking Powders, adding to it at Il
end, where it says the public is respectful
Ge cautioned against spurious limitations, 'bl
more particularly against a Gpecious pre-
,oI oI aration to deceive the unwary, known
ne Bakers Paste. Now, after two or thr
lie weeks, this became tiresome. Still,
es took no notice, and affected not TO thin
'eS the remarks intended for me.
nc l hardly know-what made me go al
III call on my friend, the ieweler 1t was n
that / had any doubt Of the commences
. the diamonds, especially as he was the We
:ts .t man who had before valued Mr. Blool
us ring at $40. But it had been so dim
iIu iIu into my head that they were false, that
y wanted Just q formal confirmation Of
n. ~ estimate he had previously formed Of tn
-i1e worth.
20 yes" said my friend, the jeweler;
lso recognize the ring again directly. We
zen zen to know what it's worth? Gle put it
-eG' the scales.) "Well-h'm-about seV
tSSn tS and twenty shillings for old gold .
the tL 'EhT p said /, as pale as a turn
sr 'at Didn't you tell me 1t was worth sever
'oof of pounds ?"
, oI Eyes" he answered, when it has d
Mas ..Ils monds IN it-not when it has paste"
lCiy Talking the matter over, the jewe
- SuggeSled lQaLg on MI. OlOOA SSeSlIlS
Oh III, difficulties, the first thinghe did was to
,uI ! lf the diamonds out of his ring, and gett
F.. .T TI their places supplied with paste and fir
F55 M ly. he had pawned it himself with
t Jew, as a paste ring
- 'fWell, William Henry, said 10 rnys
1be -ttiise-J leu has iewed you, and the club
~ chafed you, and you may consider yo
~ an, self trod upon, after the manner of spe
= eIiF = ing" -a
~ ~ - But the worm VIII turn.
Did the jewelerle out diamonds
II hire ?' I asked
9P- He did
IN II Would he have a certain alterat
,1a,, ool, which suggested, made in my ring, il
~ ~ fortnight's time2'
-sA' He would. -.-
,Iii ,uIi- And keep it secret 7'
etiis IN Certainly-business was business.
1le For the whole of that fortnight I ne
e III went uear the club; that was probably
+ reason why my appearance at the cl