Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1873-05-15
Aumuruns department.
From All the Year Round.
DIAMOND CUT DIAMOND.


DIAMOND CUT DIAMOND.
Colonel j. Cooling-better known as Cool
Nat-of Coolington, San Joaquin county
in the State of California, was fellow
passenger of mine on that we'll known trans
Atlantic steamship, the Mongolia, famous
alike for the rapidity of her ocean voyages,
the absence of napkins at meal times, and the
bluff heartiness Of her excellent commander.
AS is, or rather was, invariably the case. the
Magnolia had received very good "send off,"
the friends of the passengers mastering in
great strength, and accompanying their hear
ty wishes for swift passage, quick return
and good time" generally, with brisk
consumption Of the sparkling fluid which
flows with such unfailing liberality on the
other side of the Atlantic. Busy as I was
pledging my numerous friends, 1 yet found a
moment to steal glance at my roommate
the traveller who occupied the other berth in
my state-room-and, exchanging cards with
him over glass Of champagne, was charmed
to find my domiciliary partner for the next
eight days, the celebrated or notorious person
whose name / have mentioned. Rumors
of daring deeds doue, or as some hypercritical
purists would rather say, perpetrated, during
the early days of the Golden State, had reach
ed my ears from time to time, and with many
of these the name of Nat Cooling was associ-
ated. Of the origin of this great man but
little was known. Those who loved him best
and obeyed that excellent law, Speak we'll
of the rich," declare that his youth had been
passed in the lucrative business Of importing
"blackbirds," in other words, in the slave
trade, while those who were actuated by high
er principles, that is, hated or envied the sue
cessful speculator, declared that short but
brilliant career of piracy had laid the founda-
ton of his great fortune. All that was GER
tainly known was that the Colonel turned up
in California during the first symptoms Of the
gold fever, and that his speculations in mining
and other operations had been attended with
solid success. Where he was "raised" remain
ed mystery, for the Colonel, although very
communicative on all subjects relating to his
residence in California, maintained severe
reticence as to his happy boyhood and prob
ably stormy youth. Neither his appearance
nor his speech betrayed his supposed nautical
antecedents, nor did his outline betray the nu-
merous angles that the American physique is
credited withal. He was plump, broad
shouldered man, the said broad shoulders be-
ing surmounted by a large bullet-head, cover
ed with close-cut crop Of stiff, black hair.
His face, with the exception of the upper lip,
was clean shaven, and his general expression
was one of frank bonhommie. There were
moments, however, when singular expression
flashed from his fine dark eye, and on these
rare occasions it was not difficult for persons
of an imaginative turn of mind to conjure up a
scene in the summer seas of the Indian Archi-
pelago, with scuttled ship slowly settling
down in the dark blue water, and rakish-
looking craft almost hull down upon the hor-
izon.
Colonel Cooling rejoiced in a velvet coat
and loose necktie of sanguine hue, but it
was impossible to enjoy his society for any
length Of time without observing the immense
diamond solitaire which adorned his large
but well-shaped hand. This was not merely
large diamond, but brilliant, such as is
rarely seen. 1t threw out flashes almost like
lime-light, and blazed with almost intoler-
able radiance. One splendid summer after
noon, as the Mongolia was doing her best to
make short work of the Atlantic, the Colonel
caught my eye fixed in admiration on his
magnificent jewel, and launched at once into
the following story:
II guess, neighbor, you are takin advantage
of this fine weather to kinder photograph
my diamond It's worth the trouble, yes,
sir! Not only for the valley of the stone, but
for the high old time I had in gittin' it. You
see amt New Yorker, and never sot eyes
on the Empire city till few weeks ago,
when I kin, round from Frisco to make an
European tower. In California we are heavy
on gold that's fact, but we don't pan out
much on diamonds, though they are mighty
useful goods when a citizen finds things pref
ty we'll petered out in his own diggins', and
wants to vamose the ranch and make tracks
for new placer But no sooner had I landed
and got we'll fixed at the New York Hotel,
than, making bee line for the bar, 1 found
all the folks run diamond mad. In most set
Elements I'm acquainted with, the talk runs
mostly on dollars, but in the big city heard
of nothing but diamonds. 1t seems that some
old don married pretty young gal some little
time ago, and that the show of jewels at the
diamond weddin' had set every body stark,
starin mad on brilliants. Every body was
braggin' on his diamonds, and some of 'em
seemed to hold a full hand. Wal, after my
third cocktail, I lit a fresh cigar and began to
feel that the diamond fever was kinder catch
in, and said I to myself, Nat Cooling, you
never wus a one-hoss person nor cuss as
would take back seat anywheres. If you
are going to pan out on diamonds, you must
do it heavy
"Bein' on such uncommon good terms with
myself, I took another drink, and then fell
talkin' diamonds with very elegantly-dress-
ed gentleman, who gave me lot of points on
the subject. After few more cocktails, l
told my new friend that I must get a dia-
mond but that it must be the biggest in New
York. The gentleman wore handsome
stone himself, which he said was as good as
he could pay for, but that he thought he
knew where to find an A brilliant, in fact
the biggest stone in the world. I laugh, 1 do,
when think how anxious I was to see it, and
how much I felt indebted to the young gen.
teman when he consented to mention my de-
sire for the biggest diamond in New York to
his friend. He told me that he did not think
his friend would sell. In fact, he was pretty
sure he wouldn't, but that I might have a
sight of the stone if would breakfast with
him at Delmonico's, at IL o'clock next day.
''This looked all right, and the next morn
ing I was punctooal to my appointment, was
introduced to my friends friend-also an ell
egant gentleman-and sat down to the very
best breakfast I had ever seen. didn't,
however, eat much more than three-year-
old bar, my mind was so took up with the
diamond. Nothin' that I had ever seen in
the sparkling way was circumstance to it.
Loco.o ,ro o,ot IN fba ooHao ond oiooro