Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1880-10-16

the Jewel for the crown, was dlsmayeu
at the price, and refused to buy it; as
the King of England had done for the
same reason. No one could look at it
without wishing to put it in his pocket
and carry it home; but two millions of
francs was q very large sum in those
times, not less, think, in purchasing |
power, than the same number of our |
gold dollars of to-day. The King of |
france then was Louis Nv, a little boy |
seven years old, and not very robust.
st. Simon, however, saw the child with
the ewes of Duke of the old regime,
and he reasoned thus:
Il agreed with Law (who also advised
the purchase) that it did not become the
grandeur of the King of France to
allow himself to be frustrated by the
price of an object which was unique in
the world, and inestimable; and that
the greater the number of potentates
who had not dared to think of it, the
more we ought to beware of letting it
escape us. The Regent feared to be
blamed for making purchase so con-
siderable at time when we could
scarcely meet necessities the most
pressing, and when we were obliged to
leave so many people unpaid. l praised
this sentiment; but / told him that he
ought not to act for the greatest King in
Europe as he would for private in
dividual. 1t was his duty to consider
the honor of the crown, and not permit
the chance to escape of procuring
diamond without price, which OBJ
liberated those of all Europe. l main
tanned that it would be glory for his
regency which would last forever"
He said. also, that the finances were
in so bad condition that two or three
million francs more or less would make
no difference. He prevailed at length,
although the Regent was obliged 20 buy
the gem on credit and give the mer-
chant pledge of two million francs
worth OF smaller crown jewels until the
price was paid. The prediction of the
Duke de St. Simon, that the Regent
would be remembered chiefly through
the purchase of the jewel, appears to
have come true. The fact that this
splendid object is called the Regent
does more to perpetuate his memory
than any other act of his careless and
bad administration. People in general
would scarcely know that France had
ever had Regent butfor the diamond,
which to this day retains its rank as
the finest jewel in the world.
Another of the great diamonds was
called the Sancy. 1t resembled pen
dulum in form, was very pure and
brilliant, weighed thirty-three carats,
and was valued at two hundred thou.
sand dollars. Another was styled the
Mirror of Portugal, oblong in shape,
extremely white and clear, weis hing
twenty-one carats, and was valued al
fifty thousand dollars. The fourth in
value, called the 1.-THE of Mazarin, wa'
square in form with rounded edges
splendidly brilliant, weighing sixteer
carats, and worth ten thousand dollars
There were also some wonderful pearl.
| and rubies. The most noted pear
weighed twenty-seven carats and wa
{ valued at forty thousand dollars; ant
there was q necklace of twenty-five
pearls, valued at two hundred Thousand
| dollars. A ruby of fifty-six carat ant
, another of twenty-five were greatly ad
, mired; not to speak of q bewilderins
, number of very fine gems OF less i'm
portance.
r Such were the crown jewels Of Franc
} in 1891, the last year of the ancien
monarchy. They were many Thousand
| in number and were estimated to b.
worth two hundred millions Of francs
} In that year of excitement and terro
the revolutionary party were alread
+ beginning to think of utilizing thos
glittering treasures, and were quite de
, termined that the King and his Austrial
. wife should not carry them oil. Tn
. royal Jewels were much in people
minds in those terrible days, and Their
Q were rumors afloat OF the arrest q
. fugitives with trunks full of gems. an
!. of boats floating down the Seine loade
with the most magnificent diamonds.