Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-11-30
PATTl's DIAMONDS.
special Guards who watch the Div a's
Costly Jewels, Worth S2Os, geo.

Costly Jewels, worth S2Os,OsO.
tCol. Napleson 10 the New York Post
"Did you ever hear about PATHS dia.
monds No? Well, I've seen go many ab-
surd accounts In the newspapers about her
passionate love Of her Jewels, and the vast
sums she spends on them, that it may be
worth while TO tell the truth about them.
Patti has put great deal OF money in dia-
monds for eeve-al reasons: First, they are
property which can be left 10 the bank Of
England when she travels on the continent
and no French ex-husband can get hold Of
them. The French law is peculiar about the
property Of married women and no one knows
when an attempt might be made 10 get
hold Of PATHS diamonds should she take
them to France. Next, she needs them as
stage property they figure in certain operas.
If she can afford to wear jewels wholly be-
You'd the power Of other singers to buy, that
Is her good fortune. In the third act of La
Iraviata' she wears more fine diamonds than
the whole OF her audience. They are part
OF her stock In trade. Thirdly, oil singers
are fond OF property which can be put into
hand bag and carried to the furthcrmost ends
of the earth OF moments notice. suppose
that people who are one part Of the year in
London, another In San Francisco and an
other In Russia feel like having property
that is as available in one part OF the world
as another. Now diamonds sell for about
the same price everywhere.
PATHS diamonds cost her 5000, 900 and she
is terribly afraid of them. She insists upon
having nothing to do with them beyond
wearing them during one act OF the opera
The care of her diamonds costs her quite a
sum of money They are worth looking
after. One of her stones, weighing | don't
know how many hundred carats, belonged to
Catherine OF Russia, and cost $1S, 900.
Her great triple necklace of diamonds con-
tains 1879 stones, of an average value Of 5000.
Her string of turquoises, which she wears in
the first act of La Traviata, is unique and
can not be matched. do not know what it
is worth--probably $4,000. Then she has
several rubes of rcmaksble beauty, picked
up at odd times. She is known to buy fine
stones, and when London or Paris jewelcr
comes across something really out of the
way, he sends an account of ii to Patti In
this way, stone by stone she has collected
jewels which would sell to-day for at leas,
$500, 900, apart from associations. But she
is in constant fear lest they attract bur
glars or highwaymcn. The way in which
they are taken care of is worth describing.
| have often been surprised TO find strange
men standing around the stage OF the Acad
envy, looking as il they were sheriff's Off
GERS waiting to make an arrest. Upon iu
quiry they always turned out to be Patti!
diamond men. She has four Of them. Two
are professional detectives employed by ont
of your large jewellers to look after matter!
of this kind, and two are watchmen from
the Windsor hotel, where Patti always lives
when in New York. On the nights when the
iii 10
safe N the hotel the satchel continuing thu
jewels, and take it IN carriage down to Thu
Academy. They wait around the door Of
PATHS dressing room until the maid ask
for the bag, when it is handed 10, and mo
ment after Patti comes out wrapped in th
long cloak which she wears until she make
her entrance. The diamonds men keeI
their eyes upon her. When the cue /
given, the cloak is thrown to the maid ant
on she goes glittering with gems, The foul
men and two maids watch her through tn,
act. The instant she is out Of sight of tn,
audience, the cloak is again thrown over hel
and five minutes after she enters her dress
ing room the mysterious bag is handed GU
silently as they came. Patti never wants t
have anything more to do with her vauabl,
jewels than that.
Il remember that one rainy night, owinl
to misunderstanding, the diamond mel
were not on hand at the usual hour. and i
was proposed that one Of the regular Wind
scr Hotel detectives should carry the bas
and ride in the carriage with Patti so tha
the precious affair need never be on
of her sight She refused to lister
TO the suggestion. For she said, If it wa
known that was accustomed to carry III,
diamonds in my carriage, who knows whel
l might be attacked or the carriage tipped
over or the coachman's throat cut.' Sh,
always insists she does not carry diamonds
with her, eitLer in carriage, railway or boats
that she never has them in her rooms Of
trunks and never wears them except upoi
the stage. All the other stories about PATTI
diamonds are counterfeits and without an,
signature. And, by the way, don't forget Il
say, if you write anything about this, tina
the diamonds worn by the singers up at tina
| other house are all pasten