The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1883-08-09
Amber.
..u. H. Il.l-l


The commoncst impure kinds of amber
are used to make varnish. and the de-
mand for the more valuable kinds, which
are employed for necklaces, pipe mouth
pieces, and other purposes, is such as to
make an amber mine II source OF great
wealth. The largest European amber
deposits are found on the Baltic shores
of Northeastern Prussia. There about
eighty tons II year are at present
dug up, and the supply appears prnc-
ming of the century it is calculated that
over 1,G00 tons have been produced
there, and if the production, as some
contend, has been going on for 5000
years, the total quantity produced in
that period, cannot, it is calculated, have
been less than 10000 tons. The amber
is found in isolated pieces, varying from
the smallest beads up to blocks of many
pounds III weight. The largest piece
| ever discovered weighs thirteen and a
half pounds, and is now in the Royal
Mineral Cabinet III Berlin. Amber WAS
! mentioned by Homer, who speaks of it
| NJ being esteemed of equal value with
gold. 1t is the fossil resin produced by
/ upwards of six kinds of coniicrnllS trees
| of prehistoric times. Two of these frees.
| of which immense forests covered the
| regions now producing amber, hnvc been
proved to be nearly related to the exist
| ing Weymouth pine and the modern FIR
! tree. While the wood of the trees rottcd
| away the resin which cXndcd from them
| has been preserved in the form of the
| fossil amber The resin ooZcd ont OF the
stem of the tree as well aS ont of the
ROOTS and WAS deposited eventually in
| immense quantities in the soil. In some
of the pieces of the amber bits of the
wood and bark of the trees are found
imbcddcd, and through this lucky acci-
dent have been preserved from decay.
On examining this wood with the micro
scope it IS ut once apparent that the trees
were, rs intimatcd above, closely related
to our modern cO1Ii(c11r, but were not
absolutely identical with any of the OK
listing species. Ages ago the whole re-
Rion now covered by the eastern part of
the Baltic sea was covered with these
nnbcr-producing trees The industry
OF amber digging Is enc of very great
importance for Prussia and it il calcu-
lated that the amber district OF that
country still contains quantity which
at an average cost of five shillings per
pound, is worth 40 less than G25O,-
600, 600.
ct is remarkable" says the Norris
town Hcrald, how rapidly some news
paper men accumulate wealth. Mr.. jaw
Gould has been newspaper proprietor
only few years, and is now about to
retire With q fortune of 500, ,0GO, 600.
EIo evidently conducted business on n
cash basis, and refused to give $500
worth Of advertisement for $50 and take
his pay i'll liver and lung renovators."
CHARLEY, THE thrce-ycar- Did of tine
.;Guschold, stood an attentive and inter
rStcd locker. on while grandma was par
ing potatoes for dinner. Presently she
made sign Of discontinuing III, work
with Il single potato left mpealcd and
| unwashcd. The lite fellow reached
into the pan, took it in his chubby hand
ard turning his bright eyes in an ap-
praIin9 glance to grandina's face, OK
claimed: "Take i'm Goes of and give
i'm baff, too