Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-11-28
PATHS JEWELS.
The Quality and Value Of the Great
Singers Gems. and Why They are
Never stolen.
From the New York Evening Post.

From the New York Evening Post
| A reporter of the Erening Post who met Col.
Mapleson in the Academy of Music yesterday
afternoon. found the veteran manager dis
coursing with admiration upon the many merits
of Nine. Patti, whom he pronounced the BRAY
est little woman as We'll as the best singer in
the world.
"She works conscentiously." said the colonel,
''and she is not afraid OF anything except her
diamonds. If her throat is all right she will
sing her best under circumstances which would
discourage other women. She is the most rca-
sonable-a aud docile of prima donnas and YOU
know as a rule. that the more valuable a singer
the more airs she puts on and the more trouble
she gives. Ii Patti gave HE As much trouble in
proportion TO her musical value as some OF my
other people do. should have to get new wig
every day; the false hair would come out hourly
by the handful Whereas the truth is she never
complains. never is jealous because there is
no singer TO be jealous of-neyer makes fuss
in the company and is afraid of nothing except
her diamonds.
did YOU ever hear about PATHS diamonds:
No? Wen. I've seen so many absurd accounts
in the newspapers about her passionate love Of
her jewe s, and the vast sums she spends on
them. that il may be worth while to tell the
| truth about them. Patti has put great deal
they are property which can bc left In the Bank
Of England when she travels on the Continent,
and 40 French eX-husband can get hold Of
/ them. The French law is peculiar about the
property o. married women and no one Knows
when an attempt might be made to get hold of
PATHS diamonds should she take them to
France. Next. she needs them a. stage prop
erty: they figure in certain operas Ii she can
afford TO wear jewels wholly beyond the power
OF other singers to buy that is her good for
I ri npt of Tvnr- a-, n -,
wears more fine diamonds than the whole of her
audience. They are part of her stock in
trade. Thirdly all singers are fond Of property
which can be put into a hand bag and carried to
the turthermost ends OF the earth at moments
notice. suppose that people who are one part
of the year in London. another in san Francisco
and another in Russia. feel like having prop
| crty that is as available in one part OF the
world as an sther. Now diamonds sell for about
the same price everywhere.
''Pattis diamonds cost her S2n9 013. and she
+ Is terribly afraid of them. She insists upon
having nothing to do with them beyond wear
ing 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 hum
dTed carats. belonged to Catherine OF Russia
and cost $4,000. Her great triple necklace of
diamonds contains l22 stones, of an average
value Of 5000. Her string Of turquOiSes which
she wears in the first act Of La Trariata. is
unique and cannot be matched. I do not know
what it is worth-probably $4,000. Then she
has several rubies OF remarkable beauty picked
up at odd times. She is known to buy line
stones, and when O London or Paris ieweIer
comes across something really ont OF the way
| he sends an account of it to Patti. In this way
stone 10y stone she has collected Jewels which
VIII sell to-day for at least 500 600 apart from
associations. But she is in constant fear lest
they attract burglars or highwavmen. The way
in which they are taken care Of is worth de-
scriOlng | have often been surprised to find
strange men standing around the stage of tie
Academy. looking as If they were sherilfs Off
GERS waiting to make an arrest. Upon inquiry
they always turn ont to be PATHS diamond
men. She has four OF them. Two are profess
sonal detectives employed 10y one of YOUR large
jewelers. TO look after matters of this kind and
two are watcamen from the Windsor hotel.
where Patti always lives when in New York
On the nights when the dtca is to sing these
men get from the great safe in the hotel the
satchel containing the Jewels and take it in a
carriage down to the Academy. They wait
around the door OF PATHS dressing-room until
the maid asks FOR the bag. when it is handed in
and moment after Patti comes out yrappedin
the long cloak which she wears until she makes
her entrance. The diamond men keep their
eyes upon her. When the cue is given, the
Cloak is thrown to the maid and on she goes
gltterng with gems. The four men and two
maids watch her through the act. The instant |
she is out Of sight OF the audience the cloak is !
again thrown over her and five minutes after |
oHc dleSsiUg-TOOn. the MYSTERIOUS |,
bag is handed out again and the four men de- |
part with it as silently as they came. Patti |
never wants to have anything more to DO with !
her valuable Jewels than that.
II remember that one Rainy night. owing to a
misunderstanding. the diamond men were not
on hand at the usual hour. and it was proposed
that one Of the regular Windsor hotel detec-
tives should carry the bag and ride in the car
ria@e with Patti. so that the precious affair need
never be out of her sight. She refused to listen
to the suggestion. For she said, If it was
known that was accustomed to carry nv dia-
monds in my carriage. VINO knows when /
might be attacked. or the carriage tipped over.
or the coachman's throat cut!' She always in
sists that she does not carry diamonds with her,
either In carriage. railways CT boats; that she
never has them in her rooms or trunks, and
never wears them except upon the stage. All |
the other stories about PATHS diamonds are
counterfeits and without my signature. And
by the way. don't forget to say. If you write /
ANYTHING about this, that the diamonds worn bv
the singers up at the other house are all paste"
So saving, Col. Mapeson laughed cheerfully,
and began work on his afternoon mail which |
consisted OF 426 applications for free tickets.