The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-04-06
CHICKENS AND DIAMONDS.

Shane, who resides on the Divide.
near Hickory street. received lette 7
and q newspaper from her husband.
who is in the diamonds field of South
Africa. When nearing home Mrs.
McShane-who is not able to read
writing-coDcluded to go on to the
residence OF a friend who generally
reads for her the letters that come
from her husband. While standing
and debatieg in her mind the cues
ton OF going on at once to have her
friend read the letter Mrs. McShane
almost mechanically opened the
newspaper to have glance at it. she
being able to spell ont print. As she
opened the paper she thought she OBJ.
served. as she says. ';some bits o.
dthirt or grsvels" fall out of it, though
she paid but little attention, thinking
at the time it was some "schtuff that
had worked into the paper on the
road" When her friend read the
letter it was found that her husband
Trusting to LUCK" as be said-had
sent IN the newspapers as specimens
no less than fifteen diamonds in the
rough. ranging in value from 800 to
$120 each.
Here was 60, as not a stone re-
manned in the paper. However, che
remembered that when she opened
the paper she was in walk--where
the snow was of the ground-just
opposite the residence of Q neighbor,
and accompanied by her friend she
returned to the place. Not dia-
mond Was to be found. but Mrs. Nc
Shane's friend had observed a lot of
chickens about the spot and was con.
fident that they found and sws lowed
the glittering little stones. In a short
time quite crowd of men and wo-
men had collected about the spot
having been told about the loss
and. as the place was q regular cruis-
ing ground for the chickens in search
of gravel while the ground was COW
cred with snow in most places, it was
the general opinion that the fowls
had swallowed the gems. The chick =
ems belonged to neighbor in f ont of
whose place the newspaper bad been
opened, and this neighbor could not
be expected to sacrifice his whole
fock-numbering thirty iowls-for
nothing. As no one could tell which
particular chicken might have dia-
mond in its crop. and which not, it
would be necessary to sacrifice the
whole lot. The owner disIiked to
loose his chickens, but finally said
he would let them go, under the cir
cumstances, at rs cents each, cash
down. Mrs, McSnane had no money
and knew not what to do. However,
there was no time to loose, and
miner OF sporting" turn, who hap
pened to be present, agreed to pay
for all the chickens, provided Mrs.
MuShane would give him any stone
he might pick out from among those
recovered. Mrs McShane accepted
the offsr, with the proviso that she
was to have all the chickens that were
killed.
The fowls were enticed into their
house and the heads cut of the whole
lot. The contents of their crops be-
ing carefully washed and examined
twelve OF the gems were found.
Generally they were worths from $50
to $50, bat there were three worth
500 and over. One of,these a stone
worth $120, fell to the share of the
speculative miner. Mrs. McShane
was helped out on her side by Dress
ing and selling the chickens at from
rs cents to 81 each. A curious part
of the story remains to be told, how.
ever. Besides the uncut diamonds
found in the craws of the fowls. there
was taken from one q handsome
emerald that wss.perfectly cut. Mrs.
MeShane, OF course. thought this
stone had also been sent by her hus-
band, though it was not mentioned
in his letter. While this matter was
being discussed a lady living in the
vicinity came up and at once claimed
the emerald. She said she lost i! out
of her ring the day before. No one
knew what to say to this, as those
present did not wish to dispute the
point. Seeing how matters stood the
lady ran of home. and presently re-
turned with her ring, into the setting
OF which the emerald fitted perfectly.
On seeing this all agreed that the
stone was the property of the lady,
From the Virginia New Enterprise.