The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1884-03-01


. ty. In the vaults of Patcher Douglas
the records can be seen of mining as
early as 1900"
AMBER IN THIS COUNTRY.
sis amber found in this countryP'
asked the reporter.
"Yes, it occurs at Gay Head, Mar
tha's Vineyard and Camden, N. j. In
the latter place, some years ago, several
barrels were taken from the green sand
but burned by mistake, or ra,he
through the ignorance of the finders,
At the present day it finds its greatest
value as an adjunct 10 the smokers out.
fit, but in olden times it was considered a
jewel and worn as such. In an Irish
tumulus cup of amber has been found
that would hold halt pint. The Car
of Russia possesses a tea set cut from
amber blocks that are probably worth
much more than treble their weight in
gold.
"For commercial purposes the raw
material is separated into different
classes. The finest generally goes to
Constantinople, there being made into
mouthpieces. The next class, COM
posed of smaller pieces, is made into
beads. They find lively sale abroad,
but go off rather slow here. A set of
amber jewelry-pin, earrings be
bought very reasonable here, but at
present there is no call for it. The low
price is on account of there being no
duty on it; curiously enough, it comes
under the head of gum and is admitted
free. For the last year nearly $50, 900
worth of it was imported, showing that
there is some demand for it; but, as |
have said. it comes from smokers. The
dealers here buy il by the weight;
where about two hundred and fifty
pieces make pound it is $3.50, but
where four pieces go to the pound it
runs upto fifty dollars or hundred dol
lars, as the case may be. 1t has many
colors. Green is most valued, though
others prefer black, that matches well
with colored meerschaum. The real
amber yellow, however, brings the best
price; the cloudy is pretty, but not so
valuable.
IMITATION AMBER.
Cautiously enough" continued the
speaker, there is more money in the
Imitation of amber than there is in the
real article. Various compounds are
used glass paste being the principal.
Another mixture is of turpentine and
caoutchoue, while linseed oil, gum
mastc and litharge is also used To
the latter powdered copal is added,
which gives the appearance of veins.
Ii you add to this precious compound
ants OF decalcomanla you will have the
material out of which about all the cheap
amber goods are made. The same thing
was on exhibition at the Centennial and
many were deceived by the excellence
of the work. However, there is a very
simple method of determining the good
from the bad, which is to burn a piece.
Ii it burns with some noise and does not
drop or run, it Is all right; but if it
melts away and drops, you may be sure
1t IS some of the connections mentioned
Celluloid also makes u good imitation
OF the real thing. Speaking of frauds
reminds me of curious one that seems
to be regular business. | happened
to be up TO it, however, and was not
caught stopped at railroad station
some time ago, when young English
man OF a pronounced type stepped up
and told me long and affecting yarn
about having job offered him in Balti-
more, ending up by asking me for the
loan OF $l,50, Offering as security a
handsomely colored meerschaum pipe.
with fine amber mouthplece. He said
could see it was worth thirty dollars,
but l saw the amber was bogus at a
glance. However, taking the pipe, l
said; All right; I'll try it. He raised
all sorts of objections, but walked into
the bar, filled up the pipe and when
turned about he was gone. The first
of heat turned it as white as
paper, and the coloring was some kind
of oil. 1 gave the pipe to the bar-keeper
as keepsake. Probably some one
buys such a one every day in the year.
Eyes, real amber ranges from black
to white. In Constantinople pipe
stem of real milk-white is valued at fifty
dollars or more. An equally valued red
hue is produced by treating the yellow
kind to the action of sui phuric acid.
Green amber comes principally from
America, but>the black variety is a kind
OF a puzzle and, chemically, entirely
different from the others; in fact, it is
not true amber in the strict sense of the
word, but variety of jet or highly oxy-
died bitumen, and, chemically, It lies
between camel coal and torbanite.
Amber is worked in this country and in
certain temperatures is flexible. Work
men now hold it over lamps and actu-
ally draw it out by hand into required
lengths and shapes, and in this way a
pipe-stem nearly two feet in length has
been drawn from piece of amber 6x4
inches in size. In working it for lew
elry it is first cut into the general share
required with knives and is then turned
with lathe and polished by various
Amber dust is used as
Varnish, and vast quantities are sent to
ghina, where to burn it is considered
5he highest mark of respect that can be
paid a distinguished guest. ~ hitadel-
DhtG Times.
DR.. Mutchmore, editor of the Pres
'yteriGn, tells of a good colored man
who was engaged in blasting a rock
hat obstructed the progress of some
very near his residence in
Kentucky. After a fierce explosion that
shook the house the Doctor went out to
'emonstrate against such earth-shaking
charges, and said to the colored man: