Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1888-03-09
IMITATION OPALS.
The Profitable Industry Carried on by n
\. Der of sharp MexicaDs.

Inc FrontsDie INDUSTRY Carried on by n
n. Der of sharp MexicaDs.
Among the little souvenirs which
visitors from abroad like to secure in
visit to Paso del Norte none are more
popular than opals. In the first place
the stone at its best is extremely hand
some. and in the second place, there is
no difficulty dropping a few of them in
ones vest pocket and smuggling them
across the frontier into the United
States. Thus the visitor has not only
the pleasure of securing a gem at a low
figure, but has also the gratifying con-
seriousness that he has done something
smart.
1t is said that this has been going on
for some time, and has melted num-
Der of sharp Mexicans to the manufac-
ture of imitation opals, which they
have sold in large quantities A rail
road man engaged on the Southern Pa
cific admitted to your correspondent
few days ago that he had been "taken
in by one of the willy vendors of glass
gems" His headquarters are at New
Orleans, and in the discharge of his
duties he makes frequent visits to FL
Paso. On one of these occasions he
was induced to purchase four of the So
called opals, for which he paid what
would have been about one-third of
their value had they been genuine. He
said:
81 took them down to New Orleans
a N a,.f-r nd tba
jcweler saw them he looked serious,
stuck magnifier in his eye and told
me the things were glass. They were
fine limitations and worth about 81. 25 a
gross. | want to meet the Mexican
that sold EN- to me just once before |
die"
1t is said that the trade in these bogus
stones in the little Mexican town has
been extensive, and the gentleman re-
ferred to states that many Americans
have been swindled. The scheme is
ingenious, for the purchaser, knowing
that he is breaking the law in snug
Cling them over, is sure to keep the
supposititious gems securely hidden
until he gets well away from Ell Paso
The usual mode of operation is as fol-
lows: A dilapidated Mexican APP
proaches the tourist and inquiries in
broken English whether he wants to
buy any opals, adding that he has some
he mined himself. A box of stones of
different sizes is produced, and the
prices asked are about third less than
those of the stores. The vender is
always ready to add a picturesque
effect to the swindle by narrating his
adventures in getting the stones and
the meeting generally terminates in
purchase. OF course all his wares are
counterfeit.
The opal is the aristocrat of gems,
and us far rs an expert is concerned it
is impossible to make an imitation that
will deceive. But most people are
familiar with the general appearance
only and that is pretty well simulated
by the Mexican makers.
The police have reason to believe
that the bogus opals are made ut Paso
del Norte, and are watching the estab-
lishment in which they suspect the
stones to be made 1t is scarcely
necessary to say that no established
business house has any connection with
the matter. The industry is purely
local one, for if it We're practiced where
smuggling did not exist, the purchaser
would find out at the first jewelry store
that he had been victimized. Houston
Cor. Jewelers' Weekly.