davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The morning call., 1890-12-25

more than 10000 persons employed there, in
this industry, and since the discovery of the
Cape mines hundreds of millions of francs
have been earned by them.
France has some clever Iapidaries, but
there has always been great difficulty in
creating works in Paris because the primary
material is wanting. The first attempt TO
establish diamond cutting here was made by
Cardinal Mazarin, after him by Colbert and
later on by Calonne, and all the govern
ments since have encouraged establish
ments of this kind. but there has always
been the same difficulty IS to material. Still
there are several diamond-cutting establish
ments now in Paris, not to mention some
established in the provinces.
Precious stones or gems are certain min
eral substances whose beauty or color,
transparency, brilliancy, hardness or dura-
bility makes them much sought after as
articles of luxury and adornment, and dia-
m0nds have greater value than any others.
Now, what is a diamond?
Why, only bit of pure crystalliZed car
bon, which differs from coal mainly by the
arrangement of its particles.
Amorphous diamonds-the term is given
to minerals whose crystallzation is confused,
and, in general, to all substances the shape
of which is hard to determine-are seldom
met with, unless it be n variety OF Brazilian
pebble called ''carbonado" or black da-
m0nd, and also a few stones to which the
The morning call., 1890-12-25

name of "boort" or "concretionne" has been
applied. These varieties possess the hard
ness of a diamond, and are used for drilling
rocks, polishing precious stones. etc.
Apart from these exceptions. the diamond
is always found crystallized, and it is owing
to the fact of its crystals being very distinct.
with sides and edges well preserved and per-
hitting of its crystalline forms being dis
tinguished, that it maintains its great dlra-
bility.
This durability or hardness is the common
characteristic of all precious stones. but the
diamond is the hardest of all gems.
After it the hardest Is the ruby, then
comes the sapphire and Eastern emerald,
which, however. are only varieties of cOrun-
dun. This hardness of the diamond would
render it very valuable for industrial works
were it less rare, and were it not for its high
price. Their hardness varies within certain
limits.
All lapidaries know that Brazilian dia-
monds are harder than those from the Cape
of Good Hope, and they will also tell you
that these latter stones have their differences
of hardness.
Generally speaking, it may be said that
briliancy and the most beautiful reflections
correspond to similar amount of hardness,
for undoubtedly diamond of the finest
water is also the hardest kind. A diamond
is brittle, that is to say, it can be crushed,
and this is the great inconvenience in con-
nection with its employment in rock-driiling
Density is way of testing the identity of
diamond. When cut it is often COMPOUNDED
with the white topaz OF Brazil, with the
white sapphire, and especially with the
Zircon, but IS these stones weigh heavier
than does the diamond, this feature serves
to discover the difference.
That, however, is not the way skilled lapi-
dares tell diamonds, for even in the dark
they can distinguish one from another stone.
They have only to rub the two crystals one
The morning call., 1890-12-25

broidered with gold; costly fabrics of every
description, the characteristic japanese style
Of Ornamentation and decnration-the flying
dragons, fans, butterhies-all go to make up
picture which, to thoroughly realize, must
be seen. the finished workm anShip of the
japanese is exquisite; every occas sion of a
festal nature is illustrated to its fullest ex-
tent At wedding the butterfly is sup
posed to represent eonjugal felicity. and
hence the presence of children dressed as
butterflies, fitting from one person to an
other during the festivities. Among the
higher classes of society the marriage of a
couple is a very exclusive affair, to which,
during the ceremony. none but blood rela-
tions are admitted The only dowry which
bride takes to her husband is her rousseau,
which is always on verv extensive scale.
All that the husband asks is that his wife
shall be amable and good housewife. AT
the age of 10 years the betrothed maiden
becomes a wife and the man a husband at
the age OF 90 On the morning of the we'd
ding day the bridal trousseau is taken to the
house of the bridegroom. together with any
furniture she may possess. The household
is decked with flowers and covered with
offerings. AT the fete, the wedding COM
pany appear, splendid in their variegated
costumes he bride, dressed in spotless
white, appears between two friends, fol-
lowed by a procession of relatives. From
another direction a similar procession ap-
pears escorting the groom. Close by stands
an elegantly laequered table, upon which are
a dwarf cedar, figures of the japanese
Adam and Eve and the mystic turtle and
The morning call., 1890-12-25

against the other close to the ear, and the
strident noise which the diamond produces
permits of its being easily recognized.
A diamond enjoys the property of emit
ting light in darkness for certain time-in
other words it Is phosl horescent, and it has
optical properties on which relies the theory
Of good cutting. When luminous ray
strikes diaphanous or transparent body,
this ray, passing through the body, is turned
aside from its course and becomes broken,
or IN other words, is refracted and forms a
certain angle with is first direction, which
varies according to the nature of the body.
Ii the indication of the refraction of cryS-
tai, or any other transparent body, Is known,
1t is easy to calculate the direction or course
the luminous ray will follow which strikes
it at fixed angle. Now the art of the
lapidary consists in giving a stone all the
brilliancy and dazzle of which 1t is suscepti-
BILE, that is to say, he must cut it in such
way that it will retain within itself the
greatest amount OF light possible. 1t is by
carefully combining the direction of the
facets that he manages to imprison In the
crystal the luminous rays that have pene-
trated it before rejecting them outside, and
this phenomenon Is designated under the
name of total reflection.
The angle Of total reflection for crystal
IS less great according as its index OF refrac-
ton is the more considerable. A diamond
being the most refracting of all substances,
1t Will not be difficult to understand that the
lapidary can arrange his facets in such fash
ion as to cause them to undergo this total re-
Election a considerable number of times.
Hence the surprising brilliancy of cut dia-
mouds, and the diamond that is well cut is
illumined with the most beautiful, the most
lively colors.
The operation of cutting diamonds COM
prises three phases-splitting. shaping and
polishing. All crystals possess the property
Of easily cracking in certain directions. In
the diamond there are three principal and
very distinct directions, without counting
several secondary ones, and cleavers or
splitterss call these the threads Of the
stone.
A good workman always knows where to
find a thread. aud this is the way he proceeds:
The diamond to be cleaved is fixed In con-
veniens position at the end OF short stick
by means Of cement; then to another baton,
and. by the same process. is fastened sharp
diamond. Taking In his right hand the baton
bearing the sharp point, and in his left the
The morning call., 1890-12-25

The brillianey of diamond is so charac-
teristic that German mineralogists have
termed it "adamantine brillianey." Usually
they are colorless, as we'll rs transparent
and vitreous, but it occasionally occurs that
they have blue. green, yellow, pink or
dark tint, and there are some which are CON-
pletely black. Moreover, they are often rem
dered less valuable by reason of dark or
red points and spots and irregular crystallza-
tions.
Green diamonds present this peculiar
feature that they become brown when SUBJ
mtted to a strong calcination. Cape dia-
monds generally have yell0wish tint, and
this, to certain extent, dimiDishes their
value. Efforts have been made to take
away this celebration, but thus far unsuc-
cessfully, though way has been found out
of masking the regretable tint by basing it
on the theory of Complementary colors.
Daylight which appears to be white, is re-
ally composed of several rays Of divers col
0rs, and among these there are three called
primitive. They are red, blue and yellow,
and cannot be compounded. Hence white
light Is only composed of the three colors
just mentioned. Now. Cape diamonds, be-
ing yellow, 1t is only necessary to cover their
surface with a transparent violet col or,
which. combining with the yellow of the
crystal, gives white light, and this artiice
has sometimes been used by rascally dealers
to get rid of goods Of little value and at very
high prices.
Inc diamond cannot De attacked Dy any
chemical substance whatever, but it is COM
bustible, as it is almost pure carbon.
This fact has induced many persons to
try and crystalline carbon so as to obtain
precious gem out of it, and they have partly
succeeded; but while these artificial dia-
moDds possess briliancy aud transparency
worthy OF comparison with those of the real
thing-they are microscopic, very small and
always colored. Perhaps they would re-
semble real diamonds more could they be
made larger and quite colorless As now
manufactured they are not of the slightest
The morning call., 1890-12-25
ONE GIRLS LUXURY.
Her Beautiful Rooms and How They Ar
Furnished and Arranged.

Her Beautiful Rooms and How They Are
Furnished and Arranged.
An American Princess whose father is
cotton king. has just completed in the pa
ternal mansion the furnishings of her pri-
vate apartments. They are four in number,
and could Ninon de PEnclos or even the
late Mime. de Pompadour be shown through,
certain 1T is these ancient devotees OF the
toilet would lose their heads and stand en-
barrassed before the glOrics Of Miss Par
venues boudoir.
Even in their loftiest dreams those luxury
loving ladies never conceived the minute
details of elegance surrounding this daugh-
ter Of millionaire. From the silver
wreathed Psyche mirror that swings to
reflect her fulLlength loneliness, 10 the
repcusse spirit lamp burning to warm her
lotions, mademoiselle is encompassed by a
suGDtuousness unknown to queens.
The scheme of color decorating the suite
warns from white to blush pink in the
bath, and in toilet and reception rooms
melts into rosy lilac. Her bedchamber
sons snow maiden, so fine in its immaculate
purity. Mural decorations are in white and
silver. On the wide silver frieze dogw0od
blossoms bloom, while by wonderful bit of
fresco painting the ceiling seems envelOped
In cloudy, drifting fog
Here and there the soft mist curis about
vaguely outlined figures, with sharp rift
in the center from which hangs IA crystal
chandelier blown TO resemble bouquet OF
lilies. All of the white-enameled furniture
is finished in silver, and from the carved
bed depend draperies of heavy silk brocaded
in silver feur de lis. The spotess fleece of
Iceland sheep provides fluffy carpet for
the hard. whitewood floor. and gancing
over the many tall screens. low rocking
chairs, long divans, and even rare bias re-
liefs on the walls. one is impressed with the
dazzling whiteness of every part.
Gorgeous as the bathroom proves, with
its pink marbles and roseats hangings, it is
In her boudolr that this young moneyed
woman has evidently found her most SYM
pathetic surroundings. The apartment IL
study In that rare shade Of rosy lilac which,
when found. beauties all womankind.
1t Is called the wis.eria-room, from the
wealth of pale purple flowers decorating the
walls and woven into curtains and through
the mesh Of the thick carpet. Here all the
woodwork is of black mahogany, uphol-
stored 10 warm heliolrope silk, with many
bronze ornaments. valuable etchings and
clirrors in carved frames.-N. Y. Sun.
The morning call., 1890-12-25

CHESTERFIELD ON WIT,
A Definition of This Subtle Quality O
ha

A Definition of This Subtle Quality of
the Mind.
OF wit Chesterfield gives one of the finest
definitions ever penned in letter to his god
son. IF God gives you w.t. he writes in
this charming letter, (which am not sure
that wish you. unless He gives you at the
same time at least an equal portion of judg-
your sword, in the scabbard, and do not
brandish it to the terror of the whole COM
paDy. If you have real wit it Will flow
spontaneously, and you need not aim at it.
wit Is so shining Equality that everybody
admires 1t, most people aim at it, all people
Tear It and few love 1t unless in themselves.
"a man must have good share Of wit
himself to endure great share of it in an
other. When wit exerts itself in satire it is
most malignant distemper; wit, it is trne,
may be shown in satire, but satire does not
constitute wit, as most fools imagine it does.
A man Of real wit will find thousand bet
ter occasions of showing It, Abstain, there
fore, most carefully from satire. The more
wit you have, the more good nature and po-
likeness you must show 10 induce people to
pardon your superiority, for thai is no easy
matter. Equally happy is the philoso-
piers description Of sic ne scay quoy." 1T
is most iEestimable quality" he says, land
adorns every other. 1t is, in my opinion, a
compound Of all the agreeable qualities
OF body and mind, in which no one Of them
predominates In such manner as to give
exclusion to any other. 1t is not mere wit,
mere beauty, mere learning, nor indeed mere
any one thing that produces it, though they
all contribute something toward it. 1t is
owing to this je ne scay quoy that one takes
liking to some one particular person at
first rather than to another. One feels ones
self prepossessed in favor OF that person
with out being enough acquainted with him
to judge of his intrinsic merit or talents. and
one feels ones self inclined to suppose him
to have good sense, good nature and good
humor 1t is, in Short an extract OF all the
graces." From "a Philosopher in the Pun
pie" by G. Burnett Smith, in November
Lippincott's.
The morning call., 1890-12-25

coupe " or double tailie." which also has
low /; the ''non-recoupe," or 4" simple taille."
which presents only thirteen facets above
and nine below. This form is used for cut
ting diamonds of small size that are to be
set around other stones OF larger dimen-
sions. or for modest parures. The "pier-
res-epaiSSeS," or brilliants - one side
of which is polished, the other be-
ing cut in the shape of prism; 1.-THE dem-
brilliant" fiat beneath and having table"
or crown" above, really "recoupe" split
in two equal parts; the pierre portrait"
or brilliant formed of two parallel faces
joined by thin crown which is faeeted and
lie 'briolette." This diamond, which was
formerly shaped only in India, has neither
top nor bottom, but has the shape of small
pear covered with acets all over its surface.
The ''br oettes" of India are pierced by a
very small hole, but Amsterdam la diaries
never pierce them. The "pendeloque'' has
the form Of half pear, with liable" and
"culasse," and is covered with facets ON
the latter side.
The rose" is fiat in its lower part. it has
"a facets on the remainder of its contour,
and the joint Of its pyramidal dome is
formed by the meeting of six of these tri-
angular faces. Six more triangles. applied
base to base to the others, have their apex
on the contour of the under table," and the
six spaces left by them are each cut into
two facets, The rose proper or rose of
Holland has only "a facets; the rose half
Holland" has IS instead of "a; the rose of
Brabant" has only u. and the rose of Ant
werp" has but facets.
The morning call., 1890-12-25

of mine pits and galleries, the splitting Of
Goals and stones, the repairing and dressing
mill stones, porcelain cylinders, ETC.; tbs
saving and piercing of marble, porphyry.
granite, porcelain, glass, and whols lot OF
other substances, and for steel engraving.
There are very few large diamonds in the
world, not 20 of eminence, and certainly not
200 of any note. The Braganza of Brazil
weighs as nearly as may be II ounces, but
experts pronounce it to be not diamond at
all, simply white topaz of more than usual
size and brittany.
The largest diamond in the world, as to
the genuneness of which there is no shadow
of doubt, is that of the Rajah of MattaD,
which is about third larger than the
Kohinoor, and for which many years ago
the Rajah was offered couple of war briggs
fully equipped and 100000. The tempting
bid was refused on the ground that the
stone was lucky, and bound up with the
fortunes of the Rajah's dynasty.
The Kohinoor has less fortunate reputa-
ton. Ii was first discovered in the seven
teenth century by peasant near Goiconda,
and was taken from him by a Rajah, from
whom it was again extorted by Aurunszebe.
Nadir Shah, who took it away from Delhi
with other loot amounting in all to some
thing like $500 600, 900, was soon after assas-
siDated, and Shahro0kh Mirzs, its next
owner. resigned it under anything but gen.
tie compulsion to Shah Dourani. The founder
of the Afghan dynasty. Dourani and after
safely. But Zuman, TO whom it came by
succession, was tortured by his brother.
Dost Mah0med, who knew Zuman had
hidden the gem somewhere, and wanted
it for himself. Zuman stood the tor
ture, and confided the secre, of the
stones hiding place TO his brother, Shoe
jah. ShoOjah, escaping with it, fell into
the hands Of Runjeet, who. by the psrsua-
slve powers OF slow starvation, prevailed ON
the uniucky young prince to give up the
precious gem. From RuDjeet Singls sue
cessor the English took it in 1919, together
with other jewels that did not belong to
them. The Hindoos firmly believe the Ko-
hinoor to be most unlucky, and that it will
bring certain ruin upon those into whose
hands it comes. The Mogul dynasty, they
remind us, degenerated from the day it
passed into the possession Of Aurungzcoc.
The diamond brought with it the same i'll
fate to the race OF Runjeet Singh. The willy
old Punjabee, thinking TO avert the evil spell
from his house. bequeathed the "mountain
of light to the temple Of juggernath, but
his successors refused to surrender il. With
i'll few years after it came into the pos
session of her Majesty the Sepoy revolt
broke out, and more evils connected with it
are said by the natives of India TO be still in
store for the English.
All diamonds seem to carry misfortune.
The Sancy has had checkered history, and
at least two of its posssssors notably
Charles the Rash of Burgundy, from whose
corpse it was taken by soidier at Nancy
have met violent death while it was actu-
ally about them, While the Pitt diamond
(the RegenU cost the house of Orleans its
throne, and the first Napoleon the battle OF
Wateron
The morning call., 1890-12-25

hand. and if he is skillful in his business he
is never out by so much as one-sixty-fourth
part of a carat. But the carat has not the
same value in all countries; its value in
France, in milligrammes, is 205, 500; in
Brazil. 205, $50; in England. 2D5, 400; in H0l-
land. 205, GA, and in Spain, goa. 1913.
Uncut diamonds are sold in "lots" or
parties" according to commercial express
sion; they are classed according to size. and
bring from SIS to $40 per carat. They lose
about half their weight by being cut, and
the value of an uncut stone is calculated by
the probable waste in cutting, taking care
to consider possible defects of all kinds.
Cut diamonds are also sold by weight in
carats, and In parties, and are classed ac-
cording to sizes. Small diamonds weighing
hall carat at most are worth each about
$50 the carat. A brilliant of one carat is
worth from 500 to 500; brilliant of TX
carats is worth from S16o to $3.50; one of 3
earats from $500 to $40; one Of 21a carats
from $3.50 to $500. and finally brilliant of
3 carats from $40 to $500. Nothing precise
can be said as to the value of q diamond,
especially when it attains weight outside
ordinary limits; however, the following rule
has been adopted as basis: The value of
two diamonds of the same water are between
themselves as is the squares OF their weight.
which is to say, that a diamond the weight
of which is double that of another is not
worth twice but quite four times as much;
but this is only when all things are equal,
for Immediately diamond is tinted its value
becomes greatly lessened.
Ii we estimate the value of cut stone OF
fine water and without defect at $50 the
carat, its value would be obtained by multi
plying the square of the weight by 60 For
instance. diamond of 10 carats is worth
10-l-1O--90-S9O0, while diamond weigh
ing 100 carats will bring 100--100-I-9 0=S900,-
600. However, this rule is "a law only for
The morning call., 1890-12-25
THE ROMAN MARRIAGE.

price paid for them was laid down in the
shape of costly jewels, it was necessary that
three persons should take part in the sale.
First was the auctioneer, who, 1t Is to be
presumed, was very much like the auction
eers of the present day, setting forth all of
their virtues while hiding their defects.
Next in importance was slave woman,
whose duty it was to set off their charms to
the greatest advantage, and this they did
with truly artistic talent in rich habits OF
brown, green cream-color and gold shades
of soft, clinging material hung to their per-
sons in loose folds. The third person in the
was to examine and fix the value of each
casket of Jewels offered. The price thus
paid for the handsome girls was turned into
the public Golfer to make dOwries for those
who were not gifted by nature with beauty.
BY this means all marrageble girls were
disposed Of and in Babylonish society there
was no such thing known as an old maid.
The Roman marriage was an advance in
the domestic relation and the ceremony was
quite elaborate. Those persons who were
bid to the wedding presented themselves in
Che siMple white costume of the Romans.
The ceremony itself was rather compli-
Gated affair. First the bride and groom
went through the ceremony of touching ire
and water. This was emblamatic of purity
and fidelity, and was accompanied by the
music of the either and other stringed ill.,
struments. Then the couple ate together of
a cake composed of farina, salt and water,
the three together combined so as to be in
separable, being intended to symbolic the
indissOlubility OF the marriage relation.
After this the bride was conducted to the
home of her future lord and master. veil
over her face and distaff in her hand. As
The morning call., 1890-12-25
UP BY THE HEELS.
Singular Notion in Relation to PERSON.
Token From the Water.

A Singular Notion in Relation to Persons
Taken From the Water.
Reason and experience are agreed, be-
lieve, as to the senselessness and mischiev-
BUSINESS of this supposed remedy. But
superstitions die hard. Not many weeks
ago. in the course Of walk, fell in with
fish-hawker and walked most of the way
home with bim-an old soldier who had been
in India, and an intelligent fellow In his
way. He told ME that, not two hours be-
fore, he had drawn a little boy out Of q
milldam, not in time TO save his life, for the
poor child had expired In his arms. He did
not tell me. what learned from the report
Of the inquest, that he had held the child up
by the heels, ITO let the water run out.
thus destroying the last chance OF life. Ono
would have thought that such man might
have learned from others, or have judged
for himself. what mischievous thing he
was enacting
One beautiful morning last year was on
q steamer passing from Salonica to Mount
Athos, when the cry was heard. MAN over
board! The ship was stopped and sou5a-
what clumsily put about 1t seemed TO me