Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-11-02
UNCLE SANS JEWELS.
Millions in Gold and Gems Packed in
the National Museum.
RARE STONES FOUND In AMERICA
Relics of Grant and Washington Over
Which Guards Preside.
A FEATHER CLOAK OF GREAT VALUE

WASHINGTON, November 1.-Uncle
Sam has some of the finest jewels in the
United States. Stored away IN his National
Museum at Washington are bushels OF gold,
quarts of precious stones, dozens of beautiful
pearls and china and cut glass which are
worth their weight in gold. 1t takes four
large cases to contain the uncut gems belong
ing to our Governmental uncle and the
largest parlot in the United States would be
crowded with the cases which contain his
articles of carved gold.
The gems are kept in three plate glass
cases laid on blue velvet pads, andit dazzles
ones eyes to look at them. Many of them
come from America, some are from India
and some have strange histories connected
with them. The jewels which lay so long in
the Treasury Department at Washington
are among them. Prof. Clarke had these
removed to the Museum not long ago.
Among them are the Jewels which the Sui
tan of Muscat in Arabia gave to President
Van Buran, but which according to the
rules of our Government he was not able to
keep and had to hand over to the Treasury
Department.
SOME DAZZLING BEAUTIES.
There was no provision as to what should
be done with them, and they lay unseen in
the vaults for years. Among them are
two large pearls as big as pigeons eggs.
These are unset and are as pretty as when
they came from the head of an oyster many
generations ago. Besides them are $50
small pearls. each as big around as a mar
rowfat pea and each having a hole pierced
through it. Thev were evidently intended
fo,-o n
130 diamonds received at the same time
These arenot large, but they are very pure
and white, and they look like big dewdrops
as they shine out upon the blue velvet.
Near by is a wonderful cats eve ring
which weighs. should judge, at least two
ounces. This came from Siam, and it is set
in the purest gold OF exquisite workman
manship. Amongthe other cats eyes shown
is a yellow cats eye from Ceylon and a val
liable green cats eye from Bavaria, and a
native Indian necklace made of cats eve
beads. There are all sorts of cats eyes
from all parts Of the world. and one OF the
most beautiful comes from Rhode Island.
RARE AMERICAN STONES.
The United Statee is fast becoming land
of precious stones. Diamonds have been
found in Georgia Pearls aie now being
picked up in Wisconsin, and Uncle Sam is
making arrangements for an invoice of some
of them for his collection. There are some
beautiful turquoises in the cases which were
brought by Major Powell from New Mexico,
and these are quite as fine as the blue tur-
quoises which the Government has from
Persia. OF less expensive stones the beryls
are very beautiful and there is a piece of
aqua marine from Portland, Me-, which is
as big as your fist and which shines like a
diamond.
There is an amethyst which is wonder
fully beautiful. 1t was found in North
Carolina and is'supposed to have been used
by the men of prehistoric times. 1t was
originally in the shape of a turtle. but Prof.
Clarke tells me that it was spoiled in the
cutting There are also oriental amethysts
and the amethysts from Brazil show all the
changes of that stone from light pink to a
dark purple.
MODELS OF FAMOUS SPARKLERS.
The models of all the great diamonds of
the world are here, and there are emeralds
from New Mexico and from South America.
Four long bottle green Brazilian emeralds,
of two carats each are very fine, and another
which Prof. Dana bought in Peru is over an
inch long. New Mexico furnishes the finest
garnets in the world in point of color, and 1t
seems to be the precious stone region of the
United States.
A curious stone exhibit has just been re-
| ceived from Siberia. 1t is bowl of fruit
made of precious stones, carved out so nat
urally, that one would mistake them for the
| original. There are red raspberries and
| luscious black cherries, strawberries and
currants, resting on leaves Of green serpent
| inc which are more natural in their appear
ance than the famed COW of Sculpto Myron,
,-bS Sol, 10 hat -
| living calf. In another quarter of the
museum Uncle Sam keeps his gold in the
rough. Under glass cases there are great
Jumps of quartz with the gold shining out in
more or less delicate veins. The mines Of
| the far West are well illustrated, and in
some of the specimens
NUGGETS OF GOLD
are seen. In a great safe of steel, behind
| glass doors, there are dozens of little boxes
containing gold dust, and other boxes on
which there are nuggets of pure gold OF all
| sizes from the head of a pin to the size oi
your fist On shelf over all are two round
pieces of gold as thick as your wrist and
about two. inches long. They came from the
vaults of the Treasury, and no one knows
how they ever got there.
The most valuable of the jewels of Uncle
Sam, however, are those which are found in
the relics OF our great men near the entrance
to the Museum. These are worth tens Of
thousands of dollars in the intrinsic value
| of the gold and jewels of which they are
made up. to say nothing of their workman
ship. There are swords by the dozens SCI
with diamons. guns inlald with precious
stones, and canes which have heads of gold
in which are imbedGed jewels which woulC
shine at any White House reception. Thes,
Jewels are so valuable that guard is de
tailed to watch them night and day. Eacl
case has burglar alarm.