The morning call., 1890-12-07
ARTIFICIAL GEMS
in PARIS.
Emile lola Tells of an Aged Sci.
enlist Who Has Made Them.
A Howell Filled With Millions Of Sparkling
Gsms-Unabls TO Produce White Dia-
monds Fearing Death.
Written for THE SUNDAY CALL.

| iF41, YOUNG student of chemistry, one
! ISAk of NV friends, said to me q few
ASA mornings ago:
81 know an old scientist who has with
drawn to small house on the Boulevard
| d'Enfer that he may study there without in
| terruption the disqualification OF diamonds.
| Already he has obtained dazzling results.
| Would you like me to take you TO see him ?"
replied af1irmatiyely, though not with
| out secret terror. l should have been
| frightened less by magician, and only
| slightly dread the evil one, but / fear
wealth, and I am free to say that the man
who shall some fine day discover the phil
osopher's stone will inspire me with re-
| spectful dread.
On the way my friend gave me some in
| formation concerning the manufacture of
| artificial precious stones. For long while
| our chemists had been giving it their atten-
| ton, but the crystals formed were so
| diminutive, while the cost of producing
them was so great, that the experiments
| were regarded simply as revelations of the
| curi0sities of science. But it was merely a
4 question Of finding more powerful agents
and more economical methods in order to
produce the gems at smaller cost.
When we had arrived at the house. my
| friend, before ringing the bell. warned me
| that the veteran scientist, who did not like
| curious intruders. would. without doubt,
1 receive me most ungraeiously. l was the
! first outsider who had endeavored to pene-
| trate into his sanctum sanctorum.
| The scientist himself answered the bell
and opened the door. l must confess that
\ at the first glance L thought him stupid,
| He greeted my friend politely, utterng a
| low growl when | was presented, as II |
| had been dog belonging to his youthful
| disciple. We walked across neglected
| garden, at the back of which was the house,
| tumble-down howell. The scientist had
removed all the partitions that he might
have one vast and lofty apartment in which
| he had established a complete laboratory,
! full of extraordinary apparatus. the use OF
| which did not even strive to comprehend
| The sole articles OF luxury. the only pieces
| of furniture, were blackNood bench and
| table.
MOST DAZZLING SIGHT.
| In this bovel the most dazzling the most
| binding sight had ever seen in my entire
| life burst upon me. Numbers of dilapi-
| upon the floor, their willow twigs ready to
| burst from OVERLOOKING loads of precious
| stones. But one species of gem was in each
| basket; rubieS, amethysts, emeralds. sap
| phires, opals and turQuoises, thrown into
| corners like stone heaps along Highway,
glittering with living light, Illuminating the
! den with the sparkle of their flames. They
| were furnaces, glowing Goals, red, violet,
| green, blue and pink. They looked like
millions of elm eyes laughing on the floor
| amid the gloom. No tale in the Arabian
| Nights had ever revealed sach treasures.
| 10 woman had ever dreamed Of such para
! disc.
| involuntarily uttered cry of admira-
ton.
"Why this is the wealth of the Indies!" L
exclaimed. These gems have an incalul-
| able value"
| Struggling his shoulders, the aged scien-
list gazed at me with profound pity.
| The heaps are worth but few francs
EACH" said he in hollow voice, drawing
out his words. ''They bore me and to-mor-
row l will use them for gravel in my garden
paths"
Gathering up handfuls of the gems, he
| continued. turning toward my friend:
| "Gance at these rubies. l have as yet
| obtained none more beautiful. These emer-
aids don't satisfy me-they are too pure.
| Natures emeraldS always have some flaw
| and 1 don't want to suIpass nature. The
white diamond is still beyond me; | am un-
! able to produce it, and that's what discour-
ages me. Tomorrow, however, | shall re-
| sumo my experiments. When | have sue
ceeded nay life's browning work will have
| been attained. and / shall die happy"
The scientist drew himself up to his full
height; the air of stupidity had vanished
from him. | trembled in the presence Of
that wan old man who could shower down
| on Paris such a miraculous rain.
THE SCIENTISTS TERRoRs.
"Don't you fear robbers?" 1 asked. ST
| see You have put solid iron bars across your
doors and windows. Such precautions are
advisable"
"Yes. l am sometimes afraid" he nut
tered, "afraid lest idiots may assassinate
me before l have succeeded in produc-
ing the white diamond. These stones,
though they have comparatively little
value. might tempt my heirs; my heirs
! frighten me; they are well aware that by
causing my disappearance they would bury
| with me the secrets of my discoveries, and
| thus give these artificial gems you see about
! you the full value the world puts on genu-
| inc precious stones"
! He grew thoughtful and sad We were
| sitting on piles OF diamonds and was star
| lug at him, my left hand plunged into a
basket Of rubies, my right hand mechani-
| caily sitting emeralds like sand through my
| fingers.
| At length ! broke tine silence, exclaiming:
You must lead wretched life, despising
men as you do! Are you totally without
| pleasuIe?"
He looked at me in amazement
| 81 work. he answered, land am never
weary. When l feel unusually gay l put
some of these stones in my pocket and stand
| at the further end of my garden. behind a
| loophole which opens upon the boulevard.
| Then from time to time hurl O diamond
| into the middle of the street"
| He laughed as he recalled this mastery
practical joke.
THE PEOPLE WHO FIND THE STONES.
You cannot imagine the behavior of the
| people who find the stones. They tremble
| and glance behind them; then they hasten
| away, as pale as death. How much amuse-
| ment the poor fools have afforded me |
What delightful hours have spent at that
| loOphole!
His peculiar tone filled me with unutter-
able uneasiness. Was the aged philosopher
| quietly making game of me?
Young man., resumed he. in dry
voice" II could set all the women in the
world crazy with what have in this den.
/ but am an old devil and hide the gems
} from them. Had l been in the least ambi-
thus, / could have been king somewhere
long ago. Bah! | wouldn't hurt fly.
, am kind hearted, and that's why let men
liyel"
His manner of speaking made me suspect
his sanity
Bewildering thoughts coursed through my
brain, peallng in my ears all the bells Of
| madness. The elm eyes of the multitudes
of glowing gems stared at me with their
penetrating chances, red, violet, green, blue
and pink. l had closed my hands without
| noticing it. l held rubies in my left and
! emeralds in my right. l felt an almost IT.
reSistibe desire to slip them into my pock-
cts. But dropped the accursed stones and
, quilted the aged scientists howell, seeming to
hear the gallop of gendarmes al. the way
nome. EMILE lola.