San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-11-08
DIAMOND DRUMMsRS.

Every Precaution Taken To Prevent
Thieves Stealing Valuable Gems.
"Do l carry any great sum of money in
diamonds with me on my trips through
the country? Do you call a hundred thou
sand dollars any great sum? Well, / have
frequently carried that amount inside nv
vest in loose diamonds" said a salesman
of one Of the largest wholesale diamond
houses in the country. Tell you how |
carry such valuable stones? Well, | don't
know as it makes any particular difference,
although it is a subject about which few
diamond men like to talk.
~ have been in the business now over
fifteen years, continued the salesman, set
ting himself comfortably in a big arm
chair, lighting a cigar and sending grace
full clouds of smoke curling toward the
ceiling. II don't think it's a very hard
life, as living goes, though somewhat of a
dangerous one, as you are known to many
crooks and frequently run the risk of a
desperate attack through the mistaken
notion that you go about the city at night
with diamonds on your person. Ihave had
several little scrimmages, but have always
managed to save my diamonds.
"Now, in telling you how l carry loose
diamonds | am speaking only of unset
stones. Men who have set stones have
trunks and boxes made especially for that
purpose and are tolerably safe, except intho-
tells where sneak thieves can get in or crooks
follow you, taking the adjoining room
and coming into your bedroom while you
are asleep. You wake to find a revolver
against your head Il a gloved hand over
your mouth. A confederate goes through
the trunks, as such thieves nearly ALWAYS
work in pairs, and before you can extricate
yourself from the well tied cords and gag
after the thieves have gone they have too
much the start of you to be ever caught. /
when | first began OIL the road l used
TO carry the stones in a channels belt lined
with silk around my waist next to the skin.
This was not only uncomfortable but
troublesome to get at when | arrived at a
hotel and wished to deposit the stones in a |
safe. Now my tailor always lines nv vest |
after a peculiar fashion of my own" con- |
tinued he, opening his vest and showing |
four large pockets attached to the lining of
the front of the vest. "You see the lining |
Is of very strong material, and sewed to the
first lining of the vest with the best of |
thread. The four pockets are simply the |
W usual pockets with a double seam in |
the middle dividing them. OF course they |
are made somewhat larger, So that the |
pocketbooks holding the diamonds will
exactly fit them. The pocketbooks are
hooked with a spring to a closely woven, |
finely tempered steel chain that is attached
to a light but strong belt around the waist. |
Even if a pickpOCket succeeded in getting |
hold of one of the books he could not 90 off
with it on account Of the chain. Some
men have pockets put on the inside of the
front waistband Of their trousers, but | pre- |
Ter these ia my vest. The whole secret of |
the thing is to get the books as near the
person as possible, so you can feel them all
the time.
Nov for the pocketbooks that hold the |
papers of diamonds. Here is one. You |
see it is two pieces of close grained. rather
stiff leather, Joined by a more pliable piece |
of leather, so as to admit of doubling one
over the other. These two thin strips of
steel across the two backs, as we will call
them, are finished in the front Of the book |
with two holes to admit of the hook on the
steel chain catching through them and so
holding them strong and safe. The inside
is OF Russian leather, twice as long as the
back of the book, so as to double over the
papers of diamonds. Each side of the
pocketbook will usually hold four papers, |
but have mine made so that they will
ole six, as l frequently nave extra large
quantities to take with me.
Now, last but not least" said the sales
man, opening one of the papers of dia-
monds by unfolding it twice, opening the
ends and then lifting the last fold off of
the third fold, on which rested the dia-
monds, in much the same way as a drug
gist folds papers for prescription powders
with the exception of turning the ends in
before taking the second fold. this ont
side paper Is, as you see, of the very best
quality linen paper, but not too stiff. and
an eighth of an inch larger than the inside
sheet of tissue paper that holds the dia.
monds.
"The regulation size for the outside sheet
is eight by ten inches, which when folded
up makes a package two and a half inches
long and an inch and a half wide. AS I
place the papers in the box a rubber band
holds each individual paper in it's place.
n a second and stronger rItber band
holds the two flap ends of the inner book
over the papers.
Pretty dangerous? Well, not a bit more
so than hundreds of other callings. The
pay is good, the company is good, and if
you keep your weather eye pen it is an
easy, pleasant if e."-New York Herald.