Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-08-31
THIRTY YEARS ago.
THE ATTEMPT OF, sACRAMENTANs TO
MANUFACTURE DIAMONDS.
Sneered at Lincoln-Russ steph-
ems Namesake.

49,
place on the sidewalk, up to about twelve
or thirteen years ago, in front OF keiloggs
junk store on } street. Nearly every
passer-by had at some time or other asked
what it was for, or to what particular use
it had ever been put. When told that 1t
was portion of a diamond making ma
chine. strangers would smile and pass on,
wondering if Californians would ever cease
telling lies and become christianized. But
there were land are yeti many old residents
of the city who well remember the time
when |. w. Underwood and his son, n. l.
Underwood, undertook the task of manu-
featuring diamonds in this city. They
were hard at it thirty years ago, and the
widest dreams of Colonel Sellers, with all
the untold millions that his schemes in
yolyed, would have been as mere whims
compared to the great enterprise into
which the Underwoods of Sacramento
launched with all the confidence of men
who had the world at their feet, and whose
riches were TO outshine anything portrayed
in the Arabian Nights"
They were practicing dentists, and had
some knowledge OF chemistry. They had
studied out the nature of the diamond, and
came to the conclusion that what nature
had accomplished with the poor facilities at
her command was surely not beyond the
genius of man, aided with all modern APP
pliances. So they set to work and had
ponderous machinery constructed = of
which the iron ball referred to was a part
and entered upon the manufacture of dia-
monds with full confidence that they would
be able to roll out brilliants of dazzling
whiteness and of any desired size, which
they would be able to place upon the
market at such prices that hotel clerks and
railroad conductors should no longer be the
envy of their fellow men; even newspaper
reporters shirt fronts were to sparkle with
diamonds, and stones that would double
discount the "Koh- moor" and other fam
GUS brilliants would be so common that
they would be used as ornaments on the
harness of the groceyman's horse.
Tradition tells Us that the labors of the
Underwoods were not wholly without
promise-at least in their own opinion.
The main feature of their process, which
they jealOusly guarded from the public
through fear that they might not enjoy
monopoly of the demonstrating bust
ness, was compression. Just what chemi-
Gals and other ingredients they employed
III lQelT euOTlS " plOuuCc u CdlDOu lIcc
from all mineral substance is not known,
but there are those who can recall the fact
that after series of experiments the enter
prising Sacramentans produced something
approaching the diamond.
Finally there came an end to the whole
business. On the 22d of August grand
explosion occurred, which demolished the
machinery aud came near killing one of
the diamond kings. The occurrence is
thus told in the UNION: Yesterday, as n.
l. Underwood was experimenting with his
machine that is to make diamonds as cheap
as pebbles, the thing exploded, and the ex-
perimenter barely escaped with his life.
The power OF the explosive gas was so
great as to tear asunder solid iron three
fourths of an inch thick as readily as one
would tear up wet paper. Some eighteen
big bolts were broken, and the machine
damaged to the amount of $500. But what
is the use of talking about expense when
the machine (sfter being fnished) is to
make diamonds? We are not informed as
to whether or not this bursting up process
is a part of the regular programme by
which diamonds are made, but we pre-
sumo it is not Such a feature in the
routine of manufacture would be most
dangerous to the valuable properly itself,
to say nothing of the danger to life. Every
blow-up would scatter the diamonds broad
cast over the land, and the party manu-
featuring them would be necessarily COM
PEELED to resort to misunderstanding to
recover the particles. If this machine
contained any diamonds at the time 1t
exploded they must have been scattered
along the west bank of the Sacramento
river, where parties may some day discover
diamond mines. Do diamonds grow, or
are they made?"
Stephen A. Douglas enjoyed the
reputation of being one of the fairest oil
men 10 his opponents in political CAM
paien. In a speech at Manchester, n H.,
one of his Democratic auditors made re-
mark to the effect that Lincoln was rail-
splitter. Douglas stopped short in his
speech. and when he resumed, he said
Gentlemen, have fought Abe Lincoln
every year for the last twenty-five. he Is
a very clever fellow, kind Hearted, good
natured, amiable man. l have not the
heart to say anything against Abe Lincoln
have fought him so long that | have
learned to have the highest respect fol
him. My friend out there says he has spill
rails. Well, / suppose he has split about
as many rails as | have made bureaus and
desks, and if it is understood that man is
to be made President because of the occu-
patton he followed in his boyhood. why
it's new doctrine in this country. But i
YOU are determined 10 send Lincoln back tt
splitting rails because he once did that kline
of work, you may just as well send me bach
to the cabinet-maker's bench.
........Au amusing story was being tolC
OF AL Dudley, the Mokelumne Hill lawyer
and orator. He was a rampant supportel
of Breckenridge and Lane. One day h'
stood in front of the Union Saloon and, de
termined to prove that Mokelumne Hill
was all right for Breckenridge, made {
loud noise to attract a crowd, calling out
"Come here, e-v-e-r-y-b body When {
crowd of about sixty persons had beer
gathered he said Now, look-a-he
This is my treat, but | won't pay for any
mans drink who isn't true blue Brecken
ridge In, now-in, everybody who is TO
Breckenridge 7" When the Breckenridg'
men were all I'D before the bar there wer'
Just eight, including Dudley and the tou
newspaper men connected with the Gala
yeras Chronicle. Dudley was not disheart
ened. however, and made lively cam
paign for Breckenridge. DE is sun ailve
but in broken health, in San francisco.
Tom Mcguire had a strong com
pany at the Metropolitan Theater at tina
time. 1t consisted of Charles Wheatleigh
II. A. Perry, Mr.. Grosvenor, Miss Sophl,
Edwin. MI. Waldron, Mrs. Woodward
Mrs. ]. B. Booth, Miss Harriet Gordon
Walter H. Leman, Miss Louisa Panliin
Mr.. Rummells, Miss a. Land, Mr.. Whit
and others, who have since acquired fam
on the boards. The company was playing
THE Octoroon, then the dramatic sensa
ton of the day Sophie Edwin took tn
character of Zoe, and Wheatleigh that o
Salem Scudder. Walter Leman was tn
Farmer Sunnyside of the play and Mis-
Gordon his daughter. The play was YER
strongly cast and had great ran.
........The local papers were filled wit
political matter. There were Lincoln an
Hamlin clubs being organized, Bell an
Everett clubs, Douglas and Johnson clubs
and Breckenridge and Lane clubs, an
meetings were held almost nightly
Among the old.time speakers who wer
announced to address the people wer
James A. McDougall. Henry Edgertor
Tom Fitch, Volney f. Howard, Calhou
Benham, Tod Robinson, AL. P. Dudley, /
L. Edwards, w. C. Stratton, W. II. Barton
E.B. Croker, NJ. S. Latham, w. NJ. Gwi
and Others known to fame in those days.
-. The famous Briggs orchard !
Sutter county was then almost atthe heigt
of its prosperity. In 1858 it produce
4S0 600 pounds of peaches and nectarinel
returning net profit of $4,000. In 1859
produced 1,046. 475 pounds. and profit
go naa &c. go n(M for