The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-07-31
FOUND MOONSTONES, DID YOU'
At NARRAoANsEIT PIER OR NEWPORT
OR OLD POINT COMFoRTs

Cutting Them. Didn't You. Nows-Weil.
They Were Quart. Pebbies-But What
You Got Back Were Real Forty-cent
Mooustoues-An Ingenious syvindie.
On every brlght afternoon this season at
Narragans EFT Pier at least q score OF men and
women among the promenaders on the beach
have made themselves noticeable by pick
ing up pebbles and studyinR them crit
ically. Some OF the women came day
after dry. and searched the sands US
II hunting for treasure. Whenever they found
q particularly clear pebble they s.owol 1t
away with all the Joy OF tho gold hunter who
has made find. Tho men were just as en-
thusiastic rs tho women over securing those
partly transparent and watei-wor .ttouos
The pebble gRtherers have become 90 many
that they have ceased to excite wonderment.
They're only bunting for moonstones." the
old timers exnlatn to new Corners. Lots OF
moonstones have boon picked UP on the
sands"
I'm GO and hunt for some myself" said q
New Yorker VIII, visited the pier last week.
mud lie saunterel down to the waves and RUM
mayed about for n couple Of hours among the
shells on the beach. He got u whole hattul OF
neatly transparent pebbles. They hal been
worn ncnrly fiat by tho waves and the sand
This was u worry famous lind indeed. for the
reason that it will probably put IN end 10
moorstone hunting altogether Us soon rs this
number OF TIE Sun reaches Narracnnsett
Pier. 1t result ed in the exposure OF bigger
and more profitable swinlle than !he famous
Mexican water lily bulb ~ by which th ousands
were fecced in the large ct les years ago.
The New Yorker took his hatful OF pebbles
TO a shanty on tho pier. which ;or several sea-
sons the single lapidary at the ort hns made
his headquarters He was the discoverer Of
tho fact that moonstones were plentiful In the
sands there. aud he Ind been doing thriving
trade in the summer months. selecting moon
stones from the pebbles brought in by mon and
women. and cutting aud polishing them. He
had what appeared to be workshop In the
lack Of tho shop. Two assistants In their
shirt sleeves were always at work there turn.
ing lathe. nppa emily polishing moonstones.
This year woman has been managing the
Yorker display ed his hatui OF pebbles. She
les. there are several dozen good stones IN
the rough there that VIII make fine moon.
will cost you 81 apiece to have them nicely
Hundreds of woman had paid this fee Of a
come the next day and secured moonstones
that they exhibited, with bride to, their ac-
seen the wor! man tuln any Of these pebbles
into polished moonstones: Tho moonstoIe
man nAu SuaTuei lluL IuySl0TS. MS
season the mo9nstone woman has beeu
The New iHrker told the woman thar he
day whether he would give tho order. He
believed that he could have the stones cut and
rerience LeioIe in the dflorcnce between sea-
side and city prices in other things. He
Louis He'll, editor of the k.rcric MorH. The
editor .sNil that he had never seen moon.
the like e ar
nary ~. every day seashore pebbles. Editor Bel
ssd would ss.s the o SSn,
exper Ton on moenstones and likewise away up
Are Thee inconsistencies" Editor Bell asked.
dumping . lot Of the pebbles on the lapieary's
Moonstone nddlesticks;" said the lapidary.
they're pebbles. aud II bet new hat that
thsy IN ger have
Then Lapidary Fox gave the whole snap
Il suppose tho reason why this swlndls has
si 30 have l f admitting YETI that tho9
gan his business at Newport hall a dozen Years
ago. AID he made booming snccess of 1t l'e-
the began s y, ,ss
that moonstones had been discovered there:
and ohered 10 Identity mooonsones free Of
He never new I'd did cut them though but PROBABLY
dnpes 10 nd He rea noo1
stones Of the cheaper sort that cost him about
40 cents piece. This ieIt a profit OF co cents
the winter months he minra. ed 10 Old Point
Comfort and the shores there suddenly be-
cam. str,s,wn with other moonstones in tho
throwing them away. and SUBSTITUTING
a Accent moons,one:, Tho yellow, pebbles
were even more profitable He called them
topazes in the rough. and he got as high as
So for substituting cut topazes worth $3.50 for
In Newport three years ago. Tho woman who
says these pebbles are moonstones now has
Tho oats lied up In cant.n flannel that grow.
In your minds eye Into the gorgeous Mexican
lily II you put tho canton flannel bag In water
Point Comfort. and New port moonstones."
Editor Bell chnckled as he went back to the
learn The exao, value 81 his big find Of pc hlcs:
"Chuck 'em nll In the sewer" Editor Bell
snid to the other New Yorker. they aren't