Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1891-03-16
DlAN1UND DRUMMERN
Travelling Statesmen Who Garry
49, Fortunes on Their Persons.

greater demand than diamonds"
''Why, that seems almost incredible"
remarked the reporter.
Indeed it does" continued the mer-
chant but nevertheless it is true. Ru-
bics are becoming very scarce, as the
mines are about worked out. Only a
few days ago friend Of mine sold n
ruby weighing little over carat for
two thousand dollars. The sale took
place in Chicago, and I knew both OF
the men in the transaction.
"Thc market for diamonds just now
is inactive. Since the first of the year,
however, there has been an advance of
at least twenty-five per cent. On this
account you will find that small dealers
will not invest in them to any extent
for fear the price will fall again"
''Where do most of the diamonds come
from?"
'From n mine in South Africa, owned
by the Rothchilds-De Boer syndicate. 1t
is the only field being worked at
present, and they are doing their best
to keep UP the price of diamonds"
Are diamonds just as popular as
ever?"
Not by any means. At present there
r.
Brown, blue, black, green and canary
blush tingc command the highest
prices. Moonstones have sprung into
popularity within the past few months,
and nearly every dealer in the city has
at present a good stock of them on
hand, mounted in studs, rings, buttons
and necklaces. If properly set they
make most beautiful necklace, and al
though they are not nearly us valuable,
think they are every bit as handsome
as pearls. The moonstonc has also be-
come 4 very fashionable stone for gen.
tlemcns wear"
els there much of a demand for opals?"
asked q reporter.
''Wcll, once in awhile some one will
drop in and ask to see some, but 1 never
keep them. l wouldn't give them safe
room. | am not q very superStitious
man, and don't believe any of the old
traditions, but once was foolish enough
to buy n box of twenty opals because /
thought L was getting them cheap. 1
hadn't had them in the safe two days
before my place burned down. / saved
the safe, however, and started business
in brooklyn. In one weeks time l was
again burned out. Other bad things
followed, and one day it occurred to
me that all my i'll luck had been
brought on by the presence of opals in
my store. / had no sooner thought of
it than sold the whole lot for less than
they cost me, and have had good luck
ever since. l wouldn't even take an
opal ring to repair it, and know doz-
sharp steel points, thus rendering her
armed as well as protected. Mr.. Fer
guson hal considerable difficulty in de-
vising suitable covering for her tail.
Plates were found out of the question
Finally, however, he hit on the plan of
winding her tail with wire, like a gar
den hose, and he found that it worked
admirably, interfering but little with
its feasibility and affording reasonable
protection. The complete arnor weighed
about three hundred pounds. When
every thing was finished the COW was
led out to the Ferguson homestead and
allowed to Craze about in the neighbor-
hood on the dry prairie grass, there be-
ing but little snow. She soon became
accustomed to the coat of mail and paid
no attention to it, Twice n day she
"Oulu ~ llbO 10
the town pump, and it was an interest
ing sight to sec her come stalking down
the center Of the main street clanliinG
her armor and occasionally switching
the steel-covcred sides with her garden
hose tail. The other town COWS gave
her a wide berth after having once felt
her reinforced horns. And the most
important part of the whole affair is
that the armor was brought into actual
test several times and was not found
wanting. She had it on but two days
when Zig Snort and some twenty hos
tiles bore down on her and began firing.
1t is estimated that they wasted ono hun
drcd and fifty rounds of cartridges on
her. She scarcely moved during the bonn
bardmcnt, but stood and contcntcdly
chewcd her cud and occasionally
switched her, as it were, insulated tail
Tho Indians finally retirc.s disGuGted