The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-12-17

ana reeolVed 20 sell IL TO hotel proprietor
about 100 miles down the colony Meeting
friend outside, he told him his intention,
and they at once resolved to go down to-
| gether.
! A few days afterward Biddy walked into
the principal hotel in B. and asked TO see
the proprietor.
well, sir, what can 1 do for your in
! quired short, ford, consequential looking
man, addressing our friend.
! u have just arrived from Kimberley, and
should like to have few minutes CONVEX
sation with you" said Biddy.
Come this way, then. please, I" said the
/ host, leading the way into private sitting
room behind the bar.
! Btddy followed him, and, carefully look
ing around to see that they were alone,
said:
81 have been in business for a considera-
BILE time as a broker, but as l intended CO.
ing home to England l collected all my
stuff preparatory to doing so. Unfort-
unately, got on a spree and blew all ex-
cepting one valuable stone that have tried
to save. However, must get rid Of 1t now,
as am clean broke. Do you care to spec
ulatep
| well, am not In that line of business
myself" replied the landlord, "but if you
have no objection l should like TO see what
| you have, and perhaps may put you in the
way of getting rid of it,"
Very WELL" said Biddy. So taking a
knife from his pocket, he ripped open a
seam in the lining of his COAT and took
out a small parcel carefully wrapped in
| cotton, and in number of pieces of tissue
paper, finally rolling the stone on the table
| by Jove, what a beautym exclaimed
mine host. "Where did you get ita What's
| its weightm and dozen other questions
all of which Biddy answered to his salts
faction. After carefully examining it with
many expressions of wonder, the landlord
said:
II have friend who sometimes does
bit In this way, so If you like to wait
until o'clock this afternoon, will send
for him. Meanwhile you can have any
| thing You require in the way OF food and
drink at my hotel"
The latter Biddy declined, but promised
to return at the hour mentioned, at the
same time warning the landlord that il
would be well to act on the square"
Immediately on entering the bar in the
afternoon Biddy was shown to the same
room, where the proprietor and his friend
we're waiting for him. After locking the
door and taking quick bus thorough look
around he pulled out a revolver and placed
it on the end of the table within easy reach,
then handed over the stone for inspection
This was done under a microscope. Scales
were produced, and it was weighed. show
ing $50 csrats full. Then after a whispered
consultation, the expert said:
1--WE have examined your stone, and
although We think it rather large for its
weight, It is otherwise almost perfect, and
taking all the circumstances into considera-
ton, we have decided to offer you co per
CARAT
With well-feigned exclamation Of sur
prise our friend said:
"What2 Three hundred pounds for that,
when you know it is worth $500 in the
Illicit markell No; was prepared to let
it 90 for 4400, but not less"
A long argument ensued, and finally
Biddy sold it for ESQ.
Three weeks later our friend was passing
tho Transvaal in Kimberley when man
tapped him on the shoulder and said:
"Mr. -- of B. has sent his barmau up
here to shoot long, lanky sop.of gun who
played him a neat little trick week or 20
back
With derisive burst of laughter Biddy
marched on, highly delighted.
The advantages of possessing capital ar Q
very great. In the first place you can engage
others TO buy for you by furnishing them
with certain amount of money and ssipu-
lating that they must bring all the stuff
| they may purchase TO you or your repre-
| sentative. One Of the wealthtess men in
South Africa founded his fortune by 81.
ID. B., " aud IL is not beyond the bounds of
iness, of course indirectly.
A year or two ago, if you wished to start
In this line, you had only to go to certain
great man and tell him 30. If he was salts
fed with your appearance he would tell you
he had no interest in the trade, but perhaps
Mr. Jaoobus might know Of an opening
You would go and interview that gentle
man, Of course telling him who sent you,
and he would furnish you with means to
commence business. II you were sue
cessful, and did not become too
independent, no harm would be done;
but II otherwise you would find yourself in
hook before many weeks elapsed.
zaThe systems adopted have been almost as
numerous as the people engaged In the
| trade. The style is characteristic of the
MANIFOLD, cunning, ingenious or timid.
Some ride to their customers iu broad day
aud although attended at respectful dis
lance by couple of detectives, as q rule
succeed in executing their business and out
whiting the limbs Of the law. Others do not
believe in defying the authorities, but by
the iudicious use of a few pounds per week
to one or the other Of the detectives can
Keep thoroughly posted in all intended
rushing or trapping movements. One
| buyer adopted a very ingenious method.
| He had a very small pigeon-hole cut
through the wall of his office and fitted
with shutter so close and neat that it was
only the initiated who knew which part TO
20 to.
When a person wanted to sell he had to
| lounge against the wall as If waiting for
some friend, give a certain tap on any part
OF the corrugated iron, when the shutter
would be cautiously opened and the parcel
passed through, weighed and valued, and If
| the price was satisfactory the money would
| be shot back to the seller, who would walk
away without seeing the buyer or being
seen by him.
| The timid buyers are usually storekeep-
ers In a small way, who purchase one or
two lots, and invariably geT caught before
they have had pluck enough to make a rea-
| sonabi6 haul.
The profits on stones OF good quality are
sometimes very great, more especially on
! those of rare color and formation. Dia-
monds have been found of such purity and
perfection in shape that they res
| ouire little or no cutting. A very
| pretty stone was taken out of one
of the mines near Ds Toits Fan. 1t
was formed like a star, every ray Of which
was 80 perfect and brilliant that you nat
urally concluded il TO be the finest work OF
| the artistic cutter. 1t was mounted exactly
as 10 was found, and more than once several
thousand pounds we're refused for 1t. A
blue stone was purchased from a native for
e35, sold again for Rl52; again it changed
hands for $500, and was finally disposed Of
on the fields for 81, 800. Only the other day