Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1896-11-06

slf cs M c. \ terprisirg jewelers.
NSStSs59 3 4 made a note, prob
Se$i ably. They com
sScss-%S mand their own
n price for a fine eX-
ample in Europe and America but pos
sibly they might double it in China
and still find buyers. And then the
celestial, clever as he is, does not know
everything he is not yet acquainted
with the Roentgen rays, which have
caused panic In pearl factories. Hith-
erto, says the London Standard, there
was no means of detecting counter
felt of the best class without damaging
a genuine article submitted to the trial
that is, the fraud could not be
proved. But the mysterious light iden-
titles it in an instant False pearls of
the highest quality may be bought
cheap in consequence and aaere is a
brisk market for them At the same
time fraudulent spectators had best so
cautiously to work. II the Chinaman
be unacquainted with the Roentgen
rays he has vast store of curious
J
with him always incline to expect that
he will produce some ancient dodge"
to confound the too ingenious Euro
pean who would fain pass OFF al adult
terated article. Chinese civilization is
SO old and Chinese swindlers so clever.
For 1900 years at least the latter have
been devising tricks and the former
has been studying means to circum-
vent them. Without any information
on the subject we venture to say that
the manufacture of false pearls has not
been overlooked.
In fact, the Chinese discovered the
nature of the precious things in some
immemorial age and turned the secret
to account by placing small objects
within the she'll which the offended
mollusk covered with naere. But N
Europe, so late as the time OF lzaak
Walton, it was believed that the oys-
Ter rose to the surface at full moon,
opened its t'mouth" and patiently
awaited a drop of dew, which some
how was transformed into pearl, as
Benjamin OF Judela described the proc.
Ess five centuries before. And the In
dians of the Red Sea- whoever they
may have been, were still accused OF.
extracting the juice from oysters and
with that liquid fabricating an article
which could scarcely be distinguished
from the real. It is probable that the
finest specimens eXtant would be found
among the Jewels of the Chinese en-
peror. No one has seen that collection,
but many of the Tartar princes wear
pearls of extraordinary size and beauty.
Ii himself displayed q sample. Marco
Polo says that the emperor OF his day
took measures to keep UP the value.
There was a large salt lake in the Prov.
ince Of Caindu where they abounded--
mot Of good shape generally. bufwilite
So many were put upon the market
that the price fell and KubMi Khan
enacted that no man should FISH there
without his express license on pain Oh
death. These We're not the lfresh- alter
variety, but d lake ia Thibet must be al
effectually landlocked as possible
Doubtless they were extracted from
mussels. The reminiseence suggests
our native product.
Substantial articles, if not books, have
oeen written on British pearls, and
therefore we must not deal with that
interesting matter at length. Perhaps
the statement that Julius Caesar was
tempted to invade the island by rumors
Of it's wealth in that commodity was
~ I, i ~ n
scandal, but he thought good deal OF
British pearls, and he was judge.
After his triumph julius presented q
shield adorned with them to the temple
of Venus Genesrix, his "ancestress, IS
he protested to believe, and a gift Of
fered to her must surely have been
handsome. 1t is rather puzzling. for II
historic time the mussels OF Englans
have furnished none of perceptlbie
value. An explanation may be suggest
ed, however. Possibly the pearls Caesar
collected We're Scotch of origin, which
had been accommodating in the Weather
south for an indefinite number OF ages.
For it is to be observed that the re-
nown of British pearls did not last. A
century afterward fiiny wrote that
lhev were worthless. In that time the
hereditary store OF Scotch pearls would
be exhausted and the current supply
would by no means keep pace with the
demand.
At long intervals which, indeed, be,
come longer and longer, a really gooo
example is still found in Scotch rivers
and brooks those OF Aberdeenshire
especially. The authenticity Of the
most famous is guaranteed by the privy
council records 1t was found in Killie-
burn and Sir Thomas Menzies, provost
OF Aberdeen, got possession of it. He
thought it present for a king and
ia 1920 carried it to London James,
delighted, gave him twelve or four
teen chaddar OF ;victuals about Drum
forline'' we can throw no light on this
mysterious statement. But an addi-
.ional reward needs no explanation. Sir
Thomas also received .'the customs .
merchants goods in Aberdeen" durins
his life The pearl itself was set in
he apex of the Scottish crown
whether it be there now we cannot tell.
But the natural result was bloom
and the crown perceived an opening for
profit. Next year fishing was limited
by proclamation to the months of July
and August and gentlemen of estate IN
he neighborhood were appointed 30
watch the streams and to buy all pearls