Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1896-12-24

E1N mand theiE own
price for fine ex-
ample in Europe and America. bu, pos
si5ly they might double il in China
and still find buyers. And then me
celestial. clever as he is. does not know
everything-he is no. yet acquainted
with the Roen,gen rays. which have
caused panic in pearl factories. Hlta-
erto. says the London Standard. there
was no means OF detecting g counter
felt of the best class without damaging
a genuine article submitted to the triai
that is, the fraud could not be
proved. Bul the mysterious light iden-
titles ii in an instant. False pearls OF
the highest quality may be bought
cheap in consequence and there Is
brisk market for them. At the same
time fraudulent spectators had best go
cautiously to work II the Ch!naman
be unacQuainted with the Roentgen
rays he has vast store OF curious
and useful knowledge. Those familiar
with him always incline 10 expect that
he will produce some ancient dodge
tn confound the TOO ingenious Euro"
pean who would fain pass of an adult
terated article Chinese civilization is
so old and Chinese swindlers so clever.
For 1000 years al least the latter have
been devising tricks and the former
has been studying means TO circum-
vent them. Without any information
en- 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
10 account by placing small objects
within the shell which the offended
mollusk covered with nacre. But IN
Europe, so late as the time OF lZaak
Walton, it was believed that the oys-
ter rose to the surface AT full moon,
opened it's mouth" and patiently
awaited drop OF dew. which some
how was transformed into a pearl. as
Benjamin OF Judela described the proc
ess five centuries before. And the In
dams 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. II is probable that the
finest specimens eX;ant 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
Lii himself displayed sample. Marco
Polo says that the emperor of his day
took measures to keep up the value
There was large sal. lake in the PROV
ince of Caindu, where they abounded-
not of good shape generally. but white.
So many were put upon the market
that the price fell and kublai Khan
enacted that no man should fish there
without his express license on pain OF
death. These were not the fresh-water
variety. but lake in Thibet must be as
sffectually landlocked as possible.
Doubtless they were extracted from
nussels The Renaissance suggests
BUR native product.
Substantial articles. if not books. have
been 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
scandal. but he thought q good deal OF
| British pearls, and he was a Judge.
After his triumph Julius presented a
| shield adorned with them to the temp,e
Of Venus Gene.rix. his "ancestress. as
he professed to believe. and a git, Of
Tered to her must surely have been
| handsome. 1t is rather pulling. for in
historic time the mussels of England
have furnished none of percep,ib,e
value. An explanation may BE- suggest
cd. however. Possibly the pearls Caesar
| collected were Scotch Of origin. which
had been accommodating in the wealthie.
south for an indefinite number OF ages
Fer it Is TO be observed tina. the "a
| uown of British pearls did 10, last 4
century afterward Pliny wrote thu,
they were worthless. In that time IN.
here ditary store OF Scotch pearls WON'T
be exhausted and the current s,nD',
would by 10 means keep pace with tn,
demand.
At long intervals. which, indeed he
come longer and longer. a really goof
example is still found in Scotch rive,
and brooks-those OF Aberdeeoshir.
especially. The authenticity of tn,
caosi famous is guaranteed BY the priy,
council records. 1t was found in ki,lje
burn and Sir Thomas Menzies. proves
Of Aberdeen. got possession O. il. H,
thought it a present for a king an,
In 1920 carried it to London. James
delighted. gave him twelve or fon,.
teen chaddar of vic,uals about Drum
| -crline-we can throw no light on thi
| mysterious statement But an add
| tional reward needs no explanation 8;
| Thomas also received the customs n
merchants goods in Aberdeen" durin,
his life. The pearl itself was SET il
the apex Of the Scottish crown
whether it be there nov we cannot tel
But the natural result was beam
l and the r-0N1 -er1s=rea ~