Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1896-10-31
HARVARD'S GEMS.

The Ninety Carat Diamond Could Not Be
bought For 100000.
Many gems in the Neurological
museum of Harvard university are
tempting to the light fingered profess
sion, particularly the great Garland
diamond. This is magnificent yell
low stone from the Kimberley mines
in South Africa, and is a natural
crystal in tho form of a perfect oc-
tahedron, the finest crystal OF this
form in the world. 1t cost $40, 600.
Then there are tourmalines in every
shade and form of that handsome
American gem, some of which, when
out as brilliants of two or three
carats would soil for $40 or $40. In
various cases are all the other sorts of
precious stones-huge crystals and
masses of topaz, pieces OF opal or
lnCucN iu "...---.--, h--y., j--~r-~.,
ohalcedony, catseye. onyx and car
nelian. Case No. /, down in one cor
ner of the exhibition room, contains
a collection the great value of which
a glance will indicate. 1t is filed
with gold and silver, gold in mug
gets, in quartz, in crystals, in grains,
in Aattenod masses from placer
mines-gold from everywhere and
silver in all its rative fpm from
both the old world and tl.G new.
All these things are treasures in
the eyes Ct u would be thief, for
their intrinsic value is enormous.
But they cro worth still more to the
museum. In estimating the worth
of u collection of this sort two other
values must be considered besides
that of tho open market-namely,
the scientific and the pseudo scien-
tific."
There is class of collectors of
minerals wLo work scientifically,
but there is still larger cluss who
do not. Those latter people, how
ever, Pay large prices for rare miner
ais, and thus cItate larger values
than the market price. But the scien=
tito value of these specimens, which
cannot be- duplicated, goes higher
yet. For inst; rec, the great Garland
diamond, which weighs nearly 90
carats, would cut into gem of IS
or perhaps 10 carats, and it would
then be wCrI about 50, 600. But it
cost $40, COO, the "pseudo scientific"
value. To Harvard university, how.
ever, this stone, as II natural dia.
mond crystal, is of indispensable
value; s1C0,CO0 would lot buy it.
When Harvard collection was
small and was Kept in few rooms
in Boylstcn Ian. the chemical labor
ntory, tie university kept no guard
upon it. AS consequence thief
broke into case one day, pocketed
golden nugget which no coveted
and made good his escape. But,
alas, mot all is gold that glitters, !"
for when he had reached a place of
safety and examined his prize he
found that lie had stolen onlyn gid.
ed cast and had left untouched
smaller hut genuine nuggets that
had lain beside it. Now that the
meteorological department. has a
building of its own, comprising one
section of the large University mu-
scum, and has so many valuable
things that might be stolen, it Keeps
a constant guard. But n single po-
liceman on duty in tic exhibition
room, or oven the two that are there
Sundays, seem insufficient protec.
ton when so much can be carried
away in the shape of a single dia-
mond. Four men could overpower
them, and all tho gems In tho mu'
scum would be at their disposal.
But nothing like this will ever hap
pen, for there is a complete electric
system, which will subtly and swift
ly report any attempt at robbery
Boston Transcript.