The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1896-11-17


and still find buyers. And then the
celestial. clever as he Is. does not know
everything Is not yet acquainted
with the Roenigen rays. which have
caused a panic IN pearl factories. Hiih-
er,o. says the London Standard. there
was no means OF detecting q counter
felt Of the best claes without damaging
a genuine article submitted to the trial
that "a. the fraud could not be
proved. but the mysterious light idea
titles u In an instant. False pearls Of
the highest quality may be bought
cheap In consequence and there Is a
brisk market for them. Al the same
time fraudulent spectators had best go
cautiously to work. II the Chinamun
be unacqualnted with the Roentgon
rays he has a vast store OF curious
and useful knowledge. Those familiar
with him always incline 10 expect that
he will produce some ancient dodge"
To confound the too ingenious Euro
pean who would fain pass on an adul-
terated article. Chinese eivillsation is
20 old and Chinese sWlndlera 20 clever!
For 1000 yesrs AZ least the latter have
heen devisinE tricks and the former
has been studying means to clreun-
vent them. Without any information
on the subject We venture to say that
the manufacture OF falss pearls has not
been overlooked.
In fact. the Chinese discovered the
nature OF the precious things In some
lmmemorlal age and turned the secret
TO account BY placing small objects
within the shell which the offended
mollusk covered with nacre. Hut Ia
Europe. so late rs the time Of lzaak
Walton. Il was believed tina, the oys-
ter rose TO the surface az Full moon
opened lis mouth" and patiently
awaited a drop OF dew. which some-
how was transformed into a pearl, az
Benjamin OF Judcla described the proc
ess Ave centuries before. And the In
dians OF the Red Sea" whoever they
may have been. we're stlll accused Of
extracting the juice from oysters and
with that liquid fabricaiing an article
which could scarcely be distinguished
from the real. Il Is probable that ths
finest specimens extant would b. 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 = sample. Marco
Polo says that the emperor OF hia DAY
took measures to keep up the value.
There was a large sal, lake In the PROV
lnce Of Caindu. where they abounded-
not Of good shape generally. but white,
So many we're put upon the market
that the price fell and Kublal Khan
enacted that no man should nsh there
without his express license on pain Of
death. These we're not the fresh-Waier
variety. but lake On Thlbet must be as
snectually landlocked a. possible.
Doubtless they were extracted from
musseis. The "reminiscences suggests
our native product
Substantial articles. u 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 waa
,emptea to invade the island BY rumora
81 ia wealth In that commodity was
scandal. but he thought a good deal OF
British pearls. and he was a Judge
After his triumph Julius presented =
shield adorned with them 10 the temple
Of Venus Gene,rix. his "ances,ress, a.
ne proiessed 20 believe, and gift Of
fered 10 her must surely have been
handsome II "a rather nuzzliug. for 30
historic time the muscle o. Englan.
have furnished none Of pcrccnib.,
value An explana ION may BE- suggest
ed. however Possibly the pearls Caesa'
collected we're Scotch OF origin, whicl
had been accumulating IN the wealthie
south for an indefinite number OF ages
For A. IL TO be observed that the re
noWn OF British pearls dld not last 4
century afierward Pllny wrote tina
they we're worthless. In that time th
hereditary store OF Scotch pearls woul
be exhausted and the current suppl
would by no means keep pace with n
demand.
Al long intervals. which. indeed. Do
come longer and longer. really goo
example Is silll found In Scotch river
and brooks-ihose OF Aberdeenshlr
especially. The authenticity OF N
mos, famous IS guaranteed by the priv
council records. Il was found Ia Klllle
burn and Sir Thomas Menzlee, proyol
J OF Aberdeen. got possession Of a. II
thought Il a present for a king an
In 1870 carried Il to London. jane
delighted. gave him twelve or -four
| teen chaddar OF vic,uals about Drum
: fcrllne"-We can throw no light on thI
/ mysterious statement But an add
5 tional reward needs no explanation. 81
Q Thomas also received the customs Z
: merchants goods In Aberdeen" durln
J his life. The pearl Itself was set !
! the apex Of the Scottish crown
whether It be there now we cannot tel
I But the natural result was a boom
D and the crown percelvcdan opening q
. profit. Next year fishing wac limlle
0 by proclamation to the months OF Jul
. and August and gentlemen Of estate :
? the neighborhood were appointed
) watch the streams and to buy all pear
discovered at reasonable price
! best 10 be reserved for the king. On
OF these procurators had charge
Sutherland. another Of Ross and thlr
OF the Ythan and Don In Aberdeen
shire. which were and are by far n
, most productive rivulots. Forthwith
q Robert Buchan. merchant OF Aberdeen
applied for a patent" q monopoly Gn
p secured Il. Tie did very well. The priv
I council report says that Buchan hat
\ r.t .,l.s tnfsnn IIt4ara ,.aarln ~ 600