New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-01-09

composition. vivid red exhibits It's oxide after
excessive heat and moisture One can hardly
believe it the same the white stone Of 4 few
hours ago; for ii is now AS fragile as glass
and notified throughout with every SHADE, from
burnt sienna to translucent porcelain. Each
fragment is surveyed with critical eyes to de-
terHine the largest perfect cylinder to be OBJ
taineC from II.
Next comes the mos, careful Of all the colner's
work. shaping tha poh. which is ccOUpanied by
chipping off minute particles TIL the shape Is
Appropriated. In bygone days the piece Ea3
he'd In the hand and gently struck with the
edge OF quartz hammer, but the Indian has
discovered in sheep shears g. more expc litlous
tool A single unskilful blow breaks ana ruins
the poh. already perhaps having two weeks labor
upon it.
Before the erindstone became known, slabs Of
siliciOus stone found in the neghborhood were
used for securing the piece down with water
The grindstone has havcd this work.
: computation has been made Of time spent
in actual labor upon n certain piece OF rough
roh, and it took nearly ten hours Of skilled white
labor with the best of modern tools diamond
point excepted to bring it into shape. TO this
must ne added two hours for lathe boring and
polishing. thus consuming a ful! day.
Considering the fact that the Indians were
ignorant Of the mechanical value Of precious
stones dhe sapphire was we'll known. it is
difficult matter to determine just what they
formerly used to bore poh. Traditions mention
three substances. quartz. obsid.an and hint
none Of which are az hard as poh. Metals are out
Of the question. and the shaping OF n sapphire
point equally improbable. All efforts FOR years
to obtain this information have been without
result. and The unvarying answer is. "Moui
kabfy bcchu'' (SOme little roct). 1t is positive
however. that the stone was immersed while
bored. and experiments indicate that either ~
the three minerals mentioned renders the process
possible though excessively tedious The water
tempered file, attenuatcd and tapering to
point is The tool now in us. As with ka yam
bornGs are made from each side and reained
cut where the cones meet
We have now the three Pomo bases OF finance.
IA yah hot ~ d al (camshell hinge and poh each
OF them with purchasing power among the IN
dams comparing respectively to our coppers
bits twelve and Onc-haif cents and gold
There is no standard size and weight; each piece
is valued according to its finish, size and
material.
Counterfeits appeared as early as 1916 when
the Russian explorer. Kuskoff ordered made
and sent him certain pattern Of glass beads
to trade with wild tribes in New-Alhion.
number Of these beads were eXhumcd from
very old grave not long ago. and prove 10 De
good limitations. both in form and color, but
wild tribes soon detected the cheat and cast
them out with adherence. Tradition confirms
the record with added details Of how three huS-
sian traders Of charlil kol 0eyiFs bcaHs) were
taken unaWarcS and tn ,ir heads burned with INC
beads.
Visitors at the ranchoria cannot fail to note
the number Of cOiners ut work and. knowing
that wampum has no favor with the grocer
often ask why 50 much labor is spent on
money that will not buy.
No il does not directly buy any more than
our doIdr WOULD IN some ul'l .''''".' "".t -
must be exchanged first and the com OF that
country proffcrod instead. So with the Iorno;
when i'm need Of Il commodity and short or casn
he takes string Of ka yah to his ncghbor ana
exchanges 12u pieces for silver dollar or 4
tcn-dnllar poh for s. cash He is content, while
the neighhor makes a good brokerage on the
transaction.
Pomo wampum appreciates with distance
from its makers in fact is ut a handsome pre-
MUM in the Sacramento Valley and in other
distant rancherias Bearing this fact IN NINA,
Captain Jack reported the shreWdest OF lomo
chiefs makes several journeys yearly to trade
with interior tribes. If 1t be winter Two
scrawny horses drag a wagon containing only
sack Of wampum and the drivers Immediate
necessities but the return some weeks lat'r
looks like the march II Plenty. pair OF seek
Wylakd ponies speed a new wagon loaded 10
the avles with articles of varied description;
from a sewing machine down to bundles OK
ottar skins This seems substantial proof that
wamIum is legal tender.