Evening star., 1899-03-04
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numerous and rapid that it has been SIM
ply out of the question to supply the de-
mands for information. But things are get
ting settled again, and the register will
be fairly accurate, though there is no tell
ing how soon another lot of shake-ups and
changes will occur. The demand for the
register is overwhelming, for the scattera-
tion mas been so great that even officers
have not been able to keep their comrades
in the service placed, and much of their
correspondence has had to be conducted
through military channels and the War
Department Personal correspondence has
been almost out of the question among off,
GERS and soldiers, simply for the reason
that none, except in general way. has
been able to keep up with the changes
The demand from outsiders has also been
and still remains wonderfully heavy
though the channels will be established
again in few weeks at the latest. In the
history of the Army Register there has
been nothing like it. The Naval Register for
1899 has been out for some time, but 1t Is
much easier to keep the run of naval off,
and ships than army officers and the
locality of their commands
X
Though department clerk myself.
nothing gives me more pain than when
see the departments emptying themselves
at the close of each day." observed a lady
who is employed in the Interior Department
to Star reporter. TT is not the act of the
clerks leaving the departments, but the
memories that are recalled by it. Years
ago I called at the 7th street door of the
department regularly at the closing hour
to meet my father and accompanied him
home. He was somewhat feeble in the last
year of his life and he needed my assist
ance. especially in rough weather, or at
least thought he did. though he used to
say that it was entirely unnecessary. He
was very frequently one of the last to leave
his desk, and he seldom reached the outer
door until about 4:30 O'Clock, and frequent
ly not until o'clock. But I was always
on hand at o'clock, in case he did get
out promptly. One evening, the last even
ing l ever went to meat him, he was unu-
sGally late, and it was $50 o'clock when
asked of the watchman the cause Of his de-
lay. The watchman replied that he was
frequently late, but that he would go up
and ascertain. He did so and found that
my father had died in his room, apparently
an hour or so before. The other clerks
did not know anything of it until the fol-
lowing morning. The memory Of that even
ing is what makes the closing of a depart
ment such sad occurrence to me-
= X X
''Of all the many colored gems that are
now being worn, perhaps none are more
popular with the ladies than the turquoise -
said leading wholesale dealer in precious
stones in New York to a writer for The
Star recently. 1.-The demand for tine tur-
quoise is largely in excess Of the supply,
owing to the fact that only a few perfect
specimens are at present produced where
they were once abundant. Some of the
best turquoises are found in the Los Ceril-
los and Grant county mines in New Mexico,
but the finest gems come from the Niska-
pur mines ir northern Persia. There are
five or six of these mines, but the most pro-
ductive of all is the Rush mine, which is
situated at the top of mountain that rises
to an altitude of 5000 feet above the sea
level. The turquoises are found at a depth
of from seventy to eighty feet below the
surface, and the miners descend first by
means of diagonal tunnel and then by
ladders fastened to the side of the shaft
AT the mouth of the mine, which is on
preclpitous hillside half dozen men stand
ON d ledge, and With small hammers break
up the rock that IS wound up to them with
a WiEdlass. When a turquoise is discovered
II is placed on one side in the rough state
ircased in stone, and sent TO market at
Mesked. There the precious stones are sep
aTated from the fragme nts of rock and the
good specimens are sorted from the Door
ones Although inferior stones are plenti-
ful, turquoise of fair size and good color
are seldom found. Many of them look ex-
cellent when taken from the mine, but the
color soon fades, or a green tinge is de-
yeloped or white spots appear on them
Some OF these white spots are so small that
they can only be detected with the aid of
strong glass, and even then they sppear as
mere specks, but in time these specks in
crease, and may spread right across the
stone. These defects spoil the stone for the
european and American markets, and they
are sold to Orientals, who are less particu-
Ia about such flaws. Turquoisas are worth
from 81 to 500, and sell according to the
size and quality of the stone.''