The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-04-01
But This Particular One Will
Suit Millionaire Stratton.
Has Sent a Special Agent to
Europe to Buy 1t.
STORY is RELATED
To a Journal Reporter by
Henry BOhm
Who Is on His Way to Get the
Ruby.

| "A man passed through Topeka yes
| terday afternoon over the Santa F'e on
| a peculiar mission. He was bound for
| the jewelry markets of Europe with the
| object in view of finding a faultless ruby
| for one of the richest mine owners in the
! world.
! He was Mr.. Henry Bohm, wholesale
| jeweler of Denver, and a. handler of
| precious stones for the past twenty
| years. The man in whose interest he
| is making the trip is w. S. Stratton,
| the millionaire miner Of Colorado
Springs, who within the past few days
has closed negotiations for the sale of
| the famous Independence mine in Colo
RADIO for ten millions of dollars.
The ruby Mr.. Bohm will endeavor to
find among the precious stones on the
European market must be just three
carats in size and pigeon blood in color.
1t must, particularly, be without a flaw.
For such a stone Millionaire Stratton
has offered the sum of $4,000
1t is a big sum to offer for a ruby of
that size, but to a man who has mil
lions at his disposal it amounts to a
mere nothing. The mining king of Col
orado has determined that his shirt
front shall be ornamented by ruby as
precious as any similar stone in exist
ence, and he is backing his determina-
ton with cold cash.
For the past year Mr.. Bohm has held
an offer of $40 600 from Stratton for such
a stone, DuC SnOrIlY DeIOf6 ln6 milne
owner started for London to open nego-
tiations for the sale of the Independence
mine Mr.. Bohm conveyed to him the
informa tion that it was impossible to
secure the stone he desired on the
American market. Thereupon the offer
was doubled and Stratton told the Den
yer jeweler to hunt for the ruby in Eu-
rope.
Mr.. Bohm expects to remain in Eu-
rope during the next two months. In
that time he will search for a suitable
ruby in the markets of London, Paris
and Amsterdam. When travelling some
years ago Mr.. Bohm saw some very fine
Iubies in The hands OF jewellers in Com
stantinople, and he may visit the Tur-
kish capital in his search.
The offer for a faultless ruby started
one day about a year ago when Million
aire Stratton walked into the Bohm es
tablishment in Denver and announced to
the head of the concern that he had just
discovered that his birthstone was
ruby. ''I got hold of a book that told
of the different stones for the different
months" he said, land 1 find that 1
should by all means be wearing a ruby.
How do you want to wear" he was
asked, "'in ring or in a stud?
"Well, I'm not much on rings, but I
admire a nice shirt stud he replied.
"a ruby would look all right in stud,
wouldn't it - he asked.
He was told that it would, and his
next question was: How large stone
would be just right for a stud?''
said Mr.. Bohm.
Amy difference in the color of ru-
bies?'
pigeon blood denotes the purest
stone" replied the jeweler.
We'll, I'll tell what I'll do said
Stratton, ''if you get me that kind of
stone, one that hasn't a flaw in it, I'll
give you $4,000 the minute it's delivered.
I'll leave it to your judgment and ex-
pect you to get me just what's right
That was all that was said. Occasion
ally during the past year he dropped
into the store and inquired if the stone
had been found. He was told each time
that a continued effort was being made
to secure the stone he wanted, but there
had been no success. Finally, not long
ago, he was told the stone was not to
be found on the American market.
Then he doubled his offer, and sug
gested Europe as place for finding it.
And consequently Mr.. Bohm sees at
the end of his trip $40, 900 in cash.
Mr. Bohm will sail for Liverpool from
New York city some time next week.