Evening star., 1901-09-07

for making a fortune, just other men
try for their millions in Goals cotton. I'm
there now; assets ready to realize, but
tell you, old man. the apprenticeship has
been too bad to even remember in detail
The original outfit before even l touched
work was enormous-chemistry, miner
alogy and the whole of physics, crystal
Biography, geology, mechanics; all to the
utmost verge that any man had ever
worked before. They took up years of
ferocious labor. and almost all my capital
me balance of money went in buying dia-
monds to experiment upon. Then l had to
work for more funds and got this lob of
analyst here in Burton. It's been an awful
time. You know I'm a luxurious-minded
cnap, FOND OF purple and soft living, and
yet I've not spent ESQ a twelvemonth on
my body through all these years Except
the odd moments when / had my swim in
that tank. I've been biting against the
tates from waking hour to sleeping time
The big mistake 1 worked under for a.
long time was In thinking with other chem
lists that diamonds Were nothing but pure
carbon did crystallize that, though didn't
say anything about It, Another man-Mr
Hannay of Gfasgow-also did the same
thing. and published his results in 1880. He
exposed mixture or paraffin spirit and
bone OIL distillate with lfthium in strong
iron tube to the prolonged heat Of a re-
verberatory furnace. He got specimens of
dlamantoid carbon, but they were small in
size. and when placed on the polishing
wheel Immediately crumbled. I was about
IL L
bad blow-up, which cost me half a fenoraI
muscle, and will make me limp to my
dying day. Afterward 1 found that there
was something else in natural diamonds
beside pure carbon, and working with that
something else and mechanical contriy-
ance with electrical adjuncts-'
You make me tired"
Greek, still Greek to you?
Emphatically; so come to results You
say you know how to make diamonds Of
large size for half-nothing a carat-dia-
monds which will stand cutting and which
mal?" ~
Macdonald nodded and rubbed his hands
softly.
And now you're going to put them on
the market? Well. don't food it, and you've
got the softest thing any one man ever
owned since Noah had the monopoly for
live stock"
It's highly improbable that I make or
sell single crystal"
1 turned and stared at him. Was the
man crazy?
There's q much better dodge than SET
ting up diamond factory"
He paused again and laughed
speak. You scOundrei!' I shouted
Don't keep me in the thumbscrews here
What's better?''
why, not doing 1t, and being paid for
that same. Don't you know that all the
diamond people have dubbed together into
the biggest ring. or trust. or corner or
Whatever you choose to call it, Of any COM
mercial fraternity in all the world? This
ring either owns, or has q governing in
terest In, all the big mines In Africa Brazil
ana India. and even the lesser ones in VIZ
g1nia and Borneo and those places and II
regulates the output and brings the price
to what 1t exactly likes. Do you think that
ring would submit to having another mine
openeo-my mine-wtthout trying very hard
10 nave two fingers and a thumb in it?'
NOT much. And SO you offered to trade
with the ring?'
Il wrote to two Hatton Garden fellows I
knew, they were merchants I used to buy
my diamonds from to experimentalize with,
an expert friend They came, and brought
a man with them who-on paper, at any
rate-is one OF the first chemists of the
day. l treated them to q short scientific
lecture, stated some facts. and showed
them some specimens. Then before them
loaded up small gun-metal cylinder with
various things. screwed on the top and
sealed II.
Now, Mr.. Levenstein,' said to one ct
them. YOU put that in your pocket and take
It away with you. II you leave ii as It is
the things safe as paving stone. II you
have an explosion which an anarchist nignt
be proud Of: and whatever else happens to
the diamond ring, its subsequent proceed
ings won't interest you any more. But II
at the end OF the week you take out the
stopper-whfch you can do then as safely
and rather a good diamond. I'll make you
present Of the lot to do what you like
WITH
They went away then. and I heard at
the end of the week they'd found the dia-
mond all right-a gem, guess. worth about
get 1t cut into brilliant
well, that specimen gem toOle ita facefs