Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1901-06-04
TREASURES OF THE WORLD.
SOME ARTICLES THAT EVEN MEN OF
MILLIONS CAN NOT PURCHASE.

SOME ARTICLES THAT EVEN MEN OF
MILLIONS CAN NOT PURCHASE.
On the top of the Prince Of Wales
coronet is small tuft of feathers.
The wife of rich Manchester cotton
spinner endeavored to get some similar.
She was told that there were none on
the market. This made her the more
anxious to procure them. 81 don't mind
spending e1OO," she said. The plume
seller smiled. "They will cost you the
price of special expedition to New
Guinea" he observed. Her husband
was enormously wealthy, and she In
duced him to authorize this.
Last June the plume hunters returned.
They had been away nearly year, and
spent over $4,000. They reported that
the feriwah, the particular kind of bird
of paradise from which the plumes are
taken, is extinct.
It is a pafevfthe Mahometan creed to
smash the noses of all idols they may
come across. When they invaded India,
they defaced in this way every Hindoo
god. A figure of Vishnu cut in green
Jade was buried in the bed of the Ganges
during this invasion, and is now preserv-
ed in a temple in Benares. 1t is the only
perfect image left of all the old idols,
and its sanctity is such that the priests
at Allahabad have offered for it its
weight in gold, together with two mag
nificent rubies, formerly the eyes OF
Buddha. But they cannot buy it.
An English earl, whose wealth is
counted by hundreds of thousands, has
splendid collection of Greek statuary.
His great ambition has been to possess
Samian Apollo, of which two only
were known to be in existence. Last
year he had news from his agent that
another had been unearthed in village
near Athens.
The real value of such statue is
about $4,000, but Greek law strictly for
bids the export to foreign countries OF
any antiques. The agent bought the
statue from its finder and ten set to
work to smuggle it out of the country.
He had his find removed to little
known fishing village on the west coast
of Greece and chartered steam yacht
to fetch it. But the government officials
got wind of his project and the Apollo is
now in an Athens museum.
An enterprising Australian millionaire
named Leonard took a trip to Peru some
years ago. He saw great f1ocks of the
alpaca wandering on the Andes. Being
wool grower himself, he was struck
with their splendid fleece. BE resolved
to buy some and take them home. He
found that the Peruvian government
absolutely prohibited their export. He
tried by chartering special ship, to
smuggle some off, but was unsuccessful.
Then the idea occurred to him OF taking
them out of the country eastwards. He
bought large flock, engaged trusty men
and had the creatures driven over the
passes, $4,000 feet above the sea level,
and then clean across the continent to
Buenos Ayres. This little expedition
cost him $4,000. But the long march
had SO weakened the alpacas that they
all died on the voyage.
The most expensive picture kroIn is
the Raphael in the National gallery OF
England, which cost the ration $3.50, 900.
1t cannot be bought. Another famous
picture by the same great artist is in
possession of country squire in the
Midlands. He is not rich man, and it
must have been a temptation when a
millionaire baron sent him an offer &C
com panied by blank check. The check
was returned. Undiscouraged, the
baron made definite offer-$z5O, 900
down and $4,000 year for life. The
owner refused.
One of the most perfect safes in the
world is in church at Genoa, Italy. In
it is vase cut from single emerald.
1t is II 1-2 inches in diameter and "a
inches high. No other emerald ap-
preaching this size is known. A mil
lionaire offered 81 100000 for this treas
ure, but was assured that money would
not buy it.
On the occasion of the late queens
visit to Ireland program OF all the
travelling arrangements and details OF
the journey was made up. Itincluded a
map of the railway route, map Of Dub
lin, the order of the procession and list
of prominent Irish officials. Only one
copy was printed, and this was bound in
green velvet, with gold harp and
crown on either side. A Dublin brewer
of great wealth was most anxious to in
duce the firm which printed this unique
specimen to duplicate it. He met with
a fiat refusal.
OF Shakespeare's signature there are
but seven known specimens, one OF
which is doubtful. That one in the
British museum cost SIS, 700. A million
aire recently offered 500, 900 for genu-
inc autograph of Shakespeare if brought
to him within - months. But he has
had no reply.
A "gem," strictly speaking, is not
merely a precious stone. 1t is an en-
graved stone. Two thousand years ago
gem cutters understood how to polish
the cutting of an engraving throughout
on both sides. The art is now lost. A
gentleman called Thornton. residing in
Sydenham, has in his possession, a
chrysophrase with perfectly cut and
polished engraving upon it. 1t was
found, many years ago, in the catacombs
of Rome. A Hebrew banker, who has a
wonderful collection of engraved stones,
has offered as much as $4,000 without
tempting the owner to part.-Chicago
Tribune.