The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-03-03
AMERICA SONNFNGMS
MORGAN COLLECTION OF PRECIOUS
MINERALS INCLUDES ALL THE
KINDS FOUND HERE
WON GRAND PRIx AT PARIS
Various Specimens Of This COuns
try's Hidden Wealth - There
Are Diamonds Among
the Number.

lection OF the precious minerals OF this
country ever gathered together. The COLI
lection was shown at the Paris exposi-
ton in the Palace Of Diversified Indus
tries by Tiffany & Co.. and won the
grand prix. The United States govern
nent's gem expert. George F. Kunz, has
been engaged for fourteen years in cole
lecting, selecting and arranging these
specimens. They are valued at $780,
000 The collection was purchased at
the exposition by J. Pierpont Morgan,
who has presented II 70 the American
Museum of Natural History IN New York
city, where It win be put on exhibition
IN special pavilion as part Of the Tif.
fany-Morgan collection OF precious
stones.
To make up this collection all sections
OF the country have been drawn upon for
their hidden wealth. The gorges and
canyons Of the Rockies, the mountain
tops OF the Carollnas, the molusc-inhab-
tied brooks of the Middle West, ths
stony hillsides Of Maine, the sapphire
bearing cliffs Of Montana and the tur-
Quoise mines of California have all given
UP their flashing riches to the quest OF
the prospector and the mineralogist.
There is no kind Of gem found within the
limits Of the nation. from Alaska to
Texas. which is not represented IN this
collection.
In the Paris exhibit one Of the proni-
nent features was the magnificent dis
play made Of American pearls. It Is
Interesting to note that the Empress
Eugene paid Messrs. Tiffany & Co. IN
1856. Il, 500 francs for a ninety-grain fresh
water pearl found at Notch brook, near
Paterson. N. J. Many pearls have since
been found IN the rivers and brooks OF
this country worth from 800 TO 500 each,
with an occasional find Of much greater
value This feature Of the exhibit served
to bring to notice the growth OF our pearl
industry, which, only SO 900 IN 1856, grew
to $25a. 600 in 1890.
ABORIGINES WORE THEM.
The best Of the American pearls are
found in the brooks. lakes and rivers Of
the United States, They are found
abundantly in Wisconsin, Tennessee,
Texas, Arkansas, Kentucky, Illinois,
Iowa, Nebraska, Indian Territory, wash
ington and spartngiy IN Maine, Vermont,
Connecticut, New Jersey and Ohio. Fresh
water mollusks were fshed for and the
pearls worn by the aborigines centuries
before the advant Of the white man. The
union pearls are found IN the Mississippi
valley and adjacent regions Inc fish,
ing for them IS carried on IN summer
and through the ice In winter, and forms
a basis of the extensive pearl button IN
dustry.
The exhibit contains many salt water
pearls from the abalone shell. These
shells are green and yellow and are found
on the coast of California. They are OBJ
tanned mostly by Chinese fishermen, who
use the meat of the mollusc for food aud
export large quantities Of it to China.
In the collection Of pearls there were
fresh water specimens, white and cOlored,
557; multi-colored, 4; Baroque, l66; Hinge,
80; clam pearls, 81; Abalone pearls, l3.
and conch pearls. Il
The collection illustrates the great va
riety of color, shape and growth OF the
American pearl, and shows its develop
ment under various conditions and en-
vironments. One Of the star pearls Is
large Baroque from the Mississippi river,
weighing 1890 grains. and having a value
of 81, COO An historic feature Of the col
lection is number Of pearls found on the
altar of the TIL Porter mound by Prof.
F. w Putnam, director Of the Peabody
museum OF archaeology, while exploring
the Indian mounds in the Little Miami
valley. There is also an Indian wampum
belt Of great beauty
IMMENSE QUARTZ CRYSTALS
Wampum besides being the currency OF
the Indians was used in the making OF
belts, which were often kept as tribal
records or worn as ceremonial ornaments
in religious rites. These belts are now
very rare and valuable. The specimen
in the Morgan collection is made OF beads
ground from the purple part Of the fresh
water clam, and strung on deer sineNY.
1t came from Central New York the re-
gton of the Indian Five Nations.
The collection OF precious stones, gems
and minerals OF the United States con-
tains 344 specimens, many Of them large
pieces and nuggets. Among the notable
specimens is a block Of quartz crystals
weighing some seventy-fve pounds, from
Alexander county, North Carolina. and
valued at $1,000. Adjoining this and
above are set two huge pieces OF gold
quartz, one from Arizona. weighing for
ty-flve pounds, and valued at 5000. the
other from North Carolina, weighing
sixty-five pounds and valued at $30oa.
There are four diamonds, one Of fifteen
carats valued at over 81. 600, found near
Waukesha. Wis; another Of fourteen
carats, from Dane county, Oregon, and
two others whose original location VIII
never be known. They were found in the
Canyon Diablo, Arizona. but they We're
not indigenous to that region, as was
proved by the rock in which they were
Embedded. This was meteoric rock The
precious stones had flown through space
from some distant star.
WORLDS COSTLIEST COLLECTION.
There are sapphires from Montana ana
North Carolina, topazes from California
and Utah beryls from Maine, Con-
from Maine and North Carolina and New
York; amethysts from the KlOndyke,
North Carolina, Maine and Georgia;
agates from Montana, Colorado and
California; opals from Idaho and Ore
gon. and turquoises from Mexico and
California The entire series Of spect-
mems are to be mounted shortly for ex-
hibition.
The Tiffany Morgan collection to which
this valuable addition is to be made Will,
by virtue of it. be the costliest as Wen
as the most representative collection OF
minerals ever housed under one roof.
The Tiffany Morgan specimens comprise
stones and ornaments from all parts OF
the globe. dating from 5000 3. c. to the
present time Among the historic pieces
are necklaces Of amethysts from the
latest excavations OF Prof Petrie along
the banks OF the Nile. These were FOUND
in the royal toInbs recently unearthed at
Abydos and reveal some Of the Oldest
forms of Egyptian iewelry, dating back
900 r. c. From the tabled land Of Ophir
in southeast Africa, where the explorer
Carl Peters has just located the mines
OF King Solomon Of biblical days. ine
specimens of gold quartz have been OBJ
tanned. BY a systematic arrangement
the collection Will show the science or
mineralogy from the earliest time 10 the
twentieth century, illustrating the style
of cuttings OF the ancient and aboriginal
peoples and ending up with the most re-
cent Kimberley and Maiden Lane cut
ings OF New York.
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