The Washington times., 1901-12-29
FABULOUS RICHES
OF EASTERN RULERS.
PRICELESS JEWELS BY THE PECK.
Treasure House of the shah of
Persin Like n Scene From
the Arabian
Nights.

At a time when millions OF men are
struggling their hardest for the doubtful
privilege of keeping themselves alive it
seems difficult to realize that jewels and
gold whose value is counted in hundreds
OF millions Of pounds should be lying hid
den in royal treasure houses, untouched
and seen only by q privileged and curious
few.
Those who have been privileged to gaze
on the wonders OF the Shah's treasure
house tell astonishing stories OF wealth
which is indeed beyond the dreams of
avarice and which might well form a
climax to the maryels of the Arabian
Nights tales; OF diamonds and rubies,
erneralds and sapphires, so countless that
they might literally be measured by the
peck: of shields. helmets and armor
thickly encrusted with priceless gems,
and sword scabbards which il pains the
eye to look on, so dazzling are the Jewels
which sheath them.
Huge Vessels of Gold.
One of these scabbards is completely
covered with diamonds. the smallest of
which is as large as a finger nail. YES
sells Of solid gold, Sd large that only
strong man could lift one of them, crowns
blazing with every color of the rainbow,
chains OF gold and rare precious stones,
enamels of matchless beauty, lie seat
tered about in careless profusion. trays
are heaped to overflowing with sapphires
and pearls, many of which are worth tens
of thousands of pounds.
glass case, two feet long and foot
and a half in width and height, is more
than half filled with thousands of pearls
perfect in shape and lustre. By its side
is a globe of gold, twenty inches iD di-
ameter, with seas OF emcralds and con-
tinents OF rubies and diamonds to the
number OF 10000, and each stone specially
chosen for its purity and beauty. The
value OF this globe is $1,000, 900 sterling
Ruby Large ns Hens Egg.
Among the countless treasures of the
Shah are a fawless uncut ruby said to
be as large as hens egg and OF a value
which no one has ventured to estimate:
a turquoise as long as a mans finger and
belt a foot wide which is so closely set
with manyhued precious stones that it is
one unbroken blaze OF diamonds and en-
eralds, pearls and rubies.
OF all the native princes OF India the
Caekwar OF Baroda is the richest in gold
and Jewels, a mere catalogue OF which
would lll some Of the worlds richest mil
lionaires with despair. One OF his most
interesting though by no means most
valuable, possessions is a carpet, ten feet
,ong and six feet in width composed en-
tirely Of a ground work Of exquisite
pearls on which Is traced a design in dia-
monds. This carpet, which certainly has
no rival in the world, is said to be worth
G300000, or G5,000 a square foot.
A Famous Diamond.
or much greater value than this carpet
Of gems is a matchlcss collar, consisting
of five rows Of diamonds and two Of en-
eralds. the stones being OF graduated sizes
from that Of walnut to the size OF a
pea; from this collar OF 200 OF the most
perfect stones in existence hangs as a
pendant the famous Star OF the South"
diamond, one OF the most magnificent dia-
monds the world has ever seen.
The Car of Russia has a treasure
| house in each of his many palaces, and
one OF which might well satisfy the am
| bition OF any monarch in the variety and
value OF lis contents. Two crowns alone
are valued at e30OO,O 900; and the Jewels
in the Winter Palace. which include many
OF the choicest gems in the world, arc
valued at many millions more.
Treasures in the xremiin.
The treasures of the Kremlln are said
on authority TO be worth over el00, ,000,-
600: and the gold on the walls of the Pal
ace of Tsarskoye Selo, with its walls and
| ceilings OF amber. tortoise shell, ivory,
] and mother Of pearl, has been valued at
nearly a quarter Of a million pounds.
But 1t is doubtful whether the Cars
wonders OF gold and jewels can rival those
OF the Sultan, the Accommodations Of cen
turtles OF predecessors. The Sultan is as
careless of his treasures as the Shah. and
the room in which they are kept has
rather the appearance OF lumber room
than a treasury of countless millions.
| Bat no disorder can conceal the richness
and splendor of gold vessels filled to the
brim with diamonds and sapphiros, rubies
and emeralds; Of suits of armor, crowns,
sword -scahbards. chains and rings blaz-
zlng with gems; although, as a traveller
recently declared, "One cannot fail to
gasp with amazement at the spectacle OF
hundreds OF beautiful pearls worth prob
ably 5000 contained In an old tin tobac-
] co boX.''-Plttsburg Chroniole-Telegraph