Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-12-18

the risk to the house is pretty small
One OF the largest houses in the dia-
mond district has salesman out
most of the year who is not mem
Der of the firm. Yet he frequently
starts with loose stones in his wallet
aggregating in value 100000. I'm
Plicit confidence is placed in him
and he has never violated it. Even
If ne were INSCRIPTIONS his com
mission is so large that il would pay
him more to keep the confidence of
his employers i'm the long run than
to disappear with his wallet with the
certainty of being tracked by the
Pinkertons TO whom such matters
are generally intrusted by the dia-
monddealers and jewelers. of the
United States.
goods in n wallet about ten inches
long. This wallet is invariably car
ried i'm pocket on the inside of his
vest. The diamond salesman rarely
travels at night. One reason for this
is that time is of no particular con-
Germ. Another is the greater risk in
night travelling. When he does
travel at night he either keeps his
vest or or else he wears a shirt in
side of which is pocket similar to
that in the vest. OF course the ne
cessity often does arise of night
travelling, and to he ready for il not
a few diamond statesmen always have
with them such a garment i'm order
to- he comfortable and not have TO
go 10 bed in the sleeper with the
vest on. Diamond statesmen seldom
talk of their business while travel
ing. because they don't exactly care
to he known.
Diamonds are always shown in pa
pers. All of the statesmen carry
certain amount of what * called i'm
trade parlance ''melet." that j. dia-
monds below carat in weight. gen
orally of the size suitable for mount
ing i'm iewelry. OF course, the dia-
mond salesman tries especially to
sell the largest stones, weighing from
carat up. These are what makes
their stock so valuable and TO sell
only Il small portion of them is worth
a trip from one coast to the other.
What astonishes those to- whom
care seems to he an essential in sell
ing valuable goods is the custom
pursued in the diamond business of
leaving goods ON what is called |
memorandum" a diamond sales /
man. if a ieweler tells him he believes |
he can get customer for some of /
his stones. Will leave paper of dia-
monds with the ieweler without any
hing given rs security. but with the |
right to get them back
when he wants them.
At the end of week or two the
diamond salesman Will walk into the
store where he left the stones, weigh
them up with a little pair of scales
he carries in his pocket and for the
i'm weight of the stones he
left in the first place he will charge
the icweler. That is why the dia-
mond salesman travels by easy
stages, rs often he has To wait in a
place for two weeks to make sale
IF this kind.
As {, result of the reign of prosper
ty that this country is now enjoying.
i now is the largest diamond buyer
n the London market. where practic-
ally all diamonds are originally sold.
Il has far outstripped England, which
ND to three years ago took more of
he stones than any other country.
consequently the number of diamond
,aIesmen has increased little, but
wen now their number is few. Dia-
nonds are never sent through the
nails or by express. and consequently
his few take around with them all
he stock outside.