The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-02-17

4 -
I heard their voices. too-each word an
That buzz.d and stung me sudden as a
And all the world was jolting on my
And now and then heard wicked rasp
or laughter, Earring me to deeper sname-
And then I looked. and there was no
one nigh,
No eyes that stabbed like swords or
glinted sly:
No laughter creaIking on the silent air;
Facing my soul, and next I was aware
That this mad mockery was all my own
James Stephens, in the London Nation
Valuable Pearls Found.
Maiden Lane telling that three large
and valuable pearls have been found
near Port Hedland, on the coast of
West Australia, and are now on the
way to Paris. Dealers from New
York are invited to go to Paris and
inspect the pearls, and there is likely
to be spirited bidding by collectors
from all parts of the world for their
/ possession.
! The only detailed description of the
pearls thus far received is that the
| largest weighs So grains, and the
smallest is valued at $4,000.
The finding of a perfect pearl more
than so grains in weight is a rare oc-
| currence, one of the leading dealers
said. and the finding of three highly
valuable pearls at one time and in one
place is most unusual. There is a sys-
tenn, he said. in fixing prices for small
er pearls by means of what is called
the basic, or multiple, price grain.
In this way the basic price a grain
is multiplied by the square of the
weight expressed in grains. For in
stance, on a 5-grain pearl the basic
price of $3.50 a grain is multiplied by
the square of 5. But the basic price
gets higher on the larger pearls, and
/ has been ranging from So to Sill on
4 pearls of 10 or Is grains, these higher
prices being also multiplied by the
square of the number of grains. But
above Is or 20 grains in weight a
pearl breaks away from all rule and
goes upward in price even faster than
by geometrical progression.
4 That is why the dealer thought.
the finders of the three new pearls
have estimated the value only of the
smallest of the three gems. He said
the size of the largest of these pearls,
weighing Sc grains, has been exceed
ed in several instances, and prices as
high as $50, 900 and even $4,000 have
been paid for single pearl, but only
for the most celebrated of all the
pearls that ever have been found.
Importers here long have been try
ing to get fine, large specimens OF
Australian pearls, but the supply has
been failing of recent years. One OF
|, the importers has what is conceded tie
be the most vaIua BILE string of Aus
, tralian pearls in the world, and this
, necklace represents years of work
The owner of this necklace said the
. central pearl cost him about $40, 600
He has not put price on the entire
string. As to the new pearls just found
he saw no reason for thinking the es-
timated value of the smallest of the
} three was exaggerated. 49,
1t would be impossible, this import
er said, to obtain any pearls finer OF
more perfect than those in this neck
lace although larger pearls may be
found. The pearls in his string are sc
exactly graduated as to size that he
did not believe any additions could be
used to advantage, but he, or repre-
sentative, will examine the new pearls
when they arrive in Paris.
Interest in the Australian pearl fish
cries will be revived by this discovery
!. of fine pearls, the dealers say. OF late
the India and Cey1on fisheries have
l provided the world with most of the
1 + fine pearls, and it has been feared the
! though much was hoped from them {
few years ago.-New York Press.
: Clark Like Jefferson.
D The election of Mr.. Clark is unpre
e cedented in the fact that he is the frs
4 half century by receiving the unani
nous vote of his party for his frs
. term. Other speakers have received
2 the unanimous vote of their party fo
( the second term, but when chosen fol
t the first term as speaker, all other
q have had a contest in the party ant
= have come to the position after a hare
q fight.
: When Mr.. Jefferson was presiden
: he treated the members of his cabine
f Questions, and there were real con
t ferences in which the president oftel
= deferred to the combined wisdom o
8 the majority of the cabinet. The re
f suit was the greatest administration
in the history of the republic, AM
: that it had a continual lease of powe
v for "a years.
S Mr.. Clark is a disciple of Jefferson
v in this respect. and does not thinl
d that he knows it all or is infallible
- and he invites conferences with othe
S leaders and seeks to make a policy TO
: his party and for his country tina
n is the embodiment of the best wisdom
: of the majority of the house.
n Already there has come to tn
e house a feeling among some Demo
|, Gratis against the change by which tn
r committees are nominated by the way
: and means committee and approve
by the party caucus. There are
number of representatives who be
lieve that the old rule of giving tn
speaker the appointment of commit
Is tees is the best rule, and the new de
/ parture will not turn out well. How
: ever, the most of these feel that tn
Ll verdict in November was for thi
4 change, and they are acquiescent /
"a it. Most of the new members, parti
= cularly from the north and ives
- said that they had promised their con
- stituents that the ~one-man powe
= would be ended and they could nc
- keen their promise if the speake
"a could name all of the committees. TIL
" caucus very wisely took away the ap
= pointment of committees from tn
n speaker in response to what they be
" lieve was a popular demand M
- Clark. with the proper spirit, not onl
m Endorsed but approved this action.
,e is the furthest from the czar of an