The Washington times., 1915-12-10
Historic Macmillan Opal Snug
giles in Vest Pocket of Her.
bert J. Browne.
TURNED TIDE FOR CARRANzA
Fiery Jewel Obtained As Result
of Hazardous Trip Up "Un-
navigabIe" River.

Ever since the late Gen. Marc An
tony, triumvir. of Rome. coveted an
opal owned by a senator Of that empire,
who priced the stone so highly that he
left Rome rather than give 1t to An
toIy to carry around to Cleopatra.
opals have been more or less In the
lime,ight Of dynasties. emperors. and
nations.
Today there wnlks about the streets
Of Washington a man who can reach
into his left-hand vest pocket. II he
will. and show you the dazzling. opal
escent gem, famous In Mexican history
as the ''Maximilian Opal" The man Is
Herbert J. Browne. whose hobbies
range from tho half-an-half plan. to
sailing boats, the single tax, and coll
Iecting opals.
This particular opal came Mr..
Brownies way because he got three
shiploads of ammunition to General
Carranza's agents in time to turn tho
tide in favor Of the constitutionalist
cause.
Famed Among Experts.
The Macmillan opal. Us famous
among those versed in historic gers as
is the Hope diamond, was owned by
Emperor Maximilian. was given to
General Miramon, his chief Of staff.
and was found on the body of the latter
after the two were executed at Cuere-
taro, an incident that marked the final
chapter !n the romantic history of the
Empire Of Mexico.
In the early summer Of 1914 New York
papers carried a little item to the ef-
feet that "some OF the ammunition
which is being supplied General Car
rama Is being taken out Of Galveston
on vessels chartered by some ono who
has assumed the name of Herbert J.
Browne, well-known Washington
newspaper man."
Herbert J. Brownies abilities as
skipper, II would seem. were not even
known to his friends in the newspaper
business But it was he who. In his
own name. took out papers as captain
Of the vessels. gave Havana as his
destination. and when he reached open
waters turned their prows toward Mex
leo. In all the Sunshine and the Wright,
his two sailing vessels, carried an
abundance Of rifles, and about hfteen
million rounds Of ammunition into
Tampico.
Surprises Natives.
Moreover. it was Skipper Browne who
jauntily sailed up the Panuco river, a
swift moving stream. along which. about
seven miles from the coast, lies Tam
pico, the city whence the mysterious
supplies Of munitions emanated. to the
discontinue of the opponents OF Car
rama Browne was told this stream
was not navigable for sailing vessels,
but, being American. and believing he
knew something about sailing vessels.
he sailed up the stream without any aid
of tugs, greatly to the surprise OF the
natives.
Today, in addition to his commits
sion, he bears with him, as token OF
gratitude from Carranza; the opal
which has a history. and a beauty
all its own.
An opal. Noah Webster will inform
you, is IAN amorphous. massive, reni-
form, stalactitic. vitreous to resjnous.
variously eolSred. transparent to
nearly Opaque, hydrous silica" One
glance. at the opal, formed like the
head Of an eagle. that is in Mr..
Brownies hands, is as disconcerting as
that definition. 1t is unlike any other
opal apt to be seen in this country.
Colors Are Brilliant.
Other. opals sparkle and flash, but,
In the proper light. this great stone.
Weighing more than half an ounce.
shows deep and fiery red. an intense
and brilliant green. and all other in
termediate colors Of tho rainbow.
describes the difference between a
Mexican opal. Mr.. Browne will tell
you. and an Austrian or a Hungarian
stone. Other opals generally reflect
light, but the formation of the Mex
ican opal is such that it is transpar-