The Detroit times., 1915-01-05
MUCH AMBER
COMES OUT OF
EAST PRUSSIA
Samland For Centuries Famed
For Its PrOduct--Lake Dis
trict Described
Is MANUFACTURED
IN OLD KONlGSBERG
Large Quantities Also Sent TO
Vienna Where Pipes
Are Made

W A9liiNb lONt Jan. o. ne MI
tional Geographic society at Washing
/ ton gives out the following statement
concerning the amber-bearing district
and the lake district OF East Prussia,
which affords picture of conditions
In one OF the most important parts of
the eastern theater OF the European
war:
| "Samland Is an unsung strip OF
cheerless. plain from which the whole
known world has purchased for cen
turies. IL is the heart of ancient am
berland. and il has remained un-
known TO the ultimate consumers OF
Its product from early Phoenician
times down 10 the present day. IL
still supplies the bulk of the worlds
amber, and the pipe stem or cigar
holder or jewel that is OF this fragrant
translucent substance, was likely
gathered in its manufactured state
on the beaches, In the sand mines or
from low water around this peninsula.
Samland is an oblong arm OF East
Prussia. Is miles in breadth, and
reaching out 43 miles toward the Bal
tic sea II lies some 100 miles from
the Russian frontier, and the soldiers
OF Russia, who recently crossed lis
attention toward IL.
| "Konigsberg the capital OF East
| Prussia. and the central amber mar
ket. is situated at the southwestern
corner of the amber-producing terri
tory upon the Pregel river. Much
OF the amber produced is worked In
Konigsberg. and quantities are sent
( to Vienna, where IL is manufactured
f.stz 49, Nf AZ inn N nj
Amber beads form an especially large
item in the Konigsberg trade, and are
chiefly sold TO the Poles. Russians and
people OF the east. There is super
stition among the folk OF Russia and
/ Poland that amber beads worn by an
infant make teething easier, and that
amber beads worn by the baby's nurse
draw all contagious diseases TO them
and away from their charges. thus
guarding the baby's health. So IL Is
that one hardly ever sees a Polish or
West Russian nurse without heavy
chains Of these ornaments.
"To its uncanny. or at least mys-
terious virtues. the value OF amber
has been largely owing. According
!. 10 ancient lore. il was the substance
OF the tears OF the sisters OF the in
dtompetent sun-charioteer. Phoethon.
who. after their brothers death, were
lchauged TO poplars. The old Greeks
and Romans set an immense value
upon IL, and I'm the days when Scythia
and the Alps marked the ends of the
earth. Greece and Etruria traded with
Samland's amber fishermen. .
Amber was one of the principal
things which served 70 keep a sturdy
lcuriosity alive in the breasts OF the
Phoenician. the Greek and the Roman
concerning the dreary north. The
greatest supply of this product is
found on the coasts OF the Baltic.
where the coniferous trees of amber
resin grew in ages past, and most OF
lit in the green sands OF New Jersey;
but genuine amber, fragrant when
rubbed comes from Samland and
other places along the southern Baltic
coast Ii occurs In the sands and in
shallow waters in the form of Jumps,
or In drops. Very rarely Jumps have
been gathered weighing as much as
IL pounds or more.
Insects, leaves and fora OF long
decayed world are preserved in many
pieces of amber. Pieces containing
these insects are very valuable. one
perfect leaf having sold for $3.50. A
museum at Konigsberg has a price
less collection of amber-prisoned me-
MORALS containing more than $4,000
specimens.
"A tangled land OF marsh and
brake, OF forests OF pine and fir and
birch, of canals and sluggish rivers; |;
sprinkled over all with lakes OF every
size and figure, lakes similar to the
glacier-scoope6 basins in northern
Ohio, where summer vacationists go:
big lakes, little lakes, frog ponds, TINS
lis the Masurenland lake district,
which makes up the southern part or
East Prussia, and which forms one
Iof the most difficult OF military dis
I.tricts to be found upon the war map.
Masurenland is a great natural bar
rier of marsh and water against the
Russian border, and natural defense
OF her eastern frontier. IL 49, now
ever. not the dismal country OF damp
and depression which SO many have
pictured it TO be.
"On the contrary Masurenland is
OF such beauty as TO deserve many
more tourist visitors than have ever
wandered there II has nothing OF
the Impressive grandeur OF the Alps.
where one never does get upon IA
miliar terms with surrounding nature.
but II IL a place-and in this char
acteristic. IL stands in sharp contra
distinction to the rest of East Prus.
! sia-which receives the stranger upon
the easy terms of old friendship on
/ his first day out.