Evening Star Newspaper, August 27, 1892, Page 8

‘Tf EVENING STAR: WASHINGTON, D.C. SATURDAY. MUGUST 27. 1892-SIXTEEN PAGES. THE MAIN FRAUDS IN JEWELRY. Diamond Expert Kunz Talks About Various Tricks in the Gem Trade. THE GULBIBLE PUBLIC. Imported Glass Diamonds—“Recky Moun- tain Gems"—Ways of Counterfeiting Pre- clous Stones—“Doublets” and Painted Dia- monds—Jewels from the Beaches—Artificial Rubies and Pearls—Neckiaces of Mummies’ byes. BUILDING. Written for The Evening Star. ») HERE IS A NEW NAVAL OBSERVATORY The New Buildings ie to Be Oc- cupied by the Government. —- SKETCH OF ITS GROWTH. The Commission That Determined Its Site—When Work Was Commenced and How It Has Progressed Description of the Different Bulldings aud the Uses to Which ‘They Will be Put. ———- ONGITUDE FROM Washington will be reckoned hereafter from hill west of Rock creek and a little north of the \ line of Massachusetts Piavenue extended. Or, <== to localize the situation further, between Grover \ Cleveland's former SPAR. country residence and WS ts Mr. James Elverson’s villa, This spot is the site of the new naval observatory. The classic outlines of the white marble buildings are even now visible through the mass of foliage from the P street bridge over Rock creek, and when the October wind+ swirl the leaves from the trees they will stand out bold and prominent. The buildings are almost comp! part of them being now occupied by the ratory force, and within a few weeks Capt. McNair and his staff will bid farewell to thei resent miaematic location, to the rickety old firetrap which they now occupy and will move into their new quarters. Prof. Hull,with his precions telescope: Prof. Harkness, with his equally Beloved little equatorial: Prof. Panl, with his books, and all the rest of the savants, compute and naval attnches will take their station: George Anderson will be there, too, for thi will all tell you that it would be incomplete Without hita and his own tender care of the big equatorial. THE FINEST NATIONAL OBSERVATORY. When all is settled it can be truthfully said that the United States possesses as fine and complete, if not the finest, national observatory fm the world. ‘The instruments will rank with those possesed by any foreign country and the building itself will be without an equal. As for the talent, it goes without saying that there is nothing superior. FOR THE GREAT EQUATORIAL. The work on the observatory and its comple- Hon has been carried on so qmi iunaly that peopl will be surpri: The buildings when occupied will represent an oatlay of £400,000, which has been appropriated by Congress. Under the direction and superintende Capt. McNair the construction of the ings has been a work of infinite pains. will forever stand a monument to bis thor ness and ability. ‘There are many appreciable improvements about the place over the original Plans which are due to him. A system of light plant on the t features. to move the naval ob- site was m: by ve jan_ of improvements for that he premises are two i ‘The first propositi servatory to anoth Shepherd. In hiv Washington he dec: Mterate the site of the e are something over 1,000,000 fearth in the hil, and it was his idea to shave thix down fill inthe neigh- boring flats with the This project never material: mater lgers took ebarge of the ted the idea of moving it It was apparent that the the ob atory to the Po- become a serious the malaria and rand flate make ed at observa- mists anc fogs emanating from ften interfered with the ob- building was old and in- box, which endangered aud the almost price- ont: fmiasma rising from Nife a burden to those tory, bat the aad the ri astronomical brary. CONGRESS AUTHORIZES A SITE. In 1878 rized the appointment nsider the selection of & ud the cost of ere: men, Gen. J. G. Barnard tney. They recomm: 4 Mr. Leonard led the purchase of FIGHTING IN VENEZUELA. of Two Eattles Ia Which Much Blood Was Shed. ‘The steamship Caracas, which left La Guyra, jenezuela, August 20, arrived in New York sterday and brought information of consider- fighting in that country between the ment forces and the revolutionists. fenezuelan consul here received news that sen. Crespo, chief of the revolutionists, was in treat before the government soldiers, The wt bulletin showed him to be at San Juan de Moros and that the pressing him clovels many of his follow- were deserting him and his army was made of cowboys principally. ‘The Caracas also brought the confirmation Particulars of the battle at Cindad Bolivar of which was received by telegray : hb. an resulted ina large number of kil jed and fh by Gen. Careras and the revolutionists under the leadership of Gen. Guerra. had 700 men. while the revolutionists ambered about 1,100. Lut they were infers points of arms and discipline. Gen. Careras killed and the rebels were forced co retreat. The Venezuelan I's advices from the ernment at Caracas also contain the details an important and bloody battle tht took August 16 nea: Villa de Cure, in which .500 are said to have been killed or wounded. Fevolutionists conquered. but were too uch exheusted to. pursue their advantage. consul further stated that Gen. Urdanctta gone to Caracas to assume the post of vice it. President Villegas is a very old man rather sickly. He is soon going to Europe the benefit of his health and Gen. Urdanet actin bis absence. Gen. Monagas was e: ted in Caracas from Barcelona on the da: seamsbip sailed. Gen. Urdanetta entered Guayma at the head of 1,600 troops, having 800 at Porto Cabello. and was received with enthusiasm by the people. Dr. Rojas |, the ex-president, has goue to Curacoa Caracas. Sot malaria and goes home at the end of the ‘Woek and gets the blues because his money is & point on top of the} and so un- | d to | The commission was composed of Admiral | ‘The government forces were com- | Admiral Rodgers found, however, that it would be better to get more extensive grounds than this property afforded. In 1880 Congress provided for another com- mission to look into the matter, ‘This one war composed of Admiral Rodgers, Senator William Pinkney White of Meryland and Representative Leopold Morse of Massachusetts, The commis- in President Barnard of Columbia New York; Henry Howland and Hastings of Johns Hopkins University. ‘The result of their deliberations was the selec- tion in 1841 of the present sit comprises abont seventy acres of laud and was bought for | York ‘jeweler who | claims to manufacture imitation diamonds by @ new process, which consiste in electro-plat- ing bits of rock crystal with a solution of dia- mond dust in hydro- fluoricacid. The stones find a ready tale, not- withstanding the fact that such a process is palpably impracticable. To begin with, diamond dust is not soluble in hydrofluoric reid. As a matter of fact the counterfeit gems are simply French paste, which isakind of glass containing an extra quantity of lead. Whencut in facets it bas more play of color and fire than rock crystal, though without luster. Enormous quantities of paste diamonds are imported to New York and distributed over the United States every year. They cost about 25 cents apiece by the gross. They are made in | France, where the business of cutting them isan exiensive industry. Wholesale dealers here do them up for sale in parcels of white paper, numbered according to size. Hundreds of thousands of them are mounted in plated jew- elry at Providence and Attleboro. A manu- facturer who wishes to make fifty gross of cheap diamond rings or studs sends on a eam- ple ring or stud with an order for a correspond- ing number of “ston of the required size. In the west there isa great sale for ‘Rocky mountain gems,” as they are called. They are supposed to be precious stones of various kinds | obtained os nthe nie of Iie valuable , neg Na “ rap ieen minerals along the backbone of the continent. | Re inch comatorial teobeoment Ter nlare cits | Ineality they are nothing bus cut gloss, The 9.6-inch equat 3 mounted. Next this are the elevator and stair- | fakir who deals in them usually comes to tot THE cost LimiTED. Congress limited the cost of the observatory to $400,000, and proposals for 1ts construction were advertised for in April, 1888. Work wax commenced in that year, and proceeded slowly forawhile. There were numerous delays occa- sioned by failure of the contractor, but all ob- stacles finally gave way before persistent effort, and the buildings will eoon be turned over to the government. (Wie Several buildings form the group, which will [be known simply a4 the naval observatory. | The general character of the buildings is classic | | Greek, in feeling only, however, and differing | | from structures modeled directly after the an- cient. Marble and stone are the principal ma- terials used in the structures. THE MAIN BUILDING. } The main building ix about 300 fect long and | 50 to 60 feet wide. This is in three sections, all | m fine cut marble except one end section, which | is rock fa nd of larger dimensions than the | other p 13 loftier, west end is the small | equatorial building, three stories in height. At the center, carried up from the stone founda- | tion independent of the floor, and thus esc | way ascend rom the bas t. Atempern- | i the ‘eof a jewel merchant and bires a | ture room und a chronometer room, in which | "indow in a shoe shop or some other reputable | ponmethooas lemyhaat for the use of the navy, | business establishment on the principal street, | are interesting studies in scientific construc. | Wherein he spreads out attractively a lot of | ton. red. blue and green “sparklers,” in- This structure generally is two stories in|Clding a choice assortment of ‘alleged | height, with « basement and an_ attic. j diamonds. The colored ones are repre- sented as rubies, sapphires and emeralds, | all native. They are not worth 10 cents each, but they sell for dollars, being usually weighed out by ths carat for the sake of impressivencss, Not long agoa vender of such wares in New | York palmed off a number of 25-cent diamonds jatthe rate of $13 acarat. Suit was brought against him, but he escaped on the ground that the “gems” had not been returned to him as east end is the library running | stories. This section ix a forty-eight feet in diameter. | bookcases of a height of a! | round the walls, with wing book lower rang: (i ‘Two tiers of iron out twenty feet sur- Hery between, ‘and ong the Accommodation is provided for 000 volumes, iddle divisie of the buil ing contains | a number of large work rooms, a museum, &c., | US#tisfactory within thirty days, | arranged on both sides of « corridor that runs THE GULLIBLE PUBLIO. entirely through this part, connecting the H-| yfr, Geo, . Kunz, the New York diamond ex- pert, had a conversation in Denver with one of these fakirs, who told him that he had made | $3,000 at the business in three months ona capital of $17. ‘A lady came in bere the other day.” said Mr. Kunz toa writer for Tue Star, “with some glass ‘gems’ in silver settings, She wanted them set in gold, but I suggested to her that silver ‘was quite good enongh for them. She was astonished to learn that they were not real precious stones, having been obliged to wait three weeks at hotel in Hot Springs, Ark., while a dealer there pretended to be engaged in cutting them. People are so commonly gullible that it is no wonder awindlers aro so plentiful. Glass diamonds and rubies are often made brigiant and given an artificial luster by silver- ing the settings at the back, or by fitting small metal caps filled with mercury og. | O°er the ‘stones’ behind. An old method is A separate structure is provided for the 26-| to take a piece of rock etystal, heat it end dip inch Clark telescope. This is built with right- | it into a cold colored solution. ’ This cracks the angled wadls in the division facing northward | crystal, which is infiltrated by the coloring and at the other end with a dome section of 45) Matter 80 as to give it the look of a sapphire, feet diameter on the circie, revolving on a run- | €merald or what not. Of course it has the ap- ning tr: At the center are the concrete | Peatance of being very much flawed. Another piers on which the instrument is to be set; an | Process is to make the ‘gem’ out of two pieces elevating fleor to be used in conjunction is | &f ¢rystal, joining them with a transparent wble of adjastment to any desired angle, | &Teen, red or blue cement. The color of the structed in undressed Tuck-| Cement appears to the eye disseminated water table, sill course, &e., | tarough the stone, finished to a emooth surfac THE EFFECTIVE DOUBLETS, en nor! s oe ny — a “The most effective counterfeits of precious Duile with dreaed marble on the oueide, “Thi | #OUe8 are what are known as doublet.” ‘To contains twelve concrete piers, solidly built | ™#ke an explanation clear let us consider a and capped with bl cloe At either side the observers’ buildings | plane of the girdle. Now, if you substitute a are eted with the clyck room by wide | piece of French paste for the lower part of the passage | stone and fasten it witha transparent glue to Bevond this again, on the northward line,| the upper part you have a doublet. It is stands the Prime Vertical building, and on each | nothing but a bit of glass with a real diamond side of the clock room on the same parallel are | top, but it is very likely to deceive even the eye the East and West Transit buildings, distinctly | of an expert. The usual method of manufact- contrasting in style with the larger ones in | ure is to takeathin slip of diamond tor the white marble. These structures are constructed | top, uniting it with a fam mastic to the paste with an inside lining of sheet zinc, while show- | bottom. Supposing that the top weighs a carat ing an exterior of galvanized iron. With this | and a half and is worth $125, the imitation thus arrangement the jackets between are ventilated | produced will weigh four carats and will repre- thoroughly, the idea being to attain as nearly as | sent a stone having a value of €1,000. But possible a temperature and atmosphere within | doublets are most commonly made with rubies, the house corresponding always with that out-| sapphires and emeralds. To manufacture a side. | Through this perfect system of ventila- | emerald in this way the top may be of red garnet, tion the meteorological changes are so quickly | white rock crystal or white topaz. Green glass | transmitted to the inner space as to muintain | is used for the bottom, and the two aro attached unimpared the conditions of observation. This | with gum mastic. Though it seems incredible, ix very important where the exact time to be | the green of the glass neutralizes the red attained by the transit is primarily applied to | of the garnet so that they are not perceptible. the security of navigation and commerce. A | If garnet is employed, the Joining ix best effected South Transit building about 30x40 is similar to | by heating when the sarfaces are slightly fused. the two described, being erected in fluted | The process is the sume for rabies and sapphires, iron outside, and with foundations in stone. only that red glass and blue glass are used for- ‘The water works consist of a stand pipe fed | them respectively. from a splendid well, and an adequate supply inka oieemencel of water is assur — To the northward of the main building is an | | “White sapphires are made to look blue and attractive and substantia! residence, constructed | thus multiplied many fold in value by a mere for the oficer in charge of the observatory. | touch of blue coloring on the point at the bot- Isis hoped that tho extension of Massachu- | tom of the stone, throughout which the blue setts avenue will be conducted ona plan which | pays distribute themselves. The same effect is will earry that boulevard ina graceful circle | sometimes obtained by the use of a little blue aroand the grounds. enamel in the setting. Speaking of painting gems, I dare say you remember the sensation that was made a few years ago by a newly in vented fraud which consisted in applying a blue aniline wash to off-color and slightly yellow diamonds. The process made them seem a | brary with the larger | age crossing this at the center leads to entrances | en eitber side. The building in every part is | finely lighted. and the central windows are | capped with double transoms, giving « simple | form of ornament. ‘The interior finish in this | main building is in white oak. with some of the floors in oak and others in tiles. A marble sta:r- lid features, cellar, in Neufchatel asphalt, is fitted for ‘he attic serves as a ventilating cham- ber. In the first and second stories are conve- nient toilet rooms. The building is piped for and wired for electricity. It is to be heated by indirect steam. The flat portion of the deck of the roof, which is covered with slate, is to | have an iron railir and from this vantage point an excellent view can be obtained of the surrounding country. A transverse pass- storage. THE BIG TELESCOPE’S HOME. A Bogus Medical Missionary. From London Nature, Acurious account of the piratical Tugere tribe of New Guinea has been published in most of the continental geographical journalson the authority of “an English medical missionary, Dr. Montague,” wo was picked up by a Duteh vessel near the boundary of Dutch and | British New Guinea, ‘The gentleman told a re- | markable narrative of his eapture and imprison- | ment by the Tugere, but as no English m: } of bis name is known to be in New | Guinea, nor has any mission station been re- | cen ‘ided by the Tugere, there is no doubt that some mistake has been tnade. It is impoe- | sible that ko ferious an in as the imprison- [ment of an Englith missionary could be un- {known in this country, and unless strong evi- | dence were forthcoming it is dificult to believe | that such a thoroughly pirntical people as the Tugere could show the diligence in agriculture | the relatively high civilization with which the story credits them. — = Daisies and Buffalo Bugs. From the Hartford (Conn. } Times. A queer thing was told us the other day by a Indy whose new honse suddenly became infested | with buffalo bugs, which eat everything in their path. A friend told her that the buffulo bug's birthplace is found in the golden cup of the lovely common field daisy that everybody loves. Determined to investigate the matter she looked into some daisy cups growing in w field, and e enough, there she found in several daisies the detested inseet comfortably taking its case. | Since the Oscar Wilde fashion of bringing dai- ties into the honse for decoration i* common, | if the daisy theory is true it ie worth knowing, for in that case, no daisies, no buffalo bugs. +e. An Honest Horse Trade. | From the Rider and Driver. “Tl bave you arrested for making false rep- Tesentations. I bought that horse of you only Decanse you told me he had a record.” Very true, but the record is a bad one. idn't ask me what kind of a record he value enormourly. A great many of these cheats were successfully marketed, but it hap- pened one day that a them in alcohol, which promptly removed the tint, They were quite water proof. SELLING POOR STONES. “Most of the cheating in diamonds is done by selling poor stones for good ones, There is ® popular notion that diamonds can be bought more cheaply from pawnbrokers than from reputable jewelers. Nevertheless, it is likely that the money lenders are very well acquainted with the value of the stones they offer for sale, and the gems exposed in their windows on white cards marked ‘Great bargain, $250,’ and so forth, are never worth the prices asked for them. Such collections are the refuse of the market, not desired by the dealers to whom they have previously been offered, being com- posed of off-color, flawed and ‘spread’—that is, too broad for their depth—stones. It pays to buy the finest diamonds only, even though they be small. Poor ones area bad invest- ment, like shoddy clothes. They have gone down very much in price within the last few years, and it is not considered good form to wear them. On trying to sell them the owner # finds that he can get but a small frac- tiou of what he paid for them, whereas gems of first-rate quality will bring from 50 to 75 per cent. OTHER METHODS OF CHEATING AND ROBBING. “Dishonest dealers sometimes arrange off- colored diamonds on black cotton or in black paper and try to sell them at people's houses or at hotels in the evening. Ofcoursé, no person who knows what he is about will buy precious stones except by daylight. Yellow diamonds are sometimes set with a backing of black we ny them seem —, egy ost jewel- ere will occasionally substitute gems for fine ones in necklaces or other brought to them for Ihave known such } } ees in New York some years ago of a butler who i Serrtaie Rew secured situations in several rich femilies From the Boston Transeript. z and robbed them of their jewels in jel | "ST hate Stick, mid Brownstone, “ana | orginal fakin. Vie ha bee w Jeral ar T'm glad his boy is musical.” borrow the rings and bracelets of his employers “Why?” asked his friend. and have the settings fled with, paste stones | “Because Tam going to give him an accor-| after removing the real ones, he sold. % ‘The ‘were only discovered through estone to. support the | diamond to be divided into two parts by the | brilliant blue white, increasing their apparent | (ieee! washed one of | the fact that lady chanced to bring one of her rings to Tiffany's to have the setting fixed. VAKE LAPIDARIES AT THE SEASHORE. “At this season of the year a brisk business is done by fake lapidaries at many seaside re- sorts, who incite people to hunt on the beaches for gems. To credit them one might imagine that the sands of Jersey's shore and elsewhere were actual mines of precious stones of every description. Guileless persons fetch them pebbles of translucent quartz, which they pre- tend to cut into real moonstones. In reality they simply give a 25-cent Ceylon moonstone in exchange, charging $1 for it. For other gems they provide the purchaser with various cheap imported stones. I un- derstand thet they manafacture ‘smoky topaz’ ont of common smoky quartz by applying heat. This sort of business is pursued on quite a scale by fakirs at English watering places,who go s0 far as to sow the ocean with fragments of green botile glass, which are washed ashore in & water-worn condition, to be subsequently picked up by deluded holiday makers, who are perenaded by the Inpidaries that they have found emeralds or aquamarines. FUSING BUBY SPARKS, . “There was a great sensation a while ago,” continued Mr. Kunz, “over the reported dis- covery by ® French inventor of a process for manufacturing big rubies by fusing together many small ruby ‘sparks.’ So much faith was had in the report that the Parisian jewelers demanded protection from the law ageinet imitations of this kind. But no such rubies ever got on the market, because the method of manufacture suggested was impracti- vable. To begin with, it would necessarily have lessened the specific gravity and hardness of the material. However, rubies arc made by artifice today. The thing is accomplished very successfully by fusing 1 iminate of Iead and bichromate of potash with silicate of soda and coarse sand, the result being real ruby. But it is readily distinguished from the natural ruby by the bubbles of air it contains, which are the result of imperfect crystallization. ‘These artific | rubies have not the mnuch- desired “pigcon-blood’ color and there is very little demand for them. ARTIFICIAL PEARLS. “Artificial pearls, you know,are merely small blown-glass balls, lined with the coloring mat- ter obtained from the inside of the scales of a small fish called the ‘bleak’ that is plentiful in Europe. They ure filled with wax, to make them strong and keep the lining from scaling off. “There does not seem to be any prospect that diamond mines will be found in the U: States. The biggest diamond ever discovered inthis country wax dug up by a luborer while grading near Richmond. one side and was injured eomewhat by the finder, who put it into an iron furnace to test its quality. It weighed nearly twenty-four carats and cutting redaced it to slightly less than twelve carats. John Morrissey once loaned $6,000 on it, but probably it is not worth one-tenth of that today. A great man diamonds have been destroyed by ignorant persons who attempted to apply heroic ‘ests to them for the purpose of ascertaining whether or not they were genuine. If you ever como across a large gem of the kind, do not hit it with abammer, because the diamond, though the hardest of substances, is very brittle. Nor would T advise you to experiment upon it with a file, because you will be apt to damage it. Both of these methods are popular with the unsophisticated. NECKLACES OF MUMMIES’ EYES. “Speaking of things that are not what they pretend to be, you may remember what a talk there was a while ago about necklaces and other ornaments composed of the eyes of Peruvian mummies. Their structure was like that of pearis, each one being an aggregation of succes- sive enveloping layers; their color was from golden yellow to golden bronze, and they were found to be susceptible of a very beautiful pol- ish. As a matter of fact, however, they nre merely the crystalline lenses of the eyes of large squids or cuttle fish. In the rainless region whence they were ob- tained the corpses of the dead were dried in 9 sitting Rorture on the | salty sands and nitro beds, often thousands in one place. Being thus exposed to the pnb- lic gaze, cuttle-fish eyes were placed in the orb- less’ sockets of the mummies to render their appearance more attractive. For this purpose each spherical lens was eut into two hemis- pheres. Sometimes the colors in these remark- able bodies are in alternate bands, like Mexican fire opaln, DIAMONDS AB SAFE SECURITIES. “Diamonds may be said tobe the safest of all securities. Their value never lessens; on the contrary it has been rising steadily through centuries. Under circumstances of insecurity, such as war, they represent the best possible shape in which to have money, being readily portable and easily concealed. ‘Half a mill dollars’ worth of them can be stowed aw one’s waistcoat pocket. The danger of owning Jewels of great worth has vastly diminished. In ancient times they were perilous treasures to possess. If vou bave read the romantic history of the Kohinoor you will remember how that Breat stone overthrew monarchs and cansed princes to blind and murder their own brothers and other near relatives. Even so recent a poten- tate as the Duke of Brunswick kept his celebrated collection of gems, dispersed since his death,in an mored room, with alarm bells on every band, Now there are families in New York which indi- vidually own nearly $1,000,000 worth of dia- monds, though twenty-five years ago €25,000 was considered an astonishing investment in this j form of property. But there is no danger deposit boxes save on the occasions when they are actually in use. The world’s entire stock of diamonds is valued at about $1,000,000,000. THE WALL MAPK. “Attempw have been made to introduce in gold jewelry in France to indicate its fineness. his products to the official hall markers of the government, who test the articles submitted to them and make a little jag on each piece to cer- tify that it is up to the requisite grade of purity. For this purpose they scrape it on a kind black jasper, which is known as ‘Lydian tonch- stone.’ Lt makes a yellow mark. They bave also little pencils of goid, which are graded all the way up from 12carats, let ux say. to 24 carats. Suppose the piece of gold thut is being tested is surmised to be about 22 carats. A yellow mark is made alongside the first one with the 22-carat pencil, Then acid is poured over both streaks, and if they both fade away simultanconsly tho expert knows that the ring or what not that ix belong tried is 22 carat, like the pencil. “But if the gold streak from the ring fades more quickly than that from the pencil he can- not mistake the fact that the ring is not as good as 22 carat. However. the preferable way would be to make two or three marks with gold pencils of different carats on the jasper and thus see off-hand which one bore the acid just like the ring streak. Of course, a hall mark would be of no use unless it were protected by law. Tho imitation of it in mee isasgreat a crime as counterfeiting money. It wonld be juite as satisfactory if every jewelry maker in the United States were compelled to put his name on all of his goods. At present the de- bears, | of gold by a few carata below its repre- sented purity is very common in this country.” Fast Trains Are the Safest. From the Indianapolis News. Superintendent Darlington of the Pennsyl- ‘ania lines is of the opinion that fast trains are the safest, and unless there is a defect in the track an accident seldom happens to thom. “Our No. 7,” says he, “is known to be an ex- |ceedingly fast train, and every one. keeps out of its way. At Knightstown, for instance where our fast trains pass through at nearly sixty miles an hour, no one has ever been hurt, The people know the trains cannot be stopped ina second and govern themselves accord: ingly. It is in towns where there are slow ordi. nances that the people are burt. They know the trains are compelled to ran slow, and take their time about getting across the track. The experience cf railroad men is that fast trains are the safest. In the event of cattle on the track it is better, too, to hit them hard than easy. Iwas on the ‘engine of a freight train ‘once when we ran into a flock of sheap. The animals were huddled together around the bell wether, and my bair began to rise. T thought surely we would be thrown from. the track. The engineer put on afull head of steam and struck the flock at great The engine ‘threw the sheep to one side like chaff. he tried to stop or run slowly the engine would have been derailed.” Two ago ® cow ras seen in the middle of the Monon tracks in front of atrain. The engineer tried to and the result was the locomotive was di and the engineer killed. A few months the writer was riding on an engine on the division of the Peunsyl- Ithad a big flaw on | involved, because the jewels are kept in safe | this country the ‘hall mark,’ which is put on} Every French manufacturer of jewelry sends | END OF THE SEASON The Summer Girl's Reign Nearing Its Close, SOME POPULAR STYLES. Beautiful Combinations for Garden Parties— ‘The Attractiveness of the Pretty Girl in Simple White—Preparing for Autuma— Green and Purple to Be Favorite Colors. The Evening Star. URELY THIS HAS been @ great season for white gowns, and it must be conceded that afresh pretty girl looks prettier in white then in any other color. Thenagain £ how delightfully becom- §¢ ing are the white serges \BLE and white silke, with /SAE enormous puffed sleoves wy it} standing out from the jj'|| shoulder about twelve f inches. A very pretty Special Correspondence of | | | Hi! ff dress may be made by 4 laying » white figured %, muslin over a white “|\\" satin, gathered around | [de square cut opening, and then hanging straight from there to the feet. At a garden party last week the hostess, » young married woman of great beauty, who makes a poiut always to wear exactly the right thing at the right time, made her appearance on the lawn clad in an exqnisite pale rose gown di- rect from a leading metropolitan establishment, where it had been “‘contectioned,” as they term it, expecially for this outdoor fete. Now imag- ine, if you can, the feclings of this fair hostess to see one of her friends, « tall girl of remark- ably fine figure, make her appearance on the | lawn wearing a‘ costume qualified to give the lookers on an attack of tho “creeps,” [being of a g: hue of reddish _y: low in combina with magenta, Dur- jing the whole afternoon this horror hovered about the fair vision of pink, “killing” it, aa the artists say, most effectually. Could this have been her object? It would be a severe thing to ¥, but when you've nursed a dear gazelle and learned to iove its soft black eves, it's pretty hard to have another girl steal him ‘away from you, isn’t it? hhe initial illustration seta forth a very sea- sonable outdoor gown for a young girl, the material of the skirt being a mauve crepon trimmed with jet galloon, and a blouse in surah made up over adjusted lining and also trimmed with the galloon. The belt is sewed to the skirt and hooks on one side. The sleeves are tight from the elbow. | ish, 2 FND OF SUMMER MODES. The second picture represents two charming outdoor toilets for early autumn. The one on the right is a silver gray serge, with an amber- colored surah blouse and sleeves with red and black spots. The bottom of the skirt is set off with three bias strips of black and yellow. lower sleeves are in plain surah, embro The blouse is embroidered with black silk. ‘The costume on the left is an apple green fou- lurd covered with black lace. the embroidery being on the silk in black stitching. The cor- sage is of the «ilk, but the sleeves are of velvet in adarker shade. At the back the lace simu- lates a figuro; in front it falls epaulet style and covers the whole front. The straight col- lar is also covered lace and the sleeves have lace cuffs. There is also a belt and plas- tron of galloon embroidered with dall green silk ou a peach-colored background. ABOUT SLEEVES. It is very common at this period of the sea- son to see sleeves differing in color and ma- terial from the stuff in which the gown is made, As in the dress just described, velvet seeme to be the favorite material for ‘such sleeves, the folded belt and collar being of the same ma- terial. Such sleeves are usually in pale colors, and add a peculiar charm to an artictic toilet. The velvet sleeve invariably ends in a deep “lar- ing lace cuff or else there is a long cuff of gui pure or pleated gauze. ‘another style calls for a long, tight sleeve of the dress material, with a puffed velvet sleeve ending at the elbow. where it is held by a band and bow of ribbon, Strange as it may seem, these velvet sleeves are particu larly’ effective in combination with soft gnuzy, filmy materials, like chiffons, crepons, silk gauzes, silk musling and the whole long list of summer stuffs. The wide flaring cuffs of guipure are strikingly becoming to « fine hand and ‘arm. Some of these pnffed sleevea are divided in the middle by bands of gallogn. In all cases belts and cola Somat the same scheme of ornamentation. whee) we fat FOR SUPPLEMENTAL SEASON. In the third illustratiog will be found pic- tured on the right an altogether charming toilet for a summer fete or afternoon occasion. The material made use of ia a flower figured batiste, cream ground, with shaded pink carna- tions. ‘The large collar, which is put on sep- arately, ix finished with'a deep flounce of Ince and falis in epaulets over the puffed sleeves. ‘The straight collar, ornamented with pink vel- yet ribbon, is sewed to the large collar. ‘The lower sleeve is set off with bracelet bands of ribbon. The wide belt is formed of the stuff, pleated, or of the ribbon, lined with stiff mate- riaLand boned. In the figure on the left is shown you a very stylish wrap in striped beige crepe " garnitared with lace. Chantilly lace and black moire ribbons are used for shia ose, also Jot passementerie and beige velvet Tor the ome tat the back there is only one large pleat. A deep flounce of Chantilly finishes the wrap at the bottom, surmounted by a striy of galloon. At the back the yoko is rounded, and the lace which edges it is aught up on each shoulder with » bow. At the waist line at the back there is a bow with long ends. consaces are now pretty generally made with the back in one piece, slightly gathered at the middie of the waist line, or else witha simple flat fold down the middle. Ard I need hardly add that they are often so balanced that at first glance You see nothing of the dress material, but this is npt as it should be. The rule is, ali the lace effects you please, but don’t mar the outlines of the Some makers now cut skirts with two breadths of + aterial, one front and one back, instead of ranning a bias seam middle of the back. If your material is the front breadth is cut on the straight and the back on the full bias; if striped both breadths are cut on the sti not our business to make fashions, but tofollow A SEPTEMBER IDYIL In the fourth picture you will find a pretty gown for the end of summer. It is made up in figured linen, or yon might choose batiste. There isaplastron of surah and a belt of pleated ribbon. The sleeves reach only to the elbow, below which the arm is covered with open-work filk mitts, The skirt is set off at the bottom with two narrow flounces of the material. Lace is much used for tunics, set on the edge of & square yoke, from which it falls straight down over the’ dress and is not belted in or set off with any drapery or sash of any kind. Such ® garment is very trying and calls fora tall, well-proportioned figure, which, of course, is dimly seen through its transparent folds. These tunics, which, by the way, may be made cither 01 piece lace, tulle or gauze. may be worn in light colors over dark, or in dark shades over light underskirts, as ecra_ tulle over pale green satin, or fine black chantilly over corn-colored silk. A LATE SUMMER GOWN. The last illustration shows still another nov- elty in late summer gowns—a terra cotta glace serge. The bottom of the skirt has three rows of satin ribbon of the sume shad, separated by open-work gold galloon. The corsage is trimmed in the same manuer and also has a pleated lace collarette. This collarette bas a straight collar covered with ribbon and ornamented with rib- bon loops falling over the lace, The cuffs are garnitured like the skirt and corsage. In spite of the fact that the summer girl has yet a brief space of time in which to dixplay ber dainty feet dressed in white canvas shoes or thrust into dark rnssets, yet it is quite ap- parent that she pauses now and then to give a thought to that glorious season of deep tones and gorgeous colorings which we call fall. What will the mistress of the modes proclaim? As yet I hear only whisperings. Green isto be & prime favorite, not dull shades, but vivid tints and tones, and browns, too, are to be very modish in strong colors. Purplish reds, known as magentas, will be in high favor, as also dublia, hyacinth and all the purples that get their brilliancy from red. Bonnets and hats will be relieved by velvet ribbon in cherry and Poppy, but there must be nothing loud or glaring; all must be rich, elegant and artistic. = see MARSHMALLOW ROASTS. A New Fad for Picnic al Seaside Par- ties. so)paRsuMaLiow ROASTS” ARE THE <A newest thing in summer resort diver- sions, ment is particularly charming. The simplicity of this form of One buys two or three pounds of marshmallows, invites half a dozen friends, and that is all the preparation required. However, a amallamount of kindiing wood must be taken along, with which to build asmall fire in an unfrequented spot on the Deach, away from crowds unfamiliar with so re- fined a species of entertainment. When the fire is blazing merrily or, better still,when it has died down to red embers, cach member of the party takes a sharpened stick and affixes upon the end of ita marshmallow. Simultaneously all those engaged hold their marshmallows over the embers, as close as pos- sible with avoidance of burning, and roast them carefully, turning the sticks around dex- sas to brown the marshmallows nicely on all sides. This requires some skill, because marshmallows are highly inflammable and will take fire if not very pradently hundled. THE MOST INTERESTING POINT about the process is that the marshmallows, in slowly roasting, swell up to considerably more than their normal size. When done they are morsels for the gods, resembling in flavor the most exquisite meringue, with a delicious nutty and crusty outside. It is a sort of sublimated combination of candy and cake, all in one bite, though the proper fashion is to nibble the roasted marshmallow off the end cf a stick. One set consumed each person pokes the point of his wooden skewer through anothér marshmallow. and the performance is repeated until everybody's appetite is satisied. _Miar-h- mallow roasts are an excelfent medium for flirtation, mutual regurd between a and young gentleman being apy hibited by nibbling the marshmal other's sticks, Accordingly the idea is sure to grow in favor and become fashionable. . MINIATURE RACERS. How Toy Boats Are Made for Youthful Satlors, 667J\HE FINEST TOY BOATS IN THE world are made in New York and Brook- lyn,” said a dealer in sporting goods toa Straw man yesterday. “Those which are entered by small but gilded youths in the races at Central and Prospect parks on appointed days when prizes are offered are actual reproductions on a diminutive scale of famous yachts. They meas- ure from three to six feet in length and cost from $40 to $75 each, sloopa and cutters being the favorites just now. Here is one that is copied after the original model of the celebrated Wasp and over there is another from the design of the Mayflower, which,s one of the most pop- ular and fastest patterns, ‘You can see for yourself how beautifully these boats are made, with sagls and rigging as complete as any real ‘yacht, decks with narrow stripe of different woods and an auto- matic steering apparatas, by which ight couree is maintained, the radder with the boom of ‘the mainsail. hull of each little craft is cut out from one solid block and the keel is of lead. All of these details a iy to the twelve-inch sloop, which can be ught for $3.50. That is the cheapest style of racing flyer, with practicable sails that Jowered and hosted and a brase ral all around. lowever, if you want nances appropri- ately clogant and elaborate no end of a ‘ey are meant to be dot And com way nd. skylights, which is intended to be fastened ‘ dock of's litle steamer. Tn this box are Government Clerks Start on a Pedestrian ‘Tour for Pleasure. water. Reaching the edge the viow is cent. | The river is fe walls and fifty feo Dies, sways and eddys, sheet and now broken down the incline sheer descent. now Taiting in @ solid yn into epray.enit rashes The fails are not solid nor ‘They rather resemble a TREY BIDE THE FIRST MILE IX 4 HORSE CAB | mill race. with a fall of 100 feet in 200 AND TAEN TAKE TUE ROAD —HoW THET WERE | sards, filled with eolid boulders and divided tm SOUIFFED Poa Tuxrm sovaxsr—mur winer | the center by Sat tala ea oe te up of short leaps, with swift rapids and or oe eee. | deep poala, into which the stream cuiien cae. bencamesd | @ force that sends up «pray and mist to ‘There are three of us, We are ment | eppesite chore and give 0 vannemten ot ehitting clerke and we have been in the Jong | rainbows, The water power which here goes to enough to realize that the weight of gov- | Waste can hardly be calculated. An. iminenae icnavank “aan c6k toams ec cation volume of water is concentrated into narrow Slone. We believe that the mighty interests | which center around our desks can best be served when we religiously take the thirty days allowed us for recaperation. The three days’ trip to Atlantic City and the thres weeks of pinchjng economy which follow is «failure, likewise the week's ducking down the Potomac. where only malaria is found. In Janaary the question of a summer vacation came up, it February it was pressing, and in March it was wettied. Willis ps A two weeks walking tour through the valley of Virginia. It was novel, | | cheap and at once voted ago. W honght | that a vacation in the open air, with <unshine, birds, trees, mountains, springs and a daily shifting panorama of daily scenes, might avert a threatened attack of nervous prostration, the result of overwork. Harry had no in anervous patient with 145 po: flesh, but he did believe that his geni artist would revel in an opportunity to sketch blue-wooded mountains aud harvest-laden val Ys. Alfred went because of the tun for botanical research. For Aif is a scientific George, was invited to form one ad after numerous conferences, extending over two months of time, an itinerary | Was agreed upon. The question of what t carry was canvassed over and over again, but Bo general agreement could be reached. No Man appreciates the number of daily which he enjoys until he trie which he can easiest dixpen move striking than the alacrity with which one man can give up another's vices. Alf clang to his bath brushes and scent ait was | rfectly willing that Willis’ pine hould be jeft out. At the last moment another feature was added to the party in the formof a younger brother of George, who was immediately ehris- | tened the kid. It is proper that in every party there should be some one member around whom the dfec- thons of all may center, and the kid formed this center. During the entire trip he was the first consideration, but besides being a bond of union he was a ready exeu-e for every man in the crowd. If Alf wanted milk it was because the kid looked hungry. If Harry proposed a | rest it was only because the kid looked tired. Take one by ail m He is a bald, bare but acceptable excuse for whatever auy one Wants. EQUIPPED FoR THE START. Sunday morning, June 12, was the day for the start, and 6.30 a.m. the hour. We were to start from Georgetown, aud each was free to reach there as he saw fit. Asa beginning to « walking tour with an itinerary covering 300 miles, each man took a street car to make the first mile. Willis was the last to arrive and he completed a group as interesting as often graces The dress of pints, but each the streets of the sleepy old town. all was alike in certain salient possessed some Unique Person: Tegulation green-lined whit rolled blankets an the points of resemblance: ‘ guishing mark was « pair of gold-bowed glasses and # stylish leathern belt, while George sought tecoguition in a pair of heave knee breeches that had been strongly if not artistically half soled with a different material, and long stoc tended to display the delicate shap well-developed calf. Willis’ peculiar’ that did not iast; it was a white shirt, and a start he was a joy to the eye, but after one day's dust and perspiration he so nearly resembled a member of the Wayside Wanderers’ Union that only dus white helmet saved him from the dogs at every farm house on the road. The route @lected was along the Conduit road, Washington’s famous a highway constructed by government engineers with their usual lavish disregard for cost, Through hills and over valleys it runs, with only such grades as are made necessary by permanent changes in the elevation of the country. Along the road Sunday morning picnickers in parties, in groups and in solitary couples might be seen. First a great "bus loaded with inughing | ied and tied-looking young would a mber past, filling the air with music and en- couraging the robin swinging on the tépmost bough to redouble his efforts with: his morning song. Then the black-covered market wagou | of our German grocer, seats and chairs filled With placid matron and noisy, fiaxen-haired ghildren, « happy family party drinking im the June air and showing it in their rosy cheeks, | while just in sight above the tailboard was the handle of a geuerous basket and the top of a/ little black keg. Next the single buggy with two souls that blend in one. A good horse, a smooth road, a handsome girl and a perfect June morning. A combination that leads to white veils and wedding bells. Parallel with the road and at no great dis- tance, but usually out of sight at the bottom of the hillside, with a heavy border of trees, runs the Chesapeake and Obio canal, once an im- portant highway for the commerce between the east and the west, but now a decaying moua- ment to the new order of things. Beyond that | again, over against the low, heavily wooded and | Tock-buttressed Virginia hills: the Potomac, | dashing through its rocky bed in its race for | ocean quiet, sends ite never-ending murmur, | low and sweet on soft sammer evenings, hoarse and fierce on winter nights when swollen floods are rushing down, A CAMP FOR LUNCH. By 11 o'clock early breakfasts, hastily eaten | and little enjoyed in the excitement of the start, | were forgotten. A little roadside store was raided and « supply of bacon, fresh eggs, bread andasolitary can of sour peaches secured. Harry knew of a good camping place just ahead. For once he was right. Between the road and the canal, under a heavy bluff, out of which a clear, cold apring trickled, there was a small, ievel spot curpeted with a whort, thick growth of grass and sheltered by a group of old oaks. Below the canal widened into broad water, originally a natural depression, now a small lake embowered in foliage, Glinting in the sunlight it is a diamond setin emeralds. and the slow canal boat, which crawls along the oppo- site shore seems to kuow that it mars a scene of sylvan beauty with itesuggestion of sordid trade. Every party has one member anxious to do all the ‘work. ‘The first dinner developed this in Willis. He would do the cooking. The rest might seek sweet repose while he prepared a rustic meal. He took hold at once. Harry was directed how to build a small oven, George and the kid sent to gather wood and Alf sct at work cutting kindling. When the fire was started he showed George how to glice and broil the bacon, sent the kid for water, made Harry break the eggs aud ordered Alf to spread a blanket and set = table. When pes was = inted ont to Harry the proper way to fry Sees, while some one else cut the bread and ned the can of peaches. He did everything. it a meal! Crisp bacon broiled over live coals, eggs fried with soft round yolk and dainty . generous slices of new bread with ings, canned peaches an: water. Dyspeptic stomachs that = day ose would have revolted at such a bill of fare were now more than satisfied. Air, exercise and sun- shine are the tonics which build up appetite. Leaving this camp the path soon reached the canal bank, and shortly a lock house was le ixty miles of tow- | was iret it pacacery nat deen? mepeaicer! and one lock house pnased give all the varicty and all the excitement which month of such will bring. the innocence of verdare we bad believed the | tales which Alf had woven about emooth é WATER POWER. channel, and under ite pounding the very rocks seem to tremble. There if it could be the city In a ph path « parts ig themetye ; Te Were enjor- the imumitable style of the African race. ming up the path our white helmets and knapsacks made ue conspleaous, War abead and at we came up there was don't y 0 of pain vidonils fe white brother wos so {& out of earshot he was explaining to hie dusky jon that “Dem ar white soldiers ts mighty uppish when dey don't now vowne dea” lining wan The black sold dan we passed ng that the day ng to a ally pre- xa Lit showed Nenrea, the first day's stop, six miles # An hour later a native declared it was three miles. Thia four footsore and pack- twenty minutes Inter at that it was jast three there lieve rubbed men, but w other nate suifening versation was limited to mono- ther hour pawed and a third na- rw that it was jnat throe too much and the may was roundly the various natives wdvised The result might George explained it on scientific grounds. The same thing bad occurred to hun before in Da kota, He wus jocated near Hapid City on « prairie where the ~ were fearfally bot and the winters « ondingly cold. By the Tailroad he was just teu mi on the town im Winter, but the heat of the «an to expand “1 the road bed that be Was fitte Undoubtedly the hat 1 the distance to Seneca acity of the natives, BW. G. > * HOT WEATHER, Watchmakers Say That Sudden Changes of eather Are Dangerous to Them. From the New York “Mainsprings are very much like people,” said a Browdway watchmaker the other day.” Phey are as susceptible to extreme degrees of beat and cold as human beings When the thermometer is hovering aroand the freezing point or darcing away up in the nineties the up in disgust and Just as mon #uceamb to little mainspring will give uncoil itself jer maid thaton Monday, August 1, ‘ived Be ty-nine watches to be fitted w mainsprings. This wason the Mon- day following the deadly hot apell of the Inst week in July. Other jewelers were seen, who reported greatly increased business because of broken mainsprings, This uncertain piece of mechaniam is sup- posed to be ndjasted to meet the various de grees of temporature, bat when the change is very great and comes with short notice there w nothing that can prevent them from «nap- ing. ‘They are made in Switverland of the finest quality of stesl. absolutely flaw- less, Very often the watchmaker can detect & bad «pring before putting it in the watch, either by it color or the softness of ite spring. These have been too ie tempered in the making and instead of “being subjected to mc « red heat the fire has been bronght to white heat, thus weakening the strength of the metal. ‘The finest watches that are handled reliable dealers cooking and free are put through « ” process before they wet testing ther re- temperature. The watch is firet metal box, whieh is made air- i tarned on tue under surface of the box and is kept there for two or three hours, #0 that the wateb is 80 of that time that it could not be touched with the bare band. From thie it ts immediately taken: and put inte another metallie oxthich is buried in ice There the costly watch ix alowed to freeze for an equal length of time, when its torture ceases and the ex- amination is made. If daring this excessive test the watch teked merri n without deviating w fractional part of @ The mainspriag is the first piece of mechanism that succumbs to the text, If it survives nothing else need be feared Mainsprings are, however, about the only partof awatch that the jeweler cannot #nc- ceastully diagnose. They eau guarantee any of the numberles« little wheels or pivots or bel- nees that go to make up the anatomy of the watch, but the main-pring has as vet baffled the most skilled makers of watchos of all countries, It is notso much the severe extremes of the weather that prove fatal to these wprings aa it is the process of King from hot to cold or vice versa. Like che human frame, if the rib- bon-ike little coil of steel can withstand the effects of thi change it proof aguinst bre. normal weather comes. Many people who have been possessors of new watches but a short time come into the dealer's with blood in their eves, a-claring that ther have paid an euorm ras price for the titns- piece and the mainspring has broken after ouly # week's use, That is nothing.” remarked the jeweler. “We have thom snap in onr ease before the watch has ever been shown forsale.” Others imagine that they might have wound the watch too tight, but this does not harm it. It ts rather the jerky, hurried winding that will eventually tell on the temper of the metal. Every good stera-winder has a placed im the atom, wpich prevents the winding too tight. Damp weather has an ill effect on muain- springs, and in Enziand they do not, as rale, last as Jong as in this country. A severe than- der and lightning storm also frequently proves disastrous to the durability of the «pring. The dealer who took in seventy-nine watebes on August 1 said that last summer on a day imime- diately following a terrific eicc‘rical storm there were twenty-one watcbes brought into his store within five hours for new mainsprings, ‘The cost of a new mains] wy the small of making such repair. It is the putting in, the labor expended, that costs. It coste from #12 to €15 to pat a mainspring in the Jurgensen watch and alittle les in « Patek Phillippe, while ina chesper American make it may cost only 30 cents or €1. A mon purchased x #300 Jargensen frome leading dealer several years ago, and shortly after he left fora tour around the world. He was gone a year and when ho returned he went back to the dealer with his watch and com- plained: “Here's a watch I paid vou $300 fora Year ago, and while 1 was traveling abroad it fost two minutes, You guarantecd it and I want to make it At as said that one bar of iron costing @5 will Produce €250,000 worth of Nearing the Great Falls the roar of rushing waters grows until conversation must be car- ried on in more than ordinary tones. The canal does not approach nearer than three-quarters of smile. Ahaltwas made £ A story is going about to the effect that the bishop of London recently took a cab from the house of lords to Pulham Palace, and on arriv- ‘Bis legal tare,