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Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 1035, 30 August 1883, Page 4

. In view of the diamond craze in Canterbury, th ■ following extract from a letter to the Boston Journal may be read ; with interest:—Colored diamonds are sup posed to be manufactured now-a-days for the unwary, but I hear of a new dodge reqently. ~ A photographer who has had

considerable experience in expert detec- , , tive cases, said to me: “We have a new use for photography—the testing of pre■r cious stones. The busine-s began in this ; way: One day recently a diamond expert with quite a reputation in the business was asked by a stranger to buy a remarkably 6ne diamond. B,ooodols was asked for it. The expert tested it in every manner known to the business, and examined j it carefully with a glass. It was a mag,jflificent atone* ®f superb color and shape. He offered 7,oCodols, and the man took the money and went away. A day or two after that the stone was shown as a great bargain to some other experts, ■' . on© of whom, after examining it closely for a long time, declared that there was something "very'peculiar about the way in which the light went through the stone. The owner was advised to take it to me and have it tested by a ray of sunlight , sent through a camera. It was brought ; -to Wy studio with several other diamonds, and whereas one diamond would allow a

beam of light to pass clear and straight, the 7,000d0l stone seemed to have somej . thing in it which stopped the beam. A powerful microscope was then brought into play, and the fine diamond was found to be two stones joined together with marvellous dexterity by the aid of what &; known as Canada balsam, the material 'used by all opticians in joining two lenses. Each atone was worth’ about 1,250d01, - 'and ' the loss on the transaction was 4,500d01. The stones came apart on the application of certain chemicals. Two troopers of the Viceroy’s bodyguard were sentenced to a week’s imprisonment each for some brawl that they had been mixed' Up with in the Dehra bazaar at Allahabad. The sentence

against the two troopers was viewed by. the general body of the corps with feelr; : ings of wrath and indignation, and between seven and eight o'clock one night a body of some thiity of their number visited the bazaar, and beginning fr.im one end of it to the other, they struck out right and left all whom they came across —men, old men, women, children, blind

■ and halt, all indiscriminately came in for a~share of their bru;al pastime. Fortunately none were armed with swords, but In place of these they wielded sticks and bludgeons. The unoffending loi erera in the streets were quite unprepared for this demonstration, and no less than bout three score’ wounded victims were re-

ceived in ( o the military hospital' for treat- ' ■ ment. How many m >re be-does the number receiving aid we a hurt in this oi;o- ---• • aid^d'fight, a unknown. One paper says: ,( ' ’‘'The dispensary was pretty foil, .onBideriri'r some sixty odd of the wounded went there to be attended to. One of these had his arm between the elbow and ■ the shoulder shattered to pieces, others were less seriously wounded The. whole of the bazaar people are extreme'y indignant at this brutal treatment, and have closed all the shops and decline to supply the necessaries of life until they get some redress -and protection at the h.nds of the authorities/’ Sixteen of the rioters

■ were identified and arrested. - j In the United States the question, ‘ “ Will wheat continue a paying crop ?” is ,<> being- discussed. it is felt by many farmers that the rapidly extending cultivation Of wheat betwefen the Mississippi and the Rocky Mountains, and in Dakota, Manitoba, and other Canadian provinces, and on the Pacific coast, will soon outstrip f -...-the de'mabd, ans that all farm products (wheat included) will cease to pay the actual cost of raising. The consumption of wheat is estimated to range from four to five bushels per head, excluding infants. The present annual product of the United states averages about twice that amount for the entire population over three years ‘ of age; The - outcome of the argument is ■ ' that the foreign demand will continue to increase as it has hitherto done on every small decline in prices; that * the - cost of transit by railway and water is also being cheapened, s > that the price netted by • the grower • -is not likely to be much affected for some time to come. The conclusions, as stated by the American Agriculturalist, «ib Hi that when wheat can be obtained in Chicago at 80 cents to 85 cents per bushel, it can be laid down in Europe at prices that will immensely increase consumption, and defy competition from Southeastern ;Europe, India, Australia, etc. In the principal wheat regions of the West, the estimated cost of growing wheat, and delivering it to near railway stations is 40 cents to 45 cents jer bushel. At points not too distant to allow it to be freighted to Chicago for 15 cents to 25 cents per bushel, it will long continue a paying crop, at least until the annual production shall have doubled or quadrupled, and even then we believe Europe will be a ready customer for all ' we have to spare, without reducing prices here below remunerative rates.” Wells’ “Rough on Corns.”—Ask for Wells’ “Rough on Corns,” Quick relief, complete, permanent cure. Corns, warts, ■'-'btfmbnS. ’ Moses, Moss and Co., Sydney, General Agents. 3 Oh, hbw refreshing,' palatable, and reviving h a draught of cool water, with. Hop Bitters in .yXj*; tob fever patient.'' jS- j - ; t