40 



THE GUIDE TO NATURE. 



• '•JlYAY AVAVAVJL.VAVAV^VA.VAVAVAV'jr/-iCVAV'A^A.V^VAV AV1VA VA VA v A v g VAVA y^ 



I 



ywy ywyyuwyywwywyyw yyyy 



yrixoorasrocxxpOcnnooaDaoocCg^^ 



THE MINERAL COLLECTOR 



orPOOcrrxrraxtxPooooQroocrraca^ 





avAVAVAVAVAVA.7AYAVAVArAVAyAY^Y^YAYA7AyAyAyAVAVAVA VA VA vi rrx~TT 



How an Inspiration Became an Ac- 

 tuality. 



THE PURCHASE OF A FEW SPECIMENS 

 LEADS TO NIK FORMING OF A WORLD- 

 WIDE ESTABLISH MENT. 



While in New York City recently I 

 had the pleasure of visiting the well- 

 known mineralogist and gem expert, 

 Mr. Albert H. Petereit. and was greatly 

 interested in the wonderful collection of 

 rare minerals and gems which he had 

 ci dlected. 



to know how Mr. Petereit received his 

 first inspiration for collecting such a 

 beautiful and diversified lot of nature's 

 wonders 1 asked him regarding same 

 whereupon he informed me how he, 

 twenty-four years ago. received his first 

 idea. Upon returning home one even- 

 ing from his office I he at that time was 

 employed as a mechanical engineer ) he 

 passed a vender on a street corner of a 

 busy thoroughfare who had some speci- 

 mens on a small wooden stand. After 



FIG. 1. MR. PETEREIT DICTATING TO HIS ASSISTANT. 



I felt so impressed hy these that 1 

 considered it both my duty and a pleas- 

 ure to tell those whom it may interest all 

 about his remarkable establishment. 

 After receiving Mr. Petereit's permis- 

 sion to write an article on and take 

 photographs of his different depart- 

 ments especially for this magazine. I 

 prepared myself for a second visit with 

 my camera. 



Thinking it also would be of interest 



inquiring as to the prices of these speci- 

 mens he ended 1>\ purchasing the whole 

 lot, but did not feel satisfied with these 

 alone so purchased more on the evening 

 following, in fact, all that the vender 

 had. Xot having taken special notice 

 before of the forms of the pyrite, calcite 

 and quartz. Mr. Petereit was greatly 

 surprised to see the various forms and 

 beauty of these. I was then impressed 

 with the fact that the qualifications of a 



