THE MOST COSTLY THINGS IN THE WORLD.

Otago Witness, Issue 2253, 6 May 1897, Page 50

THE MOST COSTLY THINGS IN THE WORLD.

Don't You Wish You owned Them.

The costliest building of modern times is the State Capitol at Albany, U.S., which has already had spent upon it the immense sum of £4,000.000.

The highest price ever paid for a horse was tbat given for the mighty racehorse Ormonde, whioh totalled up to no less than £30,000. It should be remembered that this famous horse never lost a race in all his career on the turf.

Apart from racehorses, the largest sum paid for a horse was that of £25,000, which Senator jgtaiiford gave for- Arion in 1892 — to Mr Forbes, of Boston.

The coßtließt paintings of modern times have been Meisaonier's " 1814," and Millet's " Angelus." M, Ghauchard gave £35,000 for "1814," and £30,000 for the " Angelas." These two paintings are, in the opinion of all connoisseurs, quite worth their money, which is more than can be said for all the things which have cost a large amount.

The Shah of Persia, who owns so many valuable articles of jewellery and fancy good?, is the possessor of what is doubtless the most expensive pipe in the world, it being worth some £80,000. The whole of the long stem and bowl is simply encrusted with jewels. There is a book, a Hebrew Bible, in the Vatican Library which Pope Julius ll refused to tell for its weight in gold ; and as this would have totalled to £21,000, this may be taken as the most valuaole book in the world.

The most expensive toy- ever' bought was a broken-nosed wooden horse, which had belonged to Napoleon Buonaparte, and which was sold a few years ago for £480. The greatest sum ever asked or offered for a single diamond is £430,000, which the Nizam of Hyderabad agreed to give Mr Jacobs, the famous jeweller of Simle, for the " Imparial " diamond. This is now considered the finest stone in the world.

His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales had the costliest cigars ever brought to this country, when he received a brand of Havanas for which the manufacturer's price was 183 each.

For a cane that was once the property of George 111, and afterwards of George IV., the sum of £18 was given at an auction in London. It was an ebony walking stick, with a gold top, engraved " G R. " and with a crown; and also contained some locks of hair of the Princesses Elizabeth, Mary, and Sophia.

To the Shah ol Persia and the Sultan of Turkey belongs the honour o£ possessing the finest mats on the globe. Each of the mats is partly made of pearls and diamonds, and is valued at' £500.000. The largest carpet ever made was for the Carlton Club. It is a superb specimen, and cost £8000. The late Colonel North's greyhound Fullerton, which won the Waterloo Cup four times, was sold for 1000g3, which is the highest price ever paid for a sporting dog. The well-known St. Bernard, Plihlimmon, however, fetched some £4250 . a few years ago. The largest amount paid for telegraph feeß in one week by one firm was when the Times paid £GOOO for the cable service from Baenoa Ayres during the Revolution. This was for one week's despatches The Gaekwar of Barodo, in India, has tho

. most costly regalia of any sovereign. The . gorgeous collar contains 500 diamonds, arranged in five rows. There is also a top * and bottom row of emeralds, while the pen- ' dant is composed of a single brilliant, called the " Star of the Deccan."