We've made it to the 7th week of our Green Box hunt. That means that there is only two boxes left for the year! This week's designer is a new one to the Green Box, it is David Kord.
There are people that love color, and there are people that LIVE color. The Kordvani family, whose colored stone journey began back in 1969, has spent the last 50+ years traveling the world, searching for its most unique and precious gems. David Kordvani is known to be a key figure in bringing Zambian emeralds to the United States back in the early 1970s.
“We buy stones we love, not stones we want to sell,” and this motto led David Kord to become one of the industry’s most prestige-colored stone brands and to begin a legacy of providing their clients with some of the rarest gemstones on the planet. Jason and Adam Kordvani, David’s sons, understand that each time they bring a stone to market, they are putting their family name on the line. It is with that in mind that each stone is carefully sourced and priced fairly.
In a statement, Jason said “over the course of my career I have seen many gemstone houses shift towards cutting diamonds, or move into other parts of our industry, but I never once considered changing our path, as colored gemstones are in our blood. We consider it our duty to supply the world with the gems we discover and help each one of our clients find their color.”
Our box finder this week will receive a 22.92ct 100% Natural Ethiopian Opal set in a 14k yellow gold paperclip necklace. The retail value of this beautiful piece is $22,000.
Green Box Status :: Has been found.
William Longstreet was a remarkable inventor and innovator, born in New Jersey in 1760. He later moved to Georgia, where he made significant contributions to the fields of steamboat technology and cotton gin improvement. In 1790, he wrote to Governor Telfair requesting assistance in building a steamboat, but it wasn't until 1806 that he successfully launched a boat on the Savannah River, which moved against the current at five miles per hour. (According to the Augusta Chronicle and several other local sources state that a "Steamboat is operated on the Savannah River by its inventor, William Longstreet" in 1806 other sources online thought it was 1807. If it did run in 1806, it would would be near a year prior to Robert Fulton’s Claremont. A difference was that Longstreet’s boat would use poles (creating a walking effect) for propulsion and Fulton’s boat would use paddles.
In 1800, William and Hannah crossed into South Carolina and purchased land in the Edgefield District, fourteen miles north of Augusta. They prospered as planters, with William buying a second residence in Augusta that the family lived in periodically until William's death on September 1,1814. That area that we choose to place the box would be at beautiful crossing of the Horn Creek near the Horn Creek Trail in the Long Cane Ranger District of the Francis Marion and Sumter National Forest, which box the location is almost 14 miles north (13.92) of Windsor Fine Jewelers.
Longstreet's work with steam power extended to other applications as well. He constructed steam engines and applied them to useful work, such as operating cotton gins. His so-called "breast roller" for cotton gins was major upgrade to the standard method of the gin He also designed portable steam sawmills, which he operated in various parts of Georgia. Tragically, many of his inventions were destroyed by fire or conflict, but his contributions to steam technology and the cotton industry cannot be overlooked.
#1 Clue, Friday Dec. 8th :: An effort that would span more than a decade.
According the Augusta America Guide Series, William had worked on the steamboat invention for about 15 years. His steamboat would be documented by the newspaper, as it crawled up the river 5 miles per hour against the current. On February 1, 1788, the Georgia legislature awarded Augusta inventor William Longstreet and his associate Isaac Briggs a patent for a steam engine. It is the only patent issued by the state because this was before the adoption of the Federal Constitution.
#2 Clue, Saturday Dec. 9th :: You may see a count down before you see this box.
There’s a pole in the concrete near the location that has 3, 2, 1 written on it.
#3 Clue, Sunday Dec. 10th :: A method that seems odd to us now, but was more common for the time.
Longstreet’s boat used poles for propulsion instead of paddles, which gave the appearance that his boat was somewhat walking in the river. Though it seem strange, poleboats were quite popular during that time. By the mid 1700’s The colonists began to build larger boats of hewn or rough lumber, which were guided downriver with the current by long poles. The poles were also used to or "pole" the boats upriver against the current on the return trip from Savannah to Augusta. These boats naturally became known as "Poleboats." As trade demanded, their size increased and finally they could carry almost unbelievable amounts of cargo. When running cargo from Augusta to Savannah, the years of the poleboat prosperity were estimated to be between 1815-1820. During that window, it’s written there there were somewhere near 100 poleboats running the Savannah River. Williams idea was to have the boat propelled by a series of poles so arranged on a shaft that as the shaft turned on its axis the poles would strike the bottom of the river and push the boat along. This was certainly very clumsy, but a boat of this kind was made and put on the Savannah River in 1806 and moved by steam power. Robert Fulton’s boat, the Clermont, made its trial trip on the Hudson River in August 1807. He made use of paddle wheels to strike the water instead of poles to strike the river bottom. Paddle wheels were a great improvement and Robert Fulton is called the inventor of the steam boat. To him belongs the idea of paddle wheels while to William Longstreet belongs the honor of having first made a boat run by steam power.
#4 Clue, Monday Dec. 11th :: One's desire for personal satisfaction outweighed the desire for wealth.
“Longstreet headed the boat down the river, and went in that direction for several miles. Then he turned the head of the little boat upstream; and, although the current was swift, he carried his passengers back to the wharf, and several miles above. From that hour William Longstreet became a man of some consequence in the community. Those who had ridiculed him now sang his praises, and those who had doubted that steam could be used as a motive power were now convinced. His friends tried hard to get him to go to Washington and secure the benefits of a patent for his invention; but he persistently refused to take any steps to profit by the results of his genius, or indeed to make his invention known. His constant reply to all those who tried to persuade him to go to Washington was, that he had carried on his experiments simply to prove the truth of his theory to his own satisfaction, and to convince those whose respect he coveted that he was neither a fool nor a crank.” Gutenberg.org.
#5 Clue, Tuesday Dec. 12th :: Entertaining at another's expense.
William was called out in while watching a play in a Georgia theatre (we believe it was on Bay Street) when the actor sand a song to William mocking his efforts to build a steamboat. He sang *Can you row the boat ashore, Billy-boy, Billy-boy? Can you row the boat ashore, Gentle Billy? Can you row the boat ashore, Without a paddle or an oar, Billy-boy?" Tradition relates that Mr. Longstreet was in the theater when this precious effusion was first warbled, and nettled alike at the song and the titters with which it was greeted, rose from his seat, fixed a glance on the son of Thespis, which caused the notes to die away in his throat, and majestically strode out of the building.
#6 Clue, Wednesday Dec. 13th :: In an area of recreation not far from prosperity.
14 Miles north of Augusta, is where William Longstreet would prosper but “Augusta” is covers a larger area but you could find the 3,2,1 post from google maps and enough time.
#7 Clue, Thursday Dec. 14th :: Nearly the same distance that another found prosperity, start from Windsor and you could prosper as well.
The area we choose was 14 miles (we’re at 13.92) north of Windsor Fine Jewelers, it lands at the beautiful forest road (fs-634) that rolls through Horn Creek in Long Cane Ranger District. The view here is perfect for a picnic and it runs parallel to the Horn Creek trail.
#8 Clue, Friday Dec. 15th :: Ridiculed for the idea and the materials.
William was ridiculed for his idea of the steamboat publicly for quite some time, but those moments that his boat ran on the river changed everything.
#9 Clue, Saturday Dec. 16th (clue in advance) :: Which way and how far are on a page of a relative’s book.
This location was on page 16 of the book General James Longstreet.
Bonus Clue at Gerald Jones Auto Group :: Organic instead of inorganic.
Due to the expense of production, William Longstreet chose to build his boilers from oak and iron bands instead expensive steam-boilers that were made of iron.
The Bonus Clue :: From now to the end of this season you'll be able to visit any dealership of the Gerald Jones Auto Group starting at 10am for a bonus clue for each Green Box (that's one clue for the whole week). This clue will not be emailed, texted, on social or on our websites. In turn, the Auto Group will draw one a winner from this season to receive a new $35,000 car! Learn about the details here.
Also, if you want to learn more about the game or haven't signed up for the daily clue to be sent you, you may do so here. Also the Green Box will be not just hidden, but well disguised. Also, there is Facebook group for hunters that can be found here. Please, note that only the first clue of the week will be posted on our social media. Visit Windsor Fine Jewelers today at 2635 Washington Rd, Augusta, GA 30904 or call us at (706) 738-7777.