MORSE, Henry Dutton, diamond-cutter, born in Boston, Massachusetts, 20 April, 1826; died in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, 1 January, 1888. In early life he learned the engraver's trade, and afterward became a jeweler. He turned his attention to diamond-cutting in 1861, shortly after intelligence of the great yield of the South African diamond fields had been received. Mr. Benjamin S. Pray, of Boston, was then engaged in the African trade, and brought some rough stones to this country with the idea of competing with foreign dealers. Hr. Morse became associated with Mr. Pray, and before the end of a year diamond-cutting in the United States had become a reality. The business was established under the name of the Morse diamond-cutting company, Hr. Morse superintending all the work. It was necessary to employ Dutch experts at first for cutting and polishing, but whenever they were engaged they maintained the same secrecy respecting their art as in their own country, and displayed the same dictatorial spirit toward their employers. In spite of this Mr. Morse succeeded in discovering what was so carefully concealed, and surreptitiously imparted the information to American boys in a suburb of Boston. As a result of this policy when the foreigners struck he was ready to fill their places with other workers. In 1869 Mr. Morse established his fame as a diamond-cutter by the skill that he displayed in the treatment of a 50-carat stone found in Manchester, nearly opposite Richmond, Virginia Lapidaries who worked at it in the rough expressed the opinion that it would be almost impossible to obtain a first-water stone of any size whatever from the original gem, but that it would be better to cut it into smaller fragmentary crystals. Hr. Morse undertook the task of cutting it, and by adroit manipulation and study of the laws of light and geometrical relations, he produced a brilliant 12-carat diamond. He also invented a cutting and polishing machine, which reduced in a great measure the tediousness and inaccuracy of the old manual process. As an amateur artist he painted many well-known pictures of animals. He was also a skilled taxidermist, and prepared several fine collections of birds, regarding the natural history of which his knowledge was extensive and accurate.