Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-11-06
How an Old AtInntihn Lost a For.
tune-A Georgia Diamond worth

elastic sandstone, the matrix Of the dia-
mond. 1t extends throughout the coun-
try for thirty miles, and in every gold
deposit, or branch mine near II, have
been found splendid diamonds by the
gold washers, who, being totally igno-
rant Of their nature or value, either lost
or destroyed most of them Some were
sent to Europe to be cut and set in jew
elry, but most of them were lost. Some
Of them are in the hands of the finders,
who keep them as mementoes, in their
rough state Being entirely ignorant of
their nature or value, none were picked
up but such as were without incrusta-
ton, which, in Brazil and Golconda,
amounts to only the one-tenth part Of
the whole product. -Four ffths Of all
the diamonds found in any country are
small, and only fit for mechanical pur-
poses, in general being less than half a
carat, or from one to two grains. The
carat is fraction less than four grains,
(three and one-sixth), but in all esti-
mates and sales in the mines the caratis
put at four grains, 1t originated from
the use of the seed of a plant in the
East Indies in the sale Of diamonds.
This berry, which grows only in that re-
gion, though not very accurate, answer
ed the purposes of the semi-civilized In
dians for several thousand years.
The yield in Brazil, for forty years,
from the labor of from 10000 to 10000
hands, ranged between 1000 and 1900
ounces. OF this large amount they
rarely found more than three or four,
and never more than ten, that weighed
more than thirty carats These facts
strongly confirm the opinion th9t, when
developed, Hall county will be as rich
in diamonds as Brazil, and contain even
a larger per cent Of sizabie ones of the
first water. In washing for gold, all the
large ones would, from the construction
of the machines, necessarily be lost or
thrown away with the quartz gravel
with which they are associated, and only
such as passed into the riiilers, with the
grains Of gold and fine sand, would be
found in the paintings, after the day s
work was done. All of those found in
Hall county were thus found, weighing
from two to six carats, some few less,
and three were of large size. One of
these, as before stated, was broken up
to see the cause of their lustre, by the
ignorant miners. Another was used for
years, by the boys as m'ddle-man "
in playing marbles and the largest one
by far was lost by DR.. Lloyd who was
employed to oversee thirty negroes in
working the Glade gold mine, q deposit
twelve miles northeast Of Gainesville.
During the four years hewas employed,
he picked out Of the sands Of the pan
nlngs LOT eolu every hign'' a'ier Ie '"e uay 2
Washing was over, ABOUT nan a pins o'
pretty stones, whlcn ne gay gave 70 ms wile,
VINO put tne1i III niuslara po'.ie III III q"
9iu cuppoar1, eAeep' euen 40 'ie oi'I
dren TOOK fancy 10, Whleh were geher-
ally lost; Wnen the oottie was iuii' sne
made little bag ana put tnem mo tnat
Tor iuture amusement some Oh these,
from their size ana reputeu lustre, must
have been worth from twenty thousa9u .
TO my thopsah1 uoiIars' nut Sne p,s
one was lounu Iy nimsell ~niist 1 mor1-
ing IN lhe pl' III tae pl''Ie VI sim n"Iu, ~
ne salu thaI aoout 1wo h?urs w sun AnS
ha9 no watchl while ,.T raislnS "a, y sla1e''
ne ,. lou.u sit"w cs J h.;%ht % ard sb;n;ng
onIP, oni,, or 'nn nn. s;de ,ha etbar side be;ne
orod onry o,i og ,h 'au c,r.t s or Srowr stnfF II
coseaIu a, vi .ho us' o;so of T gn;noo acc y
pas a"Ius 'uv ahaJ "a 20 Ioan tbo vbsosel-
peIng naru PusnIu ;.I Il ~. Aep prai aIo so 20
earroHs ni,eS "isn so.a ssL;, s,oL';, o. ia ."
inrnish erlb iIF eonSsAn. MS,rns .ae nc "h;aS ,a
u on lle oanh Wy sIa ,ga 49, tee' 49, ~
stoou Siose " un'n ",s"s "nop ,e III ~
tenuea W ;ahe ,tuI oI;iJson ~ liz eao na hoin~ S
Eve !. 70 His of % ,be n nrettv stonos be ba5
fhe iarges. oi Lo ine PHI PHI oamo s' ,ba m~ ma"
l4gnu, ll, . pu' ,,.;ad wnes pf % ,Sa;r soiJ IA san5
ot'ass were elnp'iesS a. ~ 'mem , sij he o" eor
anu, III oAan yl's ttii ,,,1, y. ,~o .toOo tU nv ~
gov T al apou. ~ b,sty sioIs, ~ st,,,,,
1weiVs yeaIs ,ii.elSatus no ~"o
rougn ulanloHu, anu a. onee S Is..Io
the eonsen.s ol sne III ,us'lIu in;l - LII
anu tne piS one ne 'aS Le cannS ts, ~ ~ ,'L;1
s-ta Wy. 2oIu tha I,au, inaso az ovn;reJ and he
pretty stons tre .Jsse IL P.,0u, n, s"h bo,o ,n
company VINO enp;1ssa 4 W s1n' hont pVh 'ho
Ine MINUS auu Hhlb |Ppth. -fHNNs s.N