Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-12-14
Arizona DiaInonds.


Since the days of the exploration and con-
quest of the southern portions of the American
continent by Herman Cortcz and his hard
hitting, piouS and plunder-loving followers, the
belief that Arizona-in which there were then
situated as we now know, the famous "King-
dom of Cibola" for which Coronado and De
Soto sought so long from opposite directions
abounded in the precious metals and precious
stones, has been current. So far as the precious
metals are concerned, recent explorations have
abundautly demonstrated the truth of the old
traditions, and it is not impossible, we might
say perhaps not improbable, that the deposits
of precious stones, which the AZtecs worked cen
turies ago, are soon to be found. 1t is known
that the AztecS occupied Arizona in carly days,
and that they assured Cortez and his followers
that the precious stones, OF which they had Il
considerable store, came from the far north be-
yond the limits Of the empire of Moutezuma, as
the Spaniards found it. The ruins of those
cities are scattered through central Arizona
and are outside the greater ruins running in a
Semi-circle from the vicinity of Wickeuburg on
the Hassiyapi, far to the northwald into the
country of the Colorado ChiquitO, around the
Black Forest and San Francisco mountains,
and soGtheastward to the ella, East of the
mouth of the Salinas is found a range of minor
ruins on the hill-tops near running wa
ter supposed at FIRST to have been tenn
pies of the sun, but now admitted to have
been entrenched in mining camps, located in an
enemy's country, or in a country subject TO
raids from a hostile peOple-probahy the an
ceStors OF the sanity and lamb-like Apache pets
of Vincent Collyer of the present day. In the
vicinity of many of these camps, Stag and 9th,
er evidences of working for silver and gold are
found, but in Others no traces OF the precious
metals are found, and the inference that the oc-
cupants must have been seeking for something
else, is quite natural. One Of these ruins is To-
Gated on a bed of lava which flowed for hun
dred miles to the southeast from the now silent
,,,fM nun Son TO
miles from water. The builders of that camp
were evidently cutting through the lava and
mining for something underneath it, Years
ago Kit CarSon's men, in passing through the
Navajo country, in New Mexico, and the east
ern portion of the never fully explored country
of the Moquis, found on a graYely plain large
quantities Of small red stones in the earth, car
ried out by the red ants of the country, and car
ricd some of them away with them. Years af-
ter, Fred Henry, a well known Indian fighter
and miner, gave number of these stones to a
gentleman from this city, who had one of them
ground by lapidary, and it proved to be gen
uine ruby, though not very valuable, on nc.
count OF its dark color, the lighter hued ones
having the preference in the market A very
pale emerald, found on the Hasyampi accom-
panied the rubies, and all the stones are now in
the cabinet of Wells female college, Auburn
N. Y. Other rllbies of similar character have
been brought here from time to time by exDlor-
ers, and have been seen by various jewellers in
this city. The diamond is generally found in a
country producing the ruby and emerald and
the opinion that il would be discovered in Ari-
iona appears to have been verified
A Montgomery street jeweller informs ne
that few months since party of explorers
in Arizona found among ant.hills some brieht
stones which took their fancy, aud they brouaht
some of them away Some of these stones were
scattered around aud lost-and by far the
finest, described as being the size of a common
chestnut, was placed ON an anvil and smashed in
athousand pieces, as a test OF its bsing a dia-
m0nd, il being popular fallacy that Il real
diamond cannot be broken by any metallic or
mineral substance less hard than itself, After
inns no particular attention was paid TO Them
until one which had been sent 10 Boston and
cut by lapidary, was returned here certified m
pea brilliant of the purest water, lof two carers
weight, and wC1th from $500 to 5000 II vns
here shown to Il Montgomery street icycIinr
ilom whom we have the above pafiirnlsrs'
Upon its being returned here with the news If
its character and value, the party quietly dtted
out for another trip, and returned to Ariznno
Nothing has since been heard from them. but
if they do not fall victims to the relentless2ye
beg pardon, the kind, gentle and Trustworthy
Apache, we Shall probably in due time have
something more to tell about their discoveries