Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-12-05
CnlInnse aron, sw,nhIc.

a familiar literary anecdote is that which re.
lates that in a certain treatise chapter with
the title, "Snakes in Ireland" contained only
this sentence: There are no snakes in Ireland"
The author who undertakes to describe the
resources of Arizona, may with equal propriety
dispose Of one branch Of his subject with the
words, "There are no diamonds in Arizona"
At least, there are none so far as we know at
present, and the bushels of them that were re-
ported to be scattered over an underlined but
extensive area there, are now proved to have no
existence. Nobody but a portion of the
creduous public has believed in the diamond
fields of Arizona. The men who did believe
that diamonds had been found somewhere in
the western part of the continent, and that they
knew where 10 find more, and have proved the
sincerity of their belief by paying handsomely
for the secret, knew that the place said to be so
rich in precious stones was in Wyoming terri
tory. But that place has now been scientiiical-
ly and thoroughly explored by competent
experts, and even those persons who have the
greatest interest in unfolding the value Of their
mines, admit that they have been deluded and
swindled by an ingenious adyenturer.
III CItull Vi luS CN pOSufc IS uuS 10 MT. Clar-
ence King, geologist and chief of an exploring
expedition in the service of the United States.
The history of the fraud and its detection, as
told in late California papers, may be briefly
told. Some time last spring Or summer two
men, named Slack and Arnold, appeared in San
Francisco and con6ded to certain capitalists OF
that city their discovery of an extensive da
mond field, and their willingness to dispose Of
an interest in it. AT their suggestion an agent
was sent to investigate, who visited the place in
their company, and, having looked where they
directed, found a considerable number of rough
gems, and returned with favorable report.
The gems were submitted to an expert of un-
doubted skill, who pronounced them to be
genuine. Another agent, an accomplished min
ing engineer, was then sent to make more
thorough examination of the ground, and
he also made favorable report, showing
$751; 900 or $780, 900 worth of gems as the suit
of washing out a ton and half of gravel. On
his return capitalists advanced money for the
development of this new source of wealth, the
San Francisco and New York mining and com
mercial company, of which General Mcclellan
was one Of the officers, was organized, all sorts
of startling reports got wind, and the diamond
excitement spread over the country. Mr..
Stacks name does not appear again in connec-
ton with the affair, but Arnold is said to have
received from the credulous capitalists not less
than S650,000 in cash He has not confdcd to
an interested public where he proposes to spend
this handsome sum, nor has he left his address
with the California capitalists, who would like
to ask him this and other questions.
Mr.. Clarence King was the first to take meas
ures Thoroughly 10 test the reality Of the alleged
discoveries. His motive was, as he says, to ascer
tain whether so marvellous deposit actually
existed within the limits of his appointed work,
the survey of the fortieth parallel, and if so to
study it as his duty required. Having reached
the place and ascertained that it was the same
where previous explorers had discovered gems
he looked for himself and found without
difficulty diamonds aud rubies, but they were
not distributed as they probably would
have been by the unassisted forces of
nature. He found them on the surface
of the ground in certain rock creviccs,
IN which the soil appeared to have been tam.
pered with, in the earth near the head of a Ger.
tain gulch, and in some ant hills, where also
marks of human interference were found. Mr..
King examined the earth below the surface in
many places, creyces aud ant hills which had
evidently not been disturbed, the lower part of
the ruby gulcb," and in none of these places
did he find single gem. In report to the
company be sums up his conclusions in these
words;
That the gems exist in positions where nature
alone could never have placed them.
mat they do not exist where, bad the occur
renee been genuine, the inevitable laws Of ma
ture must have carried them
Finally, that some designing hand has
sailed them, with deliberate fraudulent in.
tent.
Furthermore, this is the work of no common
swindler, but Of one who has known enough 10
select spot where every geological parallclism
added full probability of honesty.
At the request OF the directors of the com
pany, Mr.. King RETAINED from publishing his
report until the company's manager and en-
gineer should have had an opportunity to make
a re-examina'ion. This was done and these
gentlemen were obliged to concur with Mr.. King
10 every particular, and they 50 reported. One
of them says that stones were found "where il
would have been as impossible for nature TO
have deposited them, as for a person standing
IN San Francisco 10 toss marble in
the air and have it fall on Bunker Hin
monument" The engineer of the com
pany, who had previously reported favor.
aoiy' was evidently deeply thagrined at having
peen 50 easily taken in. There appears to be
no doubt OF the entire good faith Of all the Off.
GERS o. the company. They were the dupes of
an ingenious and enterprising scoundreI. who
has made himself rich at their expense. They
have caused The reports above mentioned TO he
published, and announce that no further stocE
Of TIE company win be issued circulated or
transferred, and at the earliest moment tho cor.
theaies will be cancelled and the company dix.
solved.
A ookL suBJEor.-lhe San Francisco papers
POKE iun at the victims Of the diamond swinde