Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1876-03-16
MINES And MINING G.
DIAMONDS.

The story is told by George L. Mondou, the
discoyerer. Mr.. Mondou says that on Sun-
dav last he visited the family Of James W.
Bell. owner Of the Bell ranch on San Greg
orio creek, San Mateo county. While there
the subject of the existence of quicksilver
on the Bell ranch was preached, and Mon
dou suggested to James M. Bell, a son OF
the James M. Bell above named, that they
prospect the adjacent hills for cinnabar.
These hills are a continuation of the New
Alneden range, andcontain good indications
of having large deposits OF quicksilver. 1t
is only a short while since, in fact, that a
very important discovery of cinnabar i'll this
very range of hills, and in the vicinity Of the
alleged discovery of diamonds, was reported
in the San Mateo papers. Mondou's propo-
sition was accepted, and the two at once
started out with picks, shovel and pan
They assembled San Gregorio creek, Which
is a narrow rayine bounded on each side by
steep and rocky slopes. Their attention
was finally attracted by a large boulder rest
ing in a creyice in the rock on a bed OF bright
sand. After a little labor the boulder was
removed, and behind it lay a mass OF bril-
liant CRYSTALS embedded in the sand. Neither
of the two men knew the nature of the bril-
liants they had so Unexpectedly u%nearthed,
but both were impressed with the idea that
they were of some value. Hastily scraping
together the contents of the creyice, they
packed it carefully into bags and then con-
cealed them, having, however, previously
picked out from two to three hundred spec
linens Of the sparkling crystals. They then
returned to the ranch house and showed one
of the specimens to the elder Bell. He at
once gave it as his opinion that the stone
was a rough diamond, and was very anxious
to learn the whereabouts Of the discovery.
Neither his son nor Mondou would, however,
give any information whatever until he gave
them a bill of sale for a third interest each
in a diamond claim on San Gregorio creek,
reserying to himself the other third. The
bill Of sale represents that ssthe claim is par
t~icularly described about four feet square
under a big boulder rock.n The discoyerer,
George r. Mondou, further alleges that he
showed some of the specimens to parties in
the town OF San Mateo, who profess to be
precious stone experts, and they pronounced
them to be pure diamonds. lie is now in
this city, and states that he took one of the
stones, claimed to have been found near the
boulder, to a jeWeler, whose name he had
not taken the pains to ascertain, and he not
only declared it to be a rough diamond, but
offered him S25 for it. The stone is about
one-third the size Of an ordinary garden pea.
The largest specimens are about double the
size Of a castor bean.
The spot where George Mondou and the
younger Bell claim to have made this won
derful discovery, is about fifty-three miles
from San Francisco, and about midway be-
tween Spanish Town and Pescadero. The
Bell ranch, on which the discovery claim is
situated. covers an area Of 1000 acres.
Mondou says that he and his partner pros
pecteu the neighborhood carefully for other
deposits, but failed to find any. He repre-
sents that great excitement prevails among
the %neighboring ranchmen, who have left
ploW, harrow and seeding machines, and
taken to the hills to prospect for diamonds.
This afternoon he returns to Redwood City
to record his claim, i'll the richness of which
he has, apparently, the greatest faith.-San
Francisco Bulletin, FEB. s,
The total product Of the precious metals
throughout the world for the year 1874 is
stated at the following figures: Gold, $121,-
3D. 9l; silver, $50, 9oo, 753. OF this amount
the United States produced $40, 900 gold,
and $50, 900, 900 silver. Australia and New
Zealand come next in gold-S35, 00O, 900