The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-08-25
DianlOnds.

2 Diamonds.
| Diamcntina, once the diamond head Of TIN
world, writes Alfred b. Smith, from Brazil, is
To-day like one who trcads alone some banquet
7 hall deserted" Men who IA icwyears ago had
their hundreds Of thousands of milrics, to-day
are forced to beg for the bread and farina they
eat. This was caused by the fall in the price
of diamonds Of which they had many or
= hand In the European market diamonds arc
scarce and cheap. 4 diamond which would
have sold for two COntos--Onc thousand dollar,
six wears ago today goes begging for two
hundred dollars purchased Il diamond to
day for fifty milrics-Or about twenty-five dol
lars in United States moncy-alrcady cut
which would bring, perhaps, one hundred anc
fifty dollars in the United States. 1t does not
pay to work in the lavrics, or washings unless
: Il man has much capital, machinery and slaves
To do the work All the superficial diamonds
have been taken out, and the earth for hun
dreds of miles is turned upside down for da
,monds and gold. What is necessary now is
machinery ~ so into the bowels Of the earth,
TO turn the current Of vast rivers in order to
reach the rich cascdlh0, many yards deep, and
Ito blast mighty rocks A man working with
n pick and crowbar does not gain his mush
which here is much cheaper than salt 1T Is
true they take out now and then diamond
tand also little gold, but it is precarious labor
There are six JrJricas dc 'dptdacao, or diamond
Icutting establishments in this city, where the
'IJ,wto, or rough diamonds, are cut and prepared
for market. Demonstrating is one Of the
lsmplest and easiest things in the world The
machinery for cutting is simply flat, revolv-
inc surface, or lathe, turning as n pottcr's
lathe, only the wheel Is of the best tempered
steel First, two diamonds are placed in the
=, lend of a stick shaped like that used by jewel
, ers to clean fngcr.rings, and secured there by
, IA wax which hardens with heat and are ther
, rubbed, one against the other, to remove tho
hard outer coat, and also to give it the desired
form. This rubbing forms dust, withou
,, which diamonds could not be cut After Tho
: above operation is finished the diamond il
: placed in mold shaped like the half of al
egg shell, in which there is II composition o
solder and lead in "a state Of fusion. The dia
, mOnd is buried in this composition, except th'
. part to be polished. This composition whcI
; cool becomes very hard. The diamond is nov
. ready for polishing and reducing to II salabl'
= state 1t is placed in what is called ldoeL6ttt
a which allows the exposed surface to rest on tn
aforementioned revolving surface or wheel
a on which is rubbed with IA feather from tim
:. to time IL composition of the diamond-dust
!. spoke of and sweet oil. This causes the lustr'
, of the diamond and perfects the shape. Ate
n leaving this wheel it passes to an emery, wher
4 it receives the finishing touches. \ diamond
!, is heated to white heat great many times il
the process Of cutting, which does not affect
i'm the least A lapidary can cut or polisl
three or four stones mt the same time. Thu
y work in itself is nothing, and an ordinary
. minded youth with any taste can learn the bus
! mess in six or ten months. Diamondcutln!
: certainly does not add much to the actual cos
of diamond. An average diamond will COS
~ from six to ten dollars for the cutting. | say
, diamond the other day in the tdbrtcd OF
= friend, for which Il man asked three COntOs, q
n fifteen hundred dollars. This was before
!. was cut | saw it again to-day, after it wa
|, cut, and three hundred dollars will buy it be
= = cause of lis color. Many diamonds show dc
/, feet after cutting which before cannot he seer
II Diamcnlina is one Of the oldest towns i
:, Brazil, and was originally called Tipica. 1t i
! "a very pretty city, or rather was in its palm
, days On all sides are to he seen palnlul We
+ tigcs of II once great wealth. Houses whic
;. cost twenty thousand dollars few years ar
i can now be bought for onCtOurth that amour
But who cares 10 buy property in town whlc
- offers no advantages whatever which is hun
a drcds of miles from civilization, and is 10 i
" reached only by mules, through a countr
=, where roads are unknown, rivers are To 1
| Ifordcd, and hill after hill, and mountain ate
% mountain are succeeded by still larger one
Il Diamcntina is from twenty days To mont
- from Jui2 dc Fora, the nearest present ralroa
point 1t costs about thirty dollars for ever
Imulelo load of stuff which comes from Their
making things very dear \ loaf of whoa
II bread weighing four ounces costs twelve cent
" You may he sure that very little Is eaten. Til
,c food of this country is corn meal, black bean
iarina of mandrake, aroot shaped like II par
y nip which, poison in its natural state, make
v, a very good substitute for bread after it
H. washed, dried and ground into coarse sort
II meal Eaten with bcans--whch 10 this cou
~ try are what potatoes are 10 lrcland-makcs
H. a very pasSabc food, which have grown
ar like very much Diamcntina is delightful
II situated, surrounded by mountains on thr,
81. sides, ranged like grim sentinels, with the
" gray peaks reaching toward the skies Froi
Is the fourth side, To which my window faces,
Is can see for eighty miles, where the peak
= Itauba stands head and shoulders above Il
:. rest. This city has about ten thousand inhal
~ tants, and houses for half a. many more, Il
- owner, of which have departed to seek the
=, fortunes in other parts.