Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1877-08-08
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dollars-saA ye;tIs -,
begging for two hundred dollars.
purchased diamond to-day for fifty
milreis-Or about twenty-five dollars Ia
of United States money-already cut,
which would bring, perhaps, one hun
dred and fifty dollars in the United
States Ii does not pay TO work in the
lavries, or washinSs, unless a man has
much capital, machinery and slaves To
do the work. All the superficial dia-
monds have been taken out, and the
earth for hundreds of miles is turned
upside down for diamonds and gold.
What is necessary now is machinery TO
go into the bowels of the earth to turn
the current of vast rivers in order 10
reach the rich cascalho, many yards
deep, and to blast mighty rocks. A
man working with pick and crowbar
does not gain his mush, which here is
far cheaper than salt. 1t is true they
take out now and then a diamond. and
also little gold, but it is precarious
labor. There are six Ja5ricas de ldpida-
Gao, or diamOnd-eutting establishments
in this city, where the brlitO, or rough
diamonds, are cut and prepared for
market. DiamOnd-cutting is one of the
simplest and easiest things in the world.
The machinery for cutting is simply a
fiat, revolving surface, or lathe, turning
as potter's lathe, only the wheel is Of
the best tempered steel. First, two
diamonds are placed in the end OF 4
stick shaped like that used by jewelers.
to clean finger-rings, aud secured there
By wax which hardens with heat. and
are then rubbed, one against the other.
TO remove the hard outer coat, and also
to give it the desired form. This rub
bing forms dust, without which dia-
mOnds could not be cut. After the
above operation is finished the diamond
is placed in a mold, shaped like the halr
of an egg shell, in which there is a COM
position of solder and lead in state OF
fusion. The diamond is buried In this
composition, except the part to be pol
ished. This composition when cool be-
comes very hard. The diamond is now
ready for polishing and reducing to a
salable state. 1t is placed in what is
called ldUslette. which allows the ex-
posed surface to rest on the above
mentioned revolving surface or wheel.
on which is rubbed with a feather from
time to time, composition of the dia-
mond-dust | spoke of, aud sweet oil.
This causes the lastre of the diamond.
and perfects the shape. After leaving
this wheel it passes to an emery, where
ii receives the finishing-touches. A
diamond is heated to white heat great
many times in the process of cutting,
which does not affect il i'm the least. a
lapidary can cut or polish three or four
stones at the same time. The work Ia
itself is nothing, and an ordinary
minded youth with any taste can learn
the business in six or ten months.
DiamOnd-cutting certainly does not atd
much to the actual cost of diamond.
An average diamond will cost from six
to ten dollars for the cutting. saw
the other day, in the ftJrico Of
a friend, for which a man asked three
contos, or fifteen hundred dollars. This
was before it was cut. | saw il again to-
day, after it was cut, and three hundred
dollars will buy it because of the color.
Many diamonds show defects after cuL-
ting which before cannot be seen.
Diamentina is one of the Oldest towns
in Brazil, and was originally called
Tipica. 1t is a very pretty city, or
rather was in its palmg days. On all
sides are to be seen painful vestiges OF
a once great wealth. Houses which
cost twenty thousand dollars a few
years ago can be bought to day for one
fourth that amount. But who cares To
buy property in town which offers no
advantages whatever, which is hun
dreds of miles from civilization and il
to be reached only by mules, through
country where roads are unknown.
rivers are 10 be fOrded, and hill after
hill, and mountain after mountain are
succeeded by still larger ones. Dia-
is from twenty days to a month
from Juiz de Fora, the nearest present
point. 1t costs about thirty
dollars for every mule-lOad of stuff
which comes from there, making things
very dear. "A loaf of wheat bread weigh
ing four ounces costs twelve cents. You
may be sure that very little is eaten.
The food of this country is cOrn-meal,
black beans, farina of mandrake, a root
shaped like parsnip, which, poison in
its natural state, makes very good
substitute for bread after it is washed,
dried and ground into coarse sort OF
meal. Eaten with beans-which TO this
are what potatoes are to Ireland
it makes very passable food, which
have grown to like very much. Dia-
is delightfully."- situated, sur
rounded by mountains on three sides.
ranged like grim sentinels, 18th their
gray peaks reaching toward the skies.
From the fourth side, TO which my
window faces, l can see for eighty
miles, where the peak of Itajuba stands
head and shoulders above the rest. This
city has about ten thousand inhabitants,
and houses for half as many more, the
owners of which have departed 10 seek
their fortunes in other parts.
The Difference.