The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1884-01-26
A MONTANA D.AMoND.
A Miner Picks Up IA $500 Diamond In
- placer Claim Near Helena.
(il Qlana I,4dananIant

There was good deal of excitement
in toAD night before last tand il has
not subsided Ae over the reported
discovery of diamond fields near H,l
ena. The circumstances of the dis
covtry as reIaLed 10 the reporler Of the
Jndependent, " ere a. follows, names
aud localities being left out by request
OF The parties Interested, who desire
To make further explorations before
heralding the discovery abroad.
On Wednesday afternoon The owner
OF placer inine in tue vicinity of
Helena WAS Ia one OF our leading Jew
elry stores Ill company With friend
VINO was buying "a scarfpin. Alter
the purchase Was mad, the proprie.
tor turned 10 the placer mine owner
(whom ne was well acquainted withD
aud asked him ii he uid not want
scari-pin also.
IN ell, I've got piece OF crystal
in my pocket, was the reply, (which
| IN end having set in pm some
tinis'--prodncliig as he spoke gilt
tering stone about the >ize of bean.
That "A handsome stone, said the
jeweler, taking 1t fIom the others
hnnd.
~ here did you get il?n
i found II in my cla.m.n said the
miner.
"now much VIII you take for it?"
inquired the jsweler.
Don't care ID sell it--but what will
you siNeg'
III give yon twen'y dollars"
Il won't sell 1t for that"
"Nell, III g.ve you forty-forty-
five dollars"
The miner began 10 open his eyes,
and asked what The stone WAS. lie
was informed that 1t was diamond,
and a very handsome one at that.
lie refused all oilers Tor II, although
one ne are informed, was in the neigh
horhood OF sS09. ana putting the stone
In tile hands OF an expert had il tested.
The to I proved that what the ieweler
had said WAS eorrect-it MAS da-
mond, and It's weight was a little over
three carats. The gem. as above
stated, is in the shape OF a bean: and
about one-third OF an inch long. II
is White aud clear. AT the first glance
IL appears TO have been cut, having
eight surfaces. Inspection with
magnifying glass, however, shows
that the stone has not been cut, the
surface not being Hat and polished AS
would he the case II 1t had been
through the hands Of the diamond
cutter. The surfaces. however, ar.
smooth aud bright, which is not often
the case with diamonds when first
found.
1t was found by a Chinaman who,
at the end of seasons mining, was
working some tailngs over. lie gave
II To The owner Of the nnine, and Civ
ing II to him got him to promise To
keep 1t.
The Chinaman said 1t WAS 'no.
velly good-puity good '--meaning
probably that IL VAS not gem of the
water. Since that time the owner
had carried il carelesSly v in his pocket.
snpposing IL WIS only handsome
crystal specimen hut not of much
value. He was II lille surprised when
he found he had been carrying $500
diamond arnun.l in his pocke as care.
lessly as "A hoy would marble. lie
saws that while mining he has often
noticed glitiering sub. tanees I'm the
hank while stream OF water was di
ed upon IL, but a. there were II
great many ordinary crystals in The
ground he was working, and as he
never suspected the presence of dia-
monds. he NAV have washed over
pecks OF them without knowing it.
The production uf wnol In Hum