Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1886-11-23
fBo.ion Journh.l
TOuRMALiNES.
As ryrIRrriSo COLLECTION IRON sorSr
MICA, OXFORD COUNTY. M,ISE.

III. las, Of ,hi. week = number OF
splendid ,ourm.lin.s from Mount Mies
in Otford County. Maine. will be placed
upon exhibition AZ Kno~lion. natural
history store on Trmont street. which
will be worth the While for the gem con-
noi...ur. Of ,hi, city TO examine. Mount
Mic. /, probably the most remarkable
mineral dspo.i, 10 the world. Probably
more ,ourmalines and the rare li,hla
mineral. have been obtained from Noun,
Mica than from any other single locality
Tn. dspo.i, vas frs, discovered IN 1920
BY Elj.h l.. H.mlln and Ezekiel Holmes.
Who were searching the locality for mia.
eral specimens. The discovery OF
fragment Of transparent green crystal ie-
suited In . careful examination OF the
bill and the discovery Of about thirty
crystal. Of remarkable transparency aud
beauty. which lay exposed upon the rock.
Parts Of the ledge were also found TO be
honeyeombed with small cavities. where
the decompo,ing fsld.par was eramblins
away. and al examination OF these
"pockeu" revealed more crystals. Ia
1 Is27 Prof. shepard visited the locality
and obtained several hand.oms crystals.
and later on III, ill.fa,ed Prof. Webster
conducted some Investigations. hndins
some sra,..green crystals aud large red
crystals Of great value. la 1868 the
dspo,i, va. supposed to be exhausted.
although the excavation in the ledge did
no, exceed fifteen fee, square. nor more
than .iI feet in depth. Every 'uo.e.
quent excavation has. however revealed
new pocket. containing valuable crystals.
and the excavation, Of this season have
been productive Of far better results than
.ny conducted for . number OF years.
A, hi. house in Bangor DR.. A. G. Ham
lin b.. sbou, = peck Of the crystals,
from which he will realize several thou
sand dollars. SO noted has this deposit
become th., q .hor, time since one OF
the Directors Of the British Museum
wrote that such q depo.i, oush, not TO
be ne nsslec,ed. and urged its owners to
thoroughly examine II and ascertain !"
extent. Thu. far the pockets that have
been opened have contained different COL
lored gems, white. blue. pink and green,
and il /. hoped ,hs, dspo'i, OF red er,s-
tails will be found before the ledge s e1.
h.us,ed. The cavities opened this year
contained dark gras-green OF blue-sreen
crystals. one Of which measured ten
inche. in length by two in diameter. aud
|. transparent in its middle third. An
other crystal WAS seven inches long by
one inch in diameter. The largest ery'-
tai /. believed to be the largest ever
found in any country. The cavities In
which the crystals were found were filled
with mud, cookei,e. decomposed feld'Pn
and crystal. Of quartz. At the bottom OF
which the tourmslines occurred lying
loose or emoeded in the floor OF the cav
i,y. Over two hundred perfect gems
will be obtained from the touimAlines
discovered, besides . number OF large
crystals which will be offered to seien,i-
fc collections for preservation. a num-
Der OF the gems have already been cut
by Fox Of New York. 10 the form OF
brillisnts. and will be placed on exhioi'
ton this week ., Kaowlton's natural bis.
tory store on fremont street, together
with the larges, crystals found and .
collection OF pure white beyl' OF remark
able brillisncy. Most OF the gems that
have already been Gu, from the discovery
Of thi. year are Of . light grsss.green
color Of great purity. with Others OF =
very rare deep blue.green tinge. Among
thsss is ons Of ~ karats weight aud an
other Of 81 ksrst'. resembling yellow
green ehrysoberyl. Two OF the finest
gems are Of . rich giass.green hue
weighing between so and 40 karats
each. which surpsss In beauty and sil'
the two famous green toufmslines In the
collections Of Prof. Shepard and Df.
Hsmlin.