Signal-Copiahan. (Hazlehurst, Copiah County, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1886-06-10
the s.onc has somewhat waxy lustcr.

Nowadays, however. people have no
patience with either precious stones or
precious metals that can be easily mis-
taken for those Of inferior value. Eli
Their green felspar. which is OF the
same hardness. or malachitc. which is
softer, might be mistaken for green
turquoise. and both are common min
erals. But there is hardly any other
natural stone or the same. or even in
ferior. hardness that can be confound-
ed with blue turquoise. The mate
rial of some fossil teeth when colorcd
with phosphate Of iron does, however,
resemble il. Still, there need DO no
confusion. because this substance is
softer. 1t is called odontolite or occi-
dental turquoise; while the real stone
is known by jewelers. rs the oriental
turquoise. Odontolite is easily rccog-
nizcd under the microscope by the
characteristic markings Of dcntinc.
Opaque blue glass can be made to imi-
tate the turquoise; but the former dif-
fers in lus,er and in the nature OF its
fracture.
Turauoiscs are found in Tibet,
China and the neighborhood oil
Mount Sinai; but. as has been already
stated, the supply for jewelers. pur-
poses comes almost wholly from the
celebrated Persian mines. Very little
was known about these till remark
ably interesting and exhaustive report
upon them was recently furnished to
the British Foreign Office by Mr.. A.
Hontum SCHNEIDER, who was for n
short time director of the mines. They
are situated in q range OF mountains
bounding on the north an open plain
in the Bar-i-Madcn district, thirty-two
miles northwest of Nishapur, in the
province of Khorassan. Botanists tell
us that the brightest blue is seen on
alpine flowers. II pure mountain air
could be supposed to brighten the
color of gem rs well rs u flower,
there is no want Of il where these tur-
Quoise veins occur. Their position is
between five and six thousand feet
above the level Of the sea, and n strong
north wind blows almost continually
over the ridges OF the hills, rendering
the situation very healthy. Wheat.
barley and mulberry trees grow well
on the slopes at the lower edge OF these
heights.
Geologically, the mountains are COM
posed of sandstoncs and nummulitic
limestones lying on clay-slates and in
closing immense beds of gypsum and
rock-salt. But these stratiiicd rocks
are broken through and mctamor.
phosed by rocks of igneous origin, such
rs greenstones and porphyrieS. The
turquoisc-bearing veins occur in the
metamorphic strata. and the mines
proper consist of shafts and gal
lerics in the solid rock. There
are also "diggingS" in the dctritus OF
disintegra,ed rock washed down
towards the plain. and it is here that
some Of the best turquOiscS are found.
A number of the mines are ancient and
very extensive; and although most OF
them are now more or less in state
Of neglect. Mr.. SCHNEIDER states that
the presence of many old shaf,s-now
filled up-for light and ventilation
proves that they have at one
time been skillfully worked, and were
probably then under Government con.
troll. But they appear to have
been. for nearly two centuries,
farmcd by the villagers, who only think
of u quick return for their money. and
therefore cut away the rock wherever
they see turquoiscS, without leaving
proper supports TO prevent the falling
in of the mine. Several laborers have
at different times been buried in the
galleries through the rubbish being
badly proppcd up. The perpendicular
depth of one mine is one hundred ana
sixty feet. and Others are nearly rs
deep. The miners work with picks
and crowbarS in much the same way as
that in which ycin-mining is carried on
elsewhere; and it is u curious illustra.
ton Of how slowly long-establishcd
processes are altered in the East, tina,
gunpowdcr should have been used In
these mines only within the last thirty
years. But IL is not strange, rs can be
seen by some examples Of rock-blasting
at home. to learn that the results OBJ
tanned by gunpowder are, in one view,
less satisfactory than those got by the
pick. The powder does more work, but
it is also more destructive, as II breaks
the turquoises into small pieces.
Here We may say few words about
how it fares with the people who are
occupied with the mining. cutting and
selling Of the turquoises. About two
hundred men work in the mines or at
the diggings, and some thirty more
elders of tho village-buy the tur-
quoises and sell them to merchants
and jewellers. A certain additional
number Of hands cut and polish the
stones; but this work is done else
where, rs well as in the district where
they are found. The population of the
villages in the neighborhood of the
mines is about twelve hundred, and
the inhabitants, as in most mining dis
tricts, are improvident. Nearly all the
men. and not few of the women. are
inveterate opium-smokers. Agriculture
is neglected. Turquoise-dealing and
its gains make the people careless OF