The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-02-19
INSECT GEM HUN rERS.
Garnets and Other Precious Stones
Brought to the Surface by
Ants.

There is the original garner min
and the miner as WE'LL said my COM
panion, as we were riding along the
mountains of New Mexico.
Following the direction of his glance,
I saw tall, well-formed Navajo Indian
standing motionless by what appeared
to be small sand heap, Wishing to
investigate, we drew nearer and found
| thatthe statutsque native was watching
one of the many ant hills that dot the
county through New Mexico and Ari-
IONA as W IL,
As we approached, he hardly looked
up, appearing indifferent after the fash.
ion OF his race, and his object was still
an enigma, at least to me. Tbe Navajo
tribe had never produced a naturalist,
and it was hardly possible that he bad
been studying the habits of the active
insects. Perhaps he was trying t. col
lect enough for dinner-1ndians have
been known to eat ants.
But the Indian was, after all. close
observer, and was reapiug his reward,
for when | asked him what he was do
ing, he held out small bag, the con-
tents of which | turned upon my hand
-garhets, small but good, in great num-
bers, bits of quartz that cleaned like
diamonds, here bit of turquoise large
quantities of Divine, and single gem,
an emerald, of but little value, but an
emerald after all.
An ant hill was curious place from
" ich to take such a strange assoi t
ment. but, as my friend had suggested,
this was the original mine. and the real
miners were the ants. In piling up
their dome-llke houses they brought
out the minute gems one by one, and
placed them among the bits of sand.
where they cleaned and flashed as if
inviting collection.
The Indians mad discovered their
value, and in this way did their min
ing. allowing the ants to do all the
work, and taking the gems as fast as
they we're brought up. The stones
found in this way, range in size from
the head of pin to large pea, and,
besides the ones mentioned, rubies have
been taken from the heaps. These
stolen gems are sold in lots and used in
various kinds of jewelry. Nearly every
ant hill is examined in this way and
the mound gone over, often the ants
being watched, and the gems taken
Whether the Little insects have lik-
ing for glistening objects. it is difficult
to determine, out from the fact that so
manv gems are brought to the surface,
there would seem to be reason to sup
pose they had. 1t would be extremely
difficulG to name an industry followed
by man that did not have its prototype
in the lower animal kingdom. Our
humble friends have trades, their SEEM
ing arts and sciences, just as we have.
Hence, we need not be surprised if we
find miners whose work compares
fayors bly, with that of human beings.
In an ant family that l have been
for some time, well up in the
Sierra Madre mountains, Southern Cal
ifornia, the work is carried on in a very
manner. the workers ap-
parently being protected by soldier ants
with huge heads and powerful jaws.
For some time l watched these miners
at work, noticing the regularity with
which each ant seemed to deposit its
load in the same spot, aud finally | al
lowed the sun to pass through my
hand glass and form bright spot at the
entrance of the mine. A worker soon
passed under it, and, feeling the fierce
heat, evidently rushed below with the
news, for almo Immediately out came
a horde OF big jaweu fighters, who
darted about, biting at the sun spot, land
showing by their actions that they had
determined to attack the foe, whatever
it was. and when l placed nv magnify
ing glass upon the ground. they rushed
at 1t in great Jury, faster ing their Jaws
upon the silver case ana refusing to be
torn away-even parting with their
heads. that remained for a long time
clipgiDg to the giass.-GoLden Days.