Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1889-02-22
FOUND IN A CRATER.
Discovery OF Bea utiful Mosaic Agate In
Mexican Volcano.

Discovery of a Bea utiful Mosaic Agate In q
Mexican Volcano.
| An odd-looking genius. who is
guest at the Coleman House and fire.
quently seen about other uptown
hotels, is William Cooper. He Is
slender, why man, with sandy beard,
freckled face and twinkling eyes, who
wears brown beaver sombrero OF
Mexican pattern. by which he is dis
tinctly marked out as different from
the ordinary run of men in New York.
Mr.. Cooper has come from Mexico,
where he has made important geolog-
ical discoveries He has been a great
traveller. Some years ago he made an
excursion up the Congo river. in
Africa, between seven hundred and
eight hundred miles, and brought back
to Liverpool valuable invoice OF
ivory and other African merchandise.
He is a born trader. Nearly two years
ago he first went to Mexico, where his
fluent use of the Spanish language
made him perfectly at home. to look
for onyx and rare marble for the New
England Granite Works, which was
using large quantities Of rare stone in
the construction and decoration of the
interior OF great building on Broad
way. this city.
and located at Esperanza. where he
formed partnership with a young
Frenchman from New Orleans named
Julio NJ Chopin. Two hundred miles
south OF Esperanza is the volcano OF
Zempoatepetl, within whose crater the
Indians penetrate in search OF sulphur.
One OF these adventurous natives
found and brought out of the crater
Il stone which came under the eye of
Mr.. Cooper and was purchased
by him for silver piece Of small
value, which has since proven to be a
mosaic agate of great and even fabu-
lous value. Further exploration has
disclosed the fact that the bottom OF
the crater is one solid bed or mass OF
mosaic agate, all OF which mas come
into the possession OF Mr.. Cooper and
his partner. He is modest in speak
ing OF his good luck, but in answer to
inquiries pressed on him said:
, 1.-The volcano of Zempoatepetl was
celebrated long before the conquest
period for rich opals. topazes and
precious stones found at its base. The
agate we have discovered differs from
: the ordinary stone of that name in the
! fact that it is mosaic in formation
; The colors blended are those which
: are found in the ruby, topaz, emerald.
: turquoise and other stones artificially
: inlaid and combined by nature itself.
: An apophyllite or tish-eye stone, which
: has pearly luster like moonstone,
: with its crystals variegated in colors,
is so marked in the formation of the
J mosaic as to bring to the eye sugges-
! tions of outlines of figures as delicately
and perfectly drawn as if by the hand
of painter. No two pieces of the
] stone has yet been found alike. 1t is
taken out in blocks of one to fifteen
( cubic feet The crater is one hundred
: and eighty miles from the nearest
station on the railroad. The stone ia
, transferred thither on heavy wooden
, wheeled trucks, drawn by oxen. The
road is mountainous and rough. 1t
takes forty-five days to make u rough
, trip from the station to the mountain.
IL have studied up the history OF
the volcano somewhat. Tradition says
! that it broke out in eruption in the
: year 64S A. d., the beginning of our
knowledge of the Toltec race. 1t con-
tinued an active volcano for about SOC
years. during which time many pieces
E OF stone of mosaic formation were
, thrown out and picked up by the ma
tives, by whom they were made into
necklaces and other ornaments. The
throne of King Xototl, who reigned in
I the Twelfth century, was ornamented
with fragments of mosaic agate from
Zempoatepetl. The country round
2 about the volcano is wild one, in
habited only by Indians. 1t is as I'M
{ known to the people of the United
J States as the jungles of Africa. The
Indians are clearly and for the most
part honest. They make good house
- '"A''' o'A "i y hOhi ~ OIL religious
, Their form of worship is Catholic"
. In speaking of the discovery Ell
Neapa Monda, a paper published at
Paxaca, makes this statement and sug.
I gestion:
"Sca shells were found in the crater
OF this volcano, which proves that it
was connected with the ocean at one
time, though at present it is more than
! 100 miles distant from the sea coast.
and over 10000 feet high. Could this
mosaic deposit be the result of a vol
canic eruption under the sea at one
time. in which animal life was de-
stroyed, and the bodies petrified in
mass, forming the strange deposit"
Et Commerce. de Merico computes
the value of the volcano at 81, 600. 600
Pieces of the mosaic are now being set
for exhibition.-M y Letter.
-"Prisoner," said the chief magis-
, irato, you are charged with being
found dead drunk on the street What
have you to sayp" ii reckon I'm
: guilty. your Honor" Ten dollars
and costs. Next Same charpe
against you, sir. Have you any plea