Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1889-02-16
EOuND In A CRATER.
Discovery of a Beautiful Mosaic Agate In
Mexican Volcano.

Mexican Volcano.
An odd-looking genius, who is 6
guest at the Coleman House and fire.
quently seen about other uptown
hotels, is William Cooper. He is a
slender, wiry man, with a sandy beard,
freckled face and twinkling eyes, who
wears a 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-
cal 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 a valuable invoice OF
ivory and other African merchandise.
He is 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 a great building on Broad
way, this city.
Cooper went into Southern Mexico
and located at Esperanza. where he
formed a 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
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 q
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 has come
into the possession of Mr.. Cooper and
his partner He is modest in speak
ing OF his good luck, but in answer tC
inquiries pressed on him said:
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 fish-eye stone, which
has a pearly luster like a mOOnstOne,
with its crystals variegated in colors,
is so marked in the formation of the
mosaic as to bring to the eye sugges,
tions of outlines of figures as delicately
and perfectly drawn as if bv tne hand
of a painter. ~ Two pieces of the
stone has :, ct been found alike. 1t is
Cdken 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 is
transferred thither on heavy wooden
wheeled trucks, drawn by oxen. The
road is mountainous and rough. 1t
takes forty-fve days to make a rough
trip from the station to the mountain.
II have studied up the history OF
the volcano somewhat. Tradition says
that it broke out in eruption in the
year 648 A. d., the beginning of our
knowledge of the Toltec race. 1t con-
tinued an active volcano for about 800
years, during which time many pieces
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
the Twelfth century, was ornamented
with fragments of mosaic agate from
Zempoatepetl. The country round
about the volcano is a wild one, in
habited only by Indians. 1t is as un-
known to the people of the United
States as the jungles of Africa. The
Indians are clearly and for the most
part honest. They make good house
servants, and are nearly all religious
Their form of worship is Catholic.
In speaking of the discovery b
NeuUa M0nda, a paper published a
Paxaca, makes this statement and sug
gestion:
Sea shells were found in the crater
of this volcano, which proves that il
was connected with the ocean at one
time, though at present it is more thar
100 miles distant from the sea coast
and over 10000 reet high. Could this
mosaic deposit be the result OF vol
canic eruption under the sea at one
time, in which animal life was de
stroyed, and the bodies petrified il
mass, forming the strange deposit"
Ell Commerce. de MEXICO compute:
the value of the volcano at 81, 900, 900
Pieces of the mosaic are now being Sc
| for exhibition.-N Y. Letter.
Prisoner" said the chief magis
/