The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1890-07-31
Precious Stones in Arizona.

One day recently. upon falling il
with Colonel Manuel Gomez. of Parita
n Mexican mining engineer, who ha
lately been travelling extensively II
| Arizona and Old Mexico, investiga-
ting the mineral resources Of that par
of the country in the interest OF som,
Eastern and European capitalists,
asked him, says a writer in the Stal
newspaper, what truth there was in the
report that precious stones in paying
quantities could be found in Arizona
He said:
81 was not looking 70: precious
stones, but ] picked up some informa.
ton about them. for 90 on the prin-
ciple that no sort of general inforDa-
ton can do o man harm. My expert
ence in Brazil, however. taught me
that wherever there were precious
stones to be fonnd there was a much
larger number Of fairy stories ahoa. as
to the value of the finds You know
that precious stones are simply crys-
taliizatlons, and, with the exception Of
the diamond, which is pure carbon,
they are water formations. colored
with some mineral or vegetable preg-
nations. Those found in Arisona
are spinal rubies. sapphires, emeralds.
turquoises. an excellent garnet. ame-
thysts, and small pearls. The ruby
has been found in large sizes up to
fourteen carats, but much inferior to
the Bnrman rubies. The sapphires,
emeralds,, and pearls are very small.
H. oSt (.,nnl ;,, unk,s e., ~,
the deserts, rs those Industrious in
sects have habit of carrying shining
stones to their nests. Larger turquois-
es are found there {. an anywhere else,
but very light in color. The majority
Of them are greenish, but many are
light blue. The rubies, sapphires, and
emeralds are corundums, and are gen
orally found in granite country. The
pearls are found along with petri6ed
plans and oysters. showing that the
country has been, ut some remote pc
riod, under water. ] have been told by
geologiats that Arizona Was the first
land appearing above the waters in
prehistoric ages.
'The turquoise is found in seams Of
an eighth of on inch to four inches in
width, The SpaEiards mined them at
d depth oe about thirty feet. There
are tnrquoises mines in both New
Mexico and Arizona. which have been
long abandoned. and IN which are
found Indian iammers, made of stone.
showing that the Indians worked them.
The large turquoise set in the Spanish
crown. and which is as large IA pig
cons egg. is supposed to have come
from Arizona, Turquoises are very
popular among the Indians, and good
sized perfect stone can generally be
traded for pony to some of the chiefs.
About twelve years ago some unscru-
pulous Eastern man. finding that cor
are in the desert, got up dia.
mond excitement, scattered some
small rough diamonds at certain
points, and on the strength Of the
finds organized diamond mining
company. He is said to have made
out of it, but the company
didn't. The emeralds found in Arizo-
ma are of very good quality and very
clear. but they are small.
I'm the eastern part Of the territory
near where the most If the gems are
Iourd, there is petrified forest some
eighteen hundred acres in extent. the
major part of which seems to have
oeen in California redwood. There are
. number of petri6ed trees lying about
hat locality that are hundred feet
ong. and some are four feet thick at
he butt. Where these trees are hol
ow. the inside is often coated with
,rystais-amethys.s and topazes.
some of these very large. The tire. |
axe very high polish, and have been
sed for table tops and other ornamea-
al purposes. button account Of ihe.r
ardness, and the necessarily great ex
ense of transportation and working.
hey are not used SO much as their
eauty would warrant"