The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-12-28
those Idaho Opals.
From the idaho Statesman.

A year ago William Leisure dug a well
near his house. The volcanic rock that I'M
derlies the alluvisl deposit in all this Palouse
country was thrown In pieces beside the
we'll Mr.. Lessure's only son, IS years old,
began finding beautiful stones in the vol
canic formation. His father said they were
glass. but the boy persisted. II know they
are worth good deal, because they are SO
pretty" the boy would say.
For year he has been hunting for the
pretty stones. His father scolded him and
told him to go to work at something useful;
but the boy hung around the well. He
went down into it and threw up loose vol
canic rock, and these he broke to pieces
looking for the pretty stones. The father
began TO despair Of ever making useful
man out of the 500.
Last Saturday Mr.. Allen, jeweler. was
out bunting. He stopped at the Leisure
well for drink. As he raised the cup 70
his lips he sa s something sparkle in the rock
before him. HIS experienced eye told him
that he had found beautiful opal.
Mr.. Allen glanced around him, and it was
not long before he was stalking a mineral
claim on William Lessure's ranch 900 feet
wide and 1900 long, with all the ct ceteras
of corner stakes, and the notice that be had
located a mineral claim there. Mr.. Leisure
was assonished 10 see his valuable land
taken without so much as by your leave
He was simply paraiyzed when Sunday
came. and with it hundreds OF Moscow peo-
NE. LAWYERS, doctors, real estate men and
nnaarIv everybody else went on William
Tassnre's ranch aad began stalking mineral
Claims Mr. Leisure was not 10 IL. He was
toId that he would be given bonds to idem-
nify him for the loss OF his land, and ne
ec6uissced for the time. Not less than 600
scrss in all were staksd that day. Some OF
II ia school land and some belongs to neigh
boring ranc5ers.
The formation where the opsls are found
is a volcanic one. At LesSure's wei there
is about seven feet Of earth. linen comes
aoft volcanic rock, which Is easily removed.
II Is POROUS, with air spaces running
through it. The white opal is found through
this formation. Next beneath 1t 10 hard
Volcanic rock, very difficult 20 work. The
beautiful specimens 50 freely exhibited
mere are fotiad In this rock. Ii Is not known
how far down ii extepdA
The excitement over tbe discovery at Los
sure's has caused revival OF the talk about
the earth formation through the falouss
country. Below the surface here az MOSCOW
there Is ample evidence thst wei.-'lelneo
snrfaee. forty feet below the existing SUR
tscs or,ce bore a luxurisnt vegetation. Not
a well Is dug IN Moscow but Old logs N
various stages Of decomposition ere found.
.nd nave 10 be re l.oyed. Once, In well
Sorty feet ia tie lava formation. Pe@ea pis
vas found. Wise people say that tho grsst!
TRAGEDY Of Pompeii and 5ereulsne1n had
hoen precedsd ~ one infinitely more terri 2ls
h ~ Palsuss country, sad lava aud ashes
s-ons great yOlesnoes nov long sines eizaced
nj been poured oct on toe plain. AZ some
stsge N the game nature vent INTO ne 0pal
hns,ness and scattered Der p~dpet 70 We
ava. Bat al tbs Is Tor ~iss people 70 90
eide.