St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1890-11-15
GEMS IN ARIZONA.


Gigantic PsteiAeA Redwood Trees Coated
With Amethysts.
Ono day last week. upon falling in
with Colonel Manuel Gomez, Of Parita,
. Mexican mining engineer, who has
lately been travelling extensively in
Arizona and old Mexico, investigating
the mineral resources OF that part Of the
country in tho interest of some Eastern
and European capitalists, asked him
what truth there was in tho report that
precious stones in paying quantities
could DO found in Arizona He said:
Il was not looking for precious stones.
but picked up some information about
them. for go on the principle that no
sort OF general information can do man
harm. My experience in Brazil. how
ever, taught mo that wherever there
were precious stones to DO found there
was . much larger number of fairy
stories aflOat IS to the value of tho
finds You know that precious stones
are simply crystallizations, and with tho
exception Of the diamond, which is pure
carbon, they arc water formations, coll
ored with some mineral or vegetable
impregnations. Those found in Arizona
Arc spinal rubies, sapphires, emcralds,
turquoises, an excellent garnet anne
thysts and small pearls. Tho ruby has
been found in large sizes up to fourteen
carats, but much inferior to the Burmah
rubies. Tho sapphires. cmeralds and
pearls arc worry small, and the amethyst
crystals very large. They arc often found
In ants nests in the deserts, as those in
dustrious insects have a habit Of carry
ing shining stones to their nests.
Larger turguoiscs are found there than
anywhere else, but very light in color. The
majority Of them arc grccnish, but many
are light blue. Tho rubies. sapphires
and emeralds arc corundums, and are
generally found in . granite country.
Tho pearls are found along with petri-
fled clans and oysters, showing that tho
country has been, at some remote pc
riOd, under water. l have been told by
biologists that Arizona was the first
land appearing above the waters in pre-
historic ages. Tho torquoise is found
in seams Of an eighth Of an inch to four
inches in width. Tho Spaniards mined
them ut depth Of about thirty feet
There arc torquiose mines in both New
Mexico and Arizona which have long
been abandoned, and IN which are found
Indian hammers, made Of stone. showing
that the Indians made them. The large
torquoise set in the Spanish crown, and
which is as largo as a pigeons egg. is
supposed to have come from Arizona.
Torquoiscs arc very popular among tho
Indians. and good-sized perfect stone
can generally DO traded for n pony to
some OF the chiefs About twelve years
ago some INSCRIPTIONS Eastern man.
finding that corundums are in tho deser.
got up diamond excitement. scattered
somo small rough diamonds at certain
points, and on the strength of the
''finds' organized a diamond-m mining
company. He Is said to have made
money out Of 1t, but the company didn't
The emeralds found in Arizona arc OF
very good quality and very clear. but
they arc small.
I'm the eastern part OF the Territory,
near where most Of the gems are found,
there is . pctrified forest some l.sO0
acres in extent, the major part Of which
seem to have been California redwood.
There arc . number of pctriticd trees
lying about that locality that are 100
feet long and some are feet thick at
the butt Where these trees arc hOl-
low, the inside Is often coated with
crystals-amethyst topaz or black and
white. Some OF these are very large.
The trees take q very high polish, and
have been used for table tops and other
purposes, but on account Of
their hardness, and the necessarily
great expense Of transportation and
working, they are not used so much as
their beauty would warrant."-N. Y.
Star.