Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1891-10-01


among the smaller stones and pebbles at
the bottom for diamonds, which are fire.
quently found there, carefully filling
up the hole again with sand peb-
bles and powders, under the idea that
diamonds will again grow at the bottom.
After the foreign adventurers were ex-
PEELED the diamond mines were declared
to be the property of the Brazilian Gov
eminent, but the right to work in them
was rented or leased from the Govern
ment by a royalty sum of $40 per annum
on each slave employed in the diggings.
The Government, however, realized no
profit, and the annual bounty per man
was increased to $25, and still no money
was made from the mines. In despair
at this result, the Government OF Brazil
took charge of the mines and worked
them, but finding them source Of great
expense and little income, the laws were
a few years ago so changed that the
mines are now the property of private
individuals The most remarkable thing
about the Brazilian mines is the singular
uniformity of product-that is to say,
that every 100 cubic yards of earth re-
moved from the mines will yield about
the same number and weight of dia-
monds. They are mostly small, but
there have been some notable eXcep
tons. The famous diamond in the treas
ury Of the King of Portugal came from
Brazil. According to the rules Of meas
urement and price it should, if pure,
be worth $28, OOO,0 600, for it's weight is
said to be no less than 1850 grains.
The diamond "Star of the South,
weighing a little over 254 carats, is per-
haps the finest gem, save that of Portu-
gal, which ever came from the Brazilian
mines But Brazil does not depend
upon her diamond mines as a source of
wealth During the first hundred years
of diamond mining in Brazil, or from
1856 to 1856, the output of the mines
was about $40, OO0 900, and in the year
last named the export of coffee alone
was over 1913, 900, 900. From the port Of
Bahia there are very year exported
81, 600, 900 worth of diamonds and over
81, 900, 900 worth Of sugar, thus proving
that what grows on the earth is of moro
Importance than what is found under
meath its surface.
The Ural Mountains have, on the Rus
sian side, valuable mines of diamonds,
gold and platinum, several valuable
gems and many small stones having
been found there in q formation closely
resembling that Of Brazil. The Russian
mines, however, like most others, have
never been worked Systematically, and
the general corruption prevalent in
every department of the Russian Gov
eminent encourages the belief that
large numbers Of the stones are stolen
by the employees.
In 1868 the adventures Of the world
were excited by reports of the discovery
of diamonds in South Africa. AS else
where, the discovery was by the mereSt
accident. A little boy playing on the
banks of the Orange River found bright
stone, which he used as payth1ng. Its
value was not suspected, and it lay about
the house, until one day hunter passed
through, and recognizing the gem pur-
chased it for % small sum, despite the
boys remonstrances, had an examination
made of it, and it proved. when cut, to
be diamond of Fl carats and excellent
brlliancy. Search was made, with the
usual result, and So extensive were the
diamond fields found to be that at pres
emit upwards of 6, 600 persons are engaged
in the mil.es along the Orange and Vaal
Rivers. A remarkable feature Of
South African mines is the large
size of the stones produced; over
100 have been found exceed
ing thirty carats in weight, and many
over twenty. Nearly all, however, are
yellow, and the effect of the South Afri-
can discoveries was to reduce the price
of yellow stones to about One-fourth
their former figure. The diamond dig
gings of South Africa cover all area OF
about 10000 square miles, the whole of
which was at once claimed by Great
Britain and annexed as soon as its value
was discovered. In one important re-
spect the South African diggings are
different from those of other regions. for
in Africa the diamonds are found from
the surface to depth Of upward OF one
hundred feet. AS rule the diamond
strata lie close to the surface, but in the
South African mines the contrary is the
case, and better gems are found from
eighty to one hundred feet below the
surface than are found in the early
stages of the work.
The method Of working the mines is
exceedingly primitive. A claim is stoked;
all the earth is removed one bucketfu at
time. and carefully sifted for the da
monds it may contain. The labor Is done
by blacks. who before going to work are
deprived of all their clothing, and after
leaving the mine are carefully searched
lest they should steal the product of the
DAYS labor. Extreme care is necessary,
for the diamond com priSeS so much value
in so little bulk, that it is quite possible
for dishonest employe, unless carefully
watched, to carry away many thousand
dollars worth of gems Every mine
owner however, is provided with emet-
les, and the negro suspected of swallow
ing gems is promptly doctored. In spite
of the utmost precautions, however, en-
ployers are subjected to great loss on &C
count Of thefts by the laborers. and in
every mining camp there were dishonest
dealers who would buy the stones from
the blacks at small part of their value,
and then smuggle them out of the neigh
borhood. Finding that watching the ne
groek was Of no avail, the mine owners
wenSto the root of the evil, hung two or
three dealers caught in the act of purs
chasing stolen stones, ordered others out
of the camp, and thus, for time at
leart, stopped the evil.
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The Tricks of Trade.
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