The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-08-05

a stony Point for working the mines there.
cone beautiful berylS-the emerald Is a
variety OF beryl-have been secured in the
nelghborhood OF Haddam, Conn.,, and the
la gest beryls in the world are obtained
at Grafton and Acworth, Y. +.
From the former locality crystal over
SIX feet long was Querried, aud anOthtr
weighing "a tons. These wonderful crys-
tails are OF pale green color. Such speci-
mems rarely have transparent spots so large
IS 10 allow the cutting Of even a small gem.
Aquamarine, another sort of beryl, is plen-
tiiui in New England. The richest colored
gems OF this kind come from Royelston,
Mass. Though small they are almost as
bluo as sapphlres. Chrysoberyl is found in
many parts OF Maine, but not Of sufficient
transparency to have gem value.
TONS OF ROCK CRYSTAL.
Rock crystal is plentiful in various Iocali-
ties OF the United States. A mass of it
weighing fifty one pounds from North Caro-
lima was sent four years ago to Tiffany s.
20. IN New York. The original crystal,
which must have weighed 800 pounds, was
unfortunately broken in pieces by the ignor-
ant mountain girl who discovered it. One
very useful purpose to which this mineral
substance is put is the manufacture OF
mirrors, when it can be found in
big enough blocks TO be sawed into
slabs of sufficient size. Its superiority
over glass lies in the fact that it does
not, like glass. detract from the rosiness
OF the complexion. Every pretty woman
should surely have hand glass of rock
crystal Near Lake George, in New York
state, great quantities of small and very
pure rock crystals are gathered, specimens,
both natural and cut, being mounted i'll
Jewelry and sold to tourists. Many of them
are whittier than any diamond and frequent
ly as brilliant and transparent A speci-
men with a drop of water lnclossd will
sometimes sell for as much as $50. Certain
mines OF them at Little Falls, n. Y, are
worked by tapping the rock until a
hollow sound is heard, indicating a
cavity, and within such cavi-
ties the crystals are discovered,
sometimes as many as a bushel. In one
cavern years ago were found several tons of
these quartz crystals, the sides of the cav
ity, thirty feet long aud six feet high, being
completely covered with them. The sale of
such stones in thai region amounts to fully
$4,000 per annum. At Hot Springs, Ark,
clear rolled pebbles from the Washita river
are sold in quantities, being more highly
priced than the ordinary rock crystals The
demand for them is so great that the inhab-
itants Whereabouts have learned to produce
them artihcially by putting a number OF
crystals In box and keeping them revolv-
ing for few days by water power.
PEARL FISHERIES.
The most important marine pearl fishery
in America is carried on il the Gulf of
California, where the true pearl oysters
are plentifully found. Recently the fisher
les have been let by franchise fror: the
Mexican government to the Pearl Shell
Company of San Francisco. The beds
were first discovered 3O9 years ago by
fernando Cortez when he discovered lower
California he took possession of them
and sent number of fine pearls to the
King of Spain. Divers gather the oysters,
and a strict police system is main
tanned to guard against theft. After
the bivalves have been opened
and any precious contents removed the
shells themselves are cleaned and sent to
Liverpool, London and Hamburg, where
they sell at from 10 to 20 cents pound.
The pearls from this fishery at one time
brought from $780, 900 to 100000 a year,
but the beds have been so overworked that
their value has been much diminished. An
enormous pearl, the pride of the Spanish re-
gala, weighing 400 grains, was secured
there, as we'll as hundreds Of other beauties
of great value. Fresh water pearls are
found in many streams of this coun~
try in the shells of mussels called
''unios." More than SIC, 900 worth of them
were sent to New York at one time within
three months from Wisconsin. one speci-
men being sold for $500. Nearly two
bushels of unio pearls were dug out of an
ancient Indian mound in the Little Miami
valley half dozen years ago. They were
all so much decayed, however, as TO be of
no commercial value. 1t is believed that
ordinarily pearls are formed by the de-
post of q secretion Of the mollusk around a
particle of sand or other foreign body which
has found lodgment within its shell, but
instances have been known where very
small fishes have got into an oyster and
have been enveloDed in a beautiful nacreous
covering. being thus transformed into pearls
thamsaivae