The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-04-05
AMERICAN DIAMONDS.
They Have Been Found, But Not In
Paying Quantities.


,orted Discoveries in America.
FROM the Louisville Courier-JournaI.
Washington, March 24.-The chief use
chat has been made of the discovery of
diamonds in America has been to swindle
tbeinuredulous by all sorts of confidence
-ames. Twelve or fifteen years ago some
.barpers "salted" piece of country in
the wilds of Arizona and organized
stock company to work it for diamonds.
The swindle was planned on large
.cale and several thousand dollars
worth of rough diamonds were scattered
shout for the benefit of the California
experts who were sent to the spot by the
svndicate which was organized. These
experts were deceived into making
a favorable report, and com
nany was organized and many thou
sands of dollars invested in the
stock before the fraud was exposed.
Three winters ago a find of diamonds was
reDorted in Idaho and there was rush
of fortune hunters to Boise City. The
find proved to be quartz. Still later.
some swindlers sailed some property In
Georgia They did not make a very
heavy investment. They put in only two
diamonds, and one of these was sent to
Mr. George f. Kunz, the expert of the
United States Geological Survey on
precious stones, for examination. He
promptly informed the senders that the
diamond was never found in Georgia
thatit was a Brazilian diamond, which had
undoubtedly been brought to Georgia for
dishonest purposes. The Georgia swindle
was not a success.
Mr.. Kunz has called the attention of
the geological survey to the discovery of
two diamonds in the United States in
1898. One of them was found in the viii
lage of Oregon, Wis, and the other near
Kings Mountain, North Carolina, There
were two small diamonds found in Butte
county, California, during the winter of
1929 These diamonds, like most of the
diamonds which have been found in the
United States, were picked up by chance.
The Wisconsin diamond was found by
Charles Devine while he was husking
corn il a rough, stony field which had
been under the pillow for forty years Dia-
monds have been found in North Carolina
in the search for gold since 1860 In the
Butte county district of California they
have been known since 1853 The first
authentic report of the discovery of dia-
monds in California dates from 1850, dur
ing the early gold-seeking days
Diamonds occur in the United States in
tworegions One extends along the south
ern base of the Allegheny Mountains from
Virginia to Georgia; the other on the
western side of the Sierra Nevada and
Cascade ranges in Northern California
and Southern Oregon. The meteorological
conditions in these two remote regions are
very similar, and the discoveries made in
them are much alike. The forma tions in
the diamond-bearing localities of the
a nfI
I'll and India, and very unlike those of
South Africa, where the great diamond
fields of the world lie.
The meteorological indications failed in
another quarter, however. DR.. II. o.
Lewis read a paper before the British
Association at Birmingham in September,
1856 in which he stated that he had
foundln Kentucky peridotite similar to
that which occurs in the Kimberley
diamond mine in South Africa; and that
he was convinced that a search would
reveal the presence of diamonds in that
state Mr.. Kunz expressed the opinion
that the peridotite alone was not a sure
indication of the presence of diamonds.
Nevertheless, he and another representa-
tive of the geological survey, went
into Elliott county, Kentucky, in 1886,
and spent two days searching in the
neighborhood Of the discovery of peri
N1tll'. NJ uIdllOuQS were IOuOQ. IL was
proposed by those interested in the search
to equip persons who lived in the neigh
oorhood with rough diamonds set in
rings so that they would know a rough
diamond If they ever saw it. Probably a
great part of the population of Elliott
county went about with It's nose close to
the soil for many months searching for
diamonds, but up to the present time no
diamonds have been discovered there.
The only diamond found in Kentucky so
lar as known was a vagrant gem found
ny Z. o. Helm on the farm of Henry Bur-
fs, near the Calvin Fort creek, in Russell
county While walking through an old
ne-Q Mr.. helm saw small bright stone
N the gravel He picked it up and car
RED 1t home. On examination it proved
TO be diamond, weighing only seven
SlXteenths of carat and little off-color.
inns lind was made in 1888. 1t is known
mat diamonds were found in
North Carolina as early as 1860.
But the only detailed case of record is that
OF discovery made in 1856 on the Alfred
bright farm at Dysortyille A boy the
son OF Grayson Christie, was drawing
water at the spring on the Bright farm,
wHen MS attention was attracted by the
brightness Of a stone in the spring. 1t
proved to be a diamond, quite perfect
ana transparent, but of grayishtyellow
I4uJ. us value was between 500 and $3.50
a June following this find, Mr.. Kunz was
~ North Carolina, and he took occasion
70 investigate the field of the Christie
10Y discovery. He took up the sedi-
!lelt at the bed of the spring, and exam
tleu II carefully, but found no trace of
gne usual mineral associates of the dia-
Hohu' he concluded, therefore, that the
N 5H had been washed down from distant
Sher ground in freshet.
April, 1887, Lewis M. Parker, ten
aAol the farm of Daniel Light, thirteen
n'lleS south of Atlanta, Ga, found a dia-
nton mo- on the farm 1t came into the hands
VI w. W. Scott, of Atlanta, who sent it
~ WI hunz for examination. 1t could
mHNe oeen cut into brilliant of one and
wen Tn to two carats. 1t was rather
&eIoW. At the time of this Investigation,
- - w. stevens, of Atlanta, told Mr. Kunz
vuay d colored man had called on him
WIN tWo-carat diamond Of poor color
".lch ne said he had found in his garden
nov lar from Atlanta There was great
oA5l'elnent over these Georgia discoveries
Gnu promises were made that there would
U1 extensive Investigations of the dia-
mono bearing qualities being made i'm
IyoidJely, the excitement quickly died
~ ana nothing more has been heard of
''T uldmond mines in Georgia.
ne Hrst discovery of diamonds in Wis
80 o0S1 t94tn was made in 1887 by @. H. Nichols,
VI HI'unearolis, who was prospecting for
f 5j On Plum creek, Rock Elm township,
f1 rIle county. While they were sluicing
Il