The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-03-11

gems were sold. Young men purchased
them for their sweethearts, and the young
women who worked in can factories wore
diamond earrings that put To shame the
shining tin. 1t was said that every woman
in the Fourth Ward was supplied with
them, ana the Bowery and Grand street
became a blaze of light. But something
about the California diamonds failed after
awhile; they lost their luster. and their
pristine beauty gave place to hopeless
gloom.
Some days ago a beautiful diamond was
exhi blted IN this city, having actually been
taken from an old placer, on the slope of
the Sierras, in the San Joaquin Valley,
this being the nearest that could be gotten
to the location, as the finder undoubtedly
believed that he had struck rich find and
proposed 10 prevent the usual rush that
always follows a sensational announce
ment of this kind. There is, however
nothing new In the discovery of actual
diamonds IN this State, as these gems have
been known to exist here for many years,
at least since 1850. and that diamonds were
found by the early Spaniards there is
every reason to believe.
The discovery in the aforementioned
year was made by the Rev. Mr. Lyman.
who was shown and described the stone
as w-colored gem as large as a pea.
In 1858 miner in the Cherokee district of
Butte County exhibited several diamonds.
OhC VI EOOO size WHICH, was SeuI East, ana
since then numbers of gems have bren
found, especially in the northern COUNT
of the S ate. as FL Dorado, Nevada. Trim
ity, Butte and Amador. They are mostly
small, but brill ant, and from the fact that
they are found in the gOld-bearing graves
II is evident that many have been over
looked, evidence of them often being
found in the stampmils where they have
been crushed.
The localities where diamonds have been
and are most likely 20 be found are on the
slopes of the great ranges of the State and
IN the ancient gravel beds of the tertiary
times. In many cases these have been
capped with lava, and the gravel is cement
ed together. These old g'avel-beds are
found over large area, and are char
acteristic Of California. The search for
diamonds has never been continued to any
great extent. Some years ago an old man
having the appearance of tramp or her.
NIT entered jewelry-store In San Fran
cisco and offered a stone for sale, and for
which he wanted So The jeweler recog-
DiziDg IT as a damnnd. bought 1t. and
asked the owner If be had any more, to
which the old fellow replied, plenty"
but would only sell them as he wanted the
money. Every two or three months he ap-
peared. and finally the 1eweler having told
the story, dealer determined to find out the
source of supply, so detective was placed
on his track, and probably was never led
stopped at cheap clearinghouse. and for
two weeks did nothing but smoke black
pipe in front of the place. Finally one
daV he was seen to come forth with pack
and was followed TO tie depot and traced
up TO the mountains. where he proved to
be a peddler going from ranch 10 ranch to
the most nut-of- the-way places One day,
after the detective had followed him up a
big canyon, be suddt My disappeared and
was never seen again, nor did search In the
canyon or vicinity ever result In the dis
cOvery of Golconda.
Some fine stones have been taken fro N
the graveIs of the 5 ate, and at present
number of parties are prospecting for
these gems, but only small stones have
been found, while in past years NUMBER
of good finds have been reported by Henry
q. Hanks. The minsraogisf. which nave
attracted little attention. Some OF the
besl finds so far have been made a! indian
Gulch, not tar from Fiddietown. and at
Jackass Gulcb, near Volcano, Amador
County. From the former Professor Sill
man obtained one-carat stone some years
ago. 1t was found in sort of tufa, or
cement gravel A larger stone was exblb-
tied by Mr.. Hanks before the San Fran
cisco Microscopical Society of 157 carats.
This was taken from the dapnsi's at Vol
cano, and was the property OF j. II. Davis.
This stone became quite famous from its
peculiar construction. From the Cherokee
QlStrlcL SF'tIdi uuo eeontS nave Deen o.
tanned. One, owned by William Bradreth.
cut inc stone of over one carat This
was a fine white stone. About twenty
years ago number of fiee snowy stones
were taken from the slulces Of the Spring
Valley and Cherokee Mining Company.
Some were pure white; others sira w-coI-
ored, others again being pink, yellow and
various tints.
The State Museum has a good example
of CRYSTALS from he locality, presented by
Mr.. Williams of the above-named mining
company. One of the finest stones ever
found in the State is now worn by the