The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1894-10-06

81 wonder IL you know enough TO
know what that lisp" lie handed IL
10 me.
Now, a year or so ago, had occu-
pied my leisure in taking n London
science degree, so that have smat-
tering OF physics and mineralogy.
The thing was not unlike an uncut dia-
mond of the darker sort though far
too large, being almost as big as the
top OF my thumb. took IL and saw
10 had the form OF a regular octahe-
dron, with the curved faces peculiar
TO the most precious OF minerals. |
took out my penknife and tried 20
scratch it-vainly. Leaning forward
toward the gas lamp tried the thing
on my watch glass, and scored white
line across that with the greatest
ease.
/ looked at my interlocutor with ris-
ing curiosity.
1T certainly is rather like a dia-
mond But, II SO, il Is queen Of dia-
monds Where did you get it2'
81 tell you made il, he said. Give
IL back 10 me. +"
He replaced it hastily and buttoned
his jacket
~ will sell IT TO you for one hum
dred pounds he suddenly whispered,
eagerly.
''How did you get it2"
81 made IT,"
] had heard something OF Moissan,
but ] knew his artificial diamonds
were very small. shook my head.
You seem TO know something OF
this kind OF thing. ! will tell you "A
little about myself Perhaps then
you may think better OF the pur
chase He turned round with his
back TO the river and put his hands in
his pockets. lie sighed. IL know you
will not believe me-"
diamonds" he began-and as he
spoke his voice dropped its flavor Of
the tramp and assumed something OF
the easy tone OF an educated man
"are 20 be made by throwing carbon
out OF combination i'm suitable flux
and under suitable pressure; the
carbon crystallizes out, not as black
lead or charcoal powder. but as small
diamonds. So much has been known
10 chemists for years, but no one has
yet hit upon exactly tho right flux in
which to melt up the carbon or exact
~ the right pressure for the best re-
suits. Consequently the diamonds
made by chemists are small and dark,
and worthless as Jewels. Now /, you
know, have given my life 60 this prob
lem given my life TO it.
II began 90 work at the conditions
OF diamond making when / was seven
teen, and now / am thirty-two. IL
seemed 10 me that IL might take all
the thought and energies OF man for
ten years, or twenty years, but even il
IL did, the game was still worth the
candle Suppose one 20 have at last
hit tho right trick, before the secret
got out and diamonds became as com
mon as coal, one might realize mil.
lions. Millionsl"
He paused and looked for sympathy.
His eyes shone hungrily. ITO think"
said he, that l am on the verge Of IL
all, and herel
IL had" he proceeded, about one
thousand pounds when was twenty
one. and this. | thought, elSed out by
little teaching, would keep my re-
searches going. A year or two was
spent I'm study, at Berlin, chiefly, and
then continued on my own account.
The trouble was the secrecy Yousee,
II once had let out what / was doing,
other men might have been spurred on
by belief in the practicability of the
idea, and do not pretend 10 be such a
genius as 10 have been sure OF coming
I'm first in a race for the discovery.
And you see IL was important that II
really meant Co make a pile people
should not know IL was an artificial
process and capable OF turning out
diamonds by the ton. So | had 10
work all alone. AT first had little
laboratory, but as my resources began
Go run out, i had Co conduct my exper-
imcnts In wretched, unfurnishcd
room In Kentish town, where slept
at last on straw mattress on the floor
among all my apparatus. The money
simply flowed away. | grudged my
self everything except scientific APP
pliances. | tried 10 keep things going
by little teaching, but | am not
very good teacher, aud have no uni
versity degree, nor very much educa-
ton except in chemistry, and found
l had TO give lot OF time and labor
for precious little money. But / got
nearer and nearer the thing. Three
years ago | settled the problem OF the
composition Of the flux, and got near
the pressure by putting this hux OF
mine and certain carbon composition
into closed-up gun barrel filling up
with water, scaling tightly and heat
ing"
lie paused.
Rather risky" said /.
eyes. IL burst and smashed all my
windows and a lot OF my apparatus;
but | got kind OF diamond powder,
nevertheless. Following out the prob
lem OF getting q big pressure upon the
molten mixture from which the things
were To crystallize / hit upon some
researches Of Daubrce's at the Paris