Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1895-08-21
AMERICAN GEMS.
vANYPRECIOUS STONES FOUND
IN THIS COUNTRY.
Mines Recently Opened-Oigging for
Emeralds and Turquoises in Va
rious Localities-hen-
lucky Garnets.

y found in this country and
the mining of them IS a rap
idlv growing industry. Ia lSo9 min
ing for precious stones was carried on
In two States. Ia 1898 the industry
had widened 90 embrace the mining of
tourmaline in Maine, emeralds IN
North Carolina, turquoises IN New
Mexico, sapphires IN Montana and
opals ID Washington, Idaho and Ore
con. Otherwise Gems aIe found accl-
dentallv in connection with 0ther SUD
stances that are being mined. They
are often gathered ON the surface, ssls
the case with garnet and divine ID
Arizona AMI New Mexico or in slmc-
ING for gold. as with the sspphires OF
Montana or In connection with mica
mining. as the beryl of Connecticut
and North Carolina
Diamonds. whenever found in the
United States. have always been come
upon bv accident. AN the gems of
this variety thus Gar discovered here
would not fl the bottom OF a coffee
cup. and their aggregate value wouid
not be more than 5000. Two Of the
largest diamonds found in the United
States are in this city, 300 from Ore
r70. Wis, which weighs 3 carats, Che
other from North Carolina.
some of the American precious
stones are of tine quality, the tourma-
E-e Of Maine, for instance.
Many diamonds have been found In
ciJsntally to the search for gold ia
California. They occur there not IN
commonly IN the auri.erous g%ravels
Doubtless many thousands OF them
have been destroyed Internationally
in the stamp mills. These gems have
often been picked from the sluices
and fumes. The first discovery OF
diamonds in thst State goes back 20
Che early gold seeking days OF 1850.
As far back as 1854 attention was
called % the similarity of the Califor-
MIA crayels 90 the diamond bearing
crly,ls Of Brazil. A few small stones
have been picked up ia Idaho, in
placer lIggings. but the excitement
awakened by them has been followed
by no substantial results. A small
diamond field has lately been found In
Pierce County. Wis. 10 has yielded
one gem Weighing th-ee-fourths of a
cerat O., v.I u.s. many little ones.
Na.l- t.r sapphires was begun IN
$50 81 Fuasiin, y. G.. Quitea num-
Der mes weighing over one
carat each. true blue and violet blue,
were taken olt, as wei as several ex-
c -- rabies The work wasstopued
ir t-s panic OF, 1873, but has been
Resumed recently. In Montana these
----. ave found along the Missouri
River on several bars, the richness of
which has given them the names of
Emerald bar. French bar, Eldorljo
bar AMI Ruby bar. These bars were
worked for gold many yeals ago, but
Che gem material was not sought o.
any extent, because of the cost of cut-
ting chiefly Two years ago these
bars were bought up by an English
company calling itself the Ruby and
Sapphire Mining Company, which has
..t.r-.T re-- ~r-.L.- A
S--e of +SsD bors bss, ,--
..I .t.,...1 fl, Lo,Jor
T. t--r,,oiso mines IF 1fevie,
worked aucieatly by the Indians ol
That region. aye now operated scien-
esu~ l- owl
r.r7-r- ~-.~isl .,rsr =, +,e e,..
Persian +r-lroi.s II rs+oi,s Ire c,Io~
vsiI -,t cbe-~r wi+bi,
-,e 7oss +bs F~,,e.1 +--
Stones baro beeo fon77
-, +o s,vtv c,-a+s each an.
If v...l a1. soll for 5000. II is
r1v p...HtIs for the f-S- time i7 the
Ia- ve.-s p, ms+cb D-rF4ct trr-
.-... -.,E1ses
~
-
-
an
M
M H--7IT--
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- @L--
. - 49, c-rss1s -.
-.-- ~ -
$500 ---.b - .I--
~
IN go +I. $50.
+w, cb-s-rv7,,Io~s5 .-s
19- ,-l 1g8 csrst
N.rr r..,t.f,l c-vst.rs ~ ere-sll
.a- s.--1 M Storv Point \ n
5-- ., ~ $3.50, en-
No. l.-.LlL I,..,,..
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