The morning times., 1895-12-08
GEM MINES IN AMERICA
Notable Finds of Precious Stones
on This Side.
ARE THERE ANY BONANzAsq
Jewels Have Been Discovered 10
Almost Every State in
the Union.

Americans are buying dukes this year
they have no money for diamonds. I'm
portatiOn of those precious stones have
gone away down. In 1894 they dropped
To lower point than for many years, only
So, T6S, 600 worth being brought into this
country. The growth of luxury IN the
United States is fairly measured by the i'm
ports or diamonds, which in S87 amount
ed to barely More than 81 800 900. II
1889 they had reached nearly 81 l. 900 900
In 1890, $4,000, 900; in 1892, $4,000,
900. This was high water mark. TheJ
have fallen off TO less than half that fig
ure since.
diamond mines have ever been discovered
in the United States, thinks the St. Louis
GlObe-Democrat.
Occasional gems OF this kind have been
picked up in various States, the Inclusion
drawn from such discoveries being that
they are restricted almost wholly to belt
along the eastern base of the southern Ale
gheDies in Virginia and Georgia, and TO
another belt along the western base of the
Sierra Nevada and Cascade ranges. It Is
a melancholy fact that this country hardly
produces an average OF 500 worth or
diamonds annually. And yet there IL hope
ahead.
POSSIBILITIES OF THE FUTURE.
Nobody can say with certainty that dis
u1ond mines rivaling thuse OF South Africa
may not be struck some day within tie
limits of Uncle Sans domain. Within the
last few years some finds" have beer
made which cause the experts OF tho Geo
logical Survey u shake their heads thought
fully. III 1875 a well digger at Eagle
Wis, found a diamond OF fifteen carats.
Another one, wine yellow In color, was
picked up on a farm belonging to Henry
EndliCh, st Kohlsville, Wis II weighed
twentyfour carats, being nearly as large
as pigeons egg. Mrs Endlich keeps
1t as a memento Of her deceased husband.
Many other diamonds have been found IN
the same neighborhood, and geologista ar,
certain that they have been brought dowf
from the north in glacial drift. The prob
lem is to find the source from which tney
started.
Apparently they are traceable to To-
calities where the geological formation
closely resembles that Of South African
diamond fields. One Uf these 10 the Menomi-
nee district OF North west Wisconsin; ths
other is to the north west of Lake Superior,
ia the vicinity of Pigeon River. Somewhere
in these regions there is hopeful pros
psct for the diamond seeker.
The geological formation or the neighboT-
hood of the South African diamond fields is
very peculiar. The surface layerofthe earth
thereabouts was originally OF carbonaceous
shales. that is to say, a kind OF rock contain
ing a large percentage of carbon. Carbon.
of course. is. in its pure state. une sole ma
teriaI OF the diamond.
Volcanic eruptioDs, vomited from the
bowels of the earth 4 vast amount or molten
rocks and other stuff heated to an incon-
ceivably high temperature. By this high
temperature the carbon in the shales was
crystallized into diamonds. Apparently
similar processes have been operative IN
past ages in the region OF the United States
referred to. Surely there is fair prospect
that the formation described may yield Ike
results.
1t is wholly a guess, but it may ''psn