The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1895-09-19
Wilmington Messenger. !

North Carolina is greatly blessed.
1t has more variety of climate, soil,
crops and products of all kinds than
any other State. In fact if you travel
from Currituck to Cherokee-some
500 mlles-you will see more variety
OF scenery than you can find in any
other of the forty States. 1t is the
best watered and has the grandest
mountains and scenery of any State
this side of the Rockies. In North
Carolina diamonds, rubies, sapphires,
amethists, emeralds, tuIquos, garnels
and other precious stonesabound. In TACT
every stone mentioned IN the book of
| Revelation as the foundations of the
wall of the Heavenly City (Revelation
Xxi. 10 2o) have been found in this
goodly State of North Carolina. They
are Jasper, sapphire, chalcedony, emer,
aid, sardonyx, sardlus, chrysolite, beryl,
topaz, chrysoprasus, jaclnth and anne
| thySt. We make this statement upon
the authority OF statement made in a
Boston paper during It's Fair held some
twelve or fifteen years ago 1t was
dlstinctlvely stated that these twelve
stones were polished and arranged for
exhibition in this States exhibit. A
recent letter from Demming, n. c.,
to the Philadel phla Times gave some
facts that are of general interest. We
clul some extracts from the letter that
concern North Carolina:
"Experts in mineralology have long
considered some parts of the South a
most inviting field. Gem dealers, es-
peclally cutters, are cognizant of the
tact that many of the best gems now
cut in this country come from Southern
localities. Diamonds have also been
found in North Carolina. Several
large dealers in gems obtain part of
their supply of rubes from Western
North Carolina mines. | have exam
ined some of them with minute care,
and | agree with the others who pro-
nounce many of these rubies the equal
of the Burmah. Sapphires are also
found IN Western North Carolina,
Oriental anethysts-from the same
family as the ruby-arc found in Wts-
tern North Caaolna, and some beauti-
full Oriental stones have been found in
Eastern Virginia and Central North
Carolina. The Oriental topaz-also
from the same tamily-is found now
h.a X
Beautiful opals have recently been
brought to light in Mitchell, Yancey
ann Mcdowell counties, North Caro-
lima, surprising in lustre the Washing
ton county, Georgia opal.
"The Hlddenite, first mined in Alex
ander county, n. c., has been found
also in Burke and Mcdowell counties,
the same state y
ain the States referred TO have been /
found gems of other species and very
choice. Very superior emeralds are
found in Alexandria and Mcdowell /
counties, N. c., and recently 1 have /
seen very fair turquois from Mitchell !
county. In Mcdowell and Burke
counties tourmalines are found, of three |.
colors, pink, green and black, the
latter Opaque. And perido, also
abounds in these counties. The gar
nets of Burke and Mcdowell counties
are deep, velvety red, and are the
largest garnets found in the United
States, running as high as y! to 8 in
the scale of 1.
GA very beautiful gem is found in
Burke and Mcdowell counties in quan-
uly, known as the Venice hair crystal.
The Venice hairs are fine threads Of
crystalized rutlle, sometimes running
in parallel lines, sometimes crossing
each other, and occasionally 50 numer-
Gus as to number 100 TO the square
inch.