The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-07-31

From the San Francisco Examiner.
Many persons about PlacerviIle have
been much interested by the report OF a
movement in San Francisco to explore
some diamond fields in this state. The
locality was not revealed by Col A An
dTews, the protector of the enterprise,
but a number of miners who are familiar
with the conditions here declare that FL
Dorado county, where gold was discov-
cred and where came the first rush of the
gold seekers, can now make pretensions
to being the most promising diamond min
ing field in the state. Justice of the Peace
W. F. Carpenter of Placerville, who came
to this country in 1850, has for many years
been an enthusiast in regard to the posi-
bilities here in he direction of diamond
mining. MIR Carpenter has always been
actively interested in developing gravel
mines, and through his connection with
them he has secured proof that diamonds
exist in the gravel deposits of this sec
ton. He, as well as others, is strongly
of the opinion that if some mining was
attempted here with special view to Sc
curing diamonds they could be found in
quantities. Heretofore only a few have
been picked up accidentally by parties
who were engaged in gravel mining.
In an interview Mr.. Carpenter exhibit
ed two diamonds in the rough that were
found two years ago by his son, Albert
Carpenter, in the sluice of his gravel mine
near Smiths Flat, a few miles east of
Placerville. The largest of these stones
is of a pure white color, and so perfect
in form and appearance that experts who
have examined ii have declared it to be
more valuable as a geological specimen
for a cabinet than it would be if it were
cut and polished. Its weight is a little
over two carats. Assistant State Miner
alogist E. B. Preston visited Placerville a
few months ago and examined this stone.
He declared that it should be bought by
the state for the public collection, as 1t
was the most perfect rough diamond he
had ever seen, both as to form and APP
pearance.
Said Mr.. Carpenter: LAS regards the
conditions in which these and other stones
were found in this country, they have been
declared by experts to be favorable to the
existence of diamonds in large quantities.
The blue clay in which the stones are
found imbedded in the South African
fields exists in large quantities in the
gravel here. This clay much resembles
putty when it is wet. Itacolumite a soft
micaceous sandstone. always the associ-
ate of the diamond, exists in large guam
titles in the gravel belt where the dia-
monds were found in this country The
stones that have come to light thus far
in this section were found in a purely ac-
cidental manner as with the methods nee
essarily used in gold mining it would be
possible to overlook and even destroy
bushels of diamonds. The specific gravity
of these stones is about one-hfth less than
that of gold. and the force Of water used
in the sluices to separate the heavy met
al from the gravel would carry the COM
paratively light crystals beyond the reach
of the miners. In gravel mining, also on
account of the hard cement in this for
nation, mills have for many years been
used similar to those employed in crush
ing quartz. The impact of the stamps
would crush diamonds, and in consequence
many glittering fragments have been
found among the tailings of gravel mines
in this country. With the employment of
the methods that are specially adapted to
the mining of diamonds, there is no doubt
that there would be great possibilities in
this direction in the auriferous gravel de-
posits around Placerville."