The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-11-24

if these men who were working and
sweating over their dirty task could
have the pleasure of seeing these mar
velous stones which the guide described
in such wonderful language, they
might be melted to work harder and to
think their task a more pleasing one
The Dudley pear shaped diamond. for
instance, is so brilliant that it is as
serted that its rays can be seen even
in a perfectly dark room. This dia-
mond of Brazilian origin was valued at
only one hundred thousand dollars. al
though it weighs seventy-siX karats.
until the owner one day took it in his
hands and demonstrated that in the
darkest room it could be made to send
forth a light. The same test was APP
piled to the Orlof. the wonderfully cut
diamond in the scepter of the Russian
Gar. The Orlon weighs hundred and
ninety-four karats. and its value sprang
to nearly four millions
The celebrated French state Jewel,
the Pitt diamond, is valued at three
million five hundred thousand. It's
weight is one hundred and thirty-six
karats. A diamond in the rough is the
Stewart of South Africa, which weighs
now two hundred and lightweight
karats and is valued at several nun
dred thousand. It's shape is so irregu-
lar that it will cut to great disadvan-
tage; however, in the cutting II may
show a brilliancy which Will increase
it's price.
Rising in one of the buckets to the
top, we went over the works where
the wash-rOoms are located and there
we saw the Jumps of earth dumped into
a large hopper which is kept in con-
slant motion by steam power, and into
which a stream of water is continually
pouring. At the lower and smaller end
of this hopper there is an arrangement
of screens about one foot apart the
one directly under the other. The top
screen is a coarse one, which retains
all the large stones, the others are finer.
until the one at the bottom, which is
so fine as to collect pebbles the size Of
pinhead.
The hopper and screen are all under
lock and key, and it is an impOssibiitty
for any one to abstract particle OF
earth or stone from the machine with
out the keys, which are Kept IN saIe
of the mine owners until the Wash-up
day, when the screen boxes are opened
in the presence of the officers Of the
sorted by an expert. The rough dia-
monds are weighed and sealed in par
cells and taken to the office for classi-
ficatiOn and valuation
When a Kaffir is seen to pick up any
thing in the mine he is searched, taken
to the office and given powerful
emetic. The natives work naked, and
are not allowed to touch the earth they
are mining with their hands
Once a week usually Sunday morn
ing, the owners or directors of a claim
meet and open the screen boxes in the
wash-up machine which has the accu-
mulating findings Of seven days. The
screen boxes are dumped on zinc
covered table where the expert scrapes
the gravel over with a piece of zinc and
picks out the good stones. Many
worthless crystals are found, but these
are not even honOred with a glance by
the expert although they would de-
ceive almost any one else
The river mining is done with a cradle
and screen, usually by two men who
work together. Plenty of water is
necessity in successful diamond mining
as dry sitting is slow and laborfous.
JOHN CLARK HARRIS.
War Correspondent.