The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-01-11
JADE QUARRY FOUND
Worked by Indians thousands
of Years Ago.
METHOD OF SHAPING IT
Figured Out by a Shrewd
British Columbian.
METHOD OF SHAPING II

coast procure their jade, or nephrite, to
cut and mold into implements of utility
worship and war? Where did they get
their tools to cut and mold a substance
which has a specific gravity of 8.28, next
to crystal in hardness and from four to
five degrees denser than steel? These
questions often have been asked, but new
er have been answered until today, when
Professor HiA-Tout of British Columbia,
Fellow Of the Royal Geographical Soci-
ETY., who has spent twenty-five years of
his life in a study of the Pacific coast
Indian and his ways, announces that he
not only has discovered where the Brit
ish Columbia jade comes from, but has
found out how the Indians Al long 10 got
ten days shaped it into war clubs and
household gods. He disproves that state
ment that the jade implements dug from
Indian mounds were brought mere from
China or Australia thousands Of years
ago. Professor Hill-Tout SAIL:
While exploring the river near some
ancient Indian burying grounds between
Lytton and Lilliiet, in British Columbia,
I came upon an Indian war club and an
idol made of jade. Ny guide was at once
interested in the discovery He was an
ancient Indian named Capilano, who, it
is claimed by his tribe, is veritable
storehouse of Indian traditions and
knowledge. He proved of great use in
this case, at LEAST.
ION my asking him if any stone of that
description was found in the vicinity, the
ancient red man at once grunted an af-
frmative and led me half a mile up the
river, disclosing to my astonished view
a veritable treasure-house of varigated
colored crystal-pink, white, every tint of
the rainbow-lying piled in heaps on the
bank. Pointing beneateh the shallow
waters he invited examination into their
depths. 1 waded into the stream and
digging in the bottom soon brought to
light a magnificent specimen of true jade,
light green and almost transparent
1t turned out that 1 was in the sa-
cred workshop of prehistoric tribe, for
the bowlder showed on it's surface that
the ancient workmen had commenced OPP
erations on this block and afterward
abandoned it, 1 afterward discovered the
On one side of the jade bowlder was a
semicircular groove, and on the other
sharp triangular cutting with the apex
pointed downward
More searching in the bottom of the
stream diclosed hundreds of tons of jade
boylders, some of much better quality
than others and varying in color from a
green to yellowish gray. But the bowl
der first discovered was the one of price
less value, as it contained the actual
marks of the ancient workmen.
Again 1 called the ancient Indian to
my side and pointed to the triangular
cutting and the smooth worn groove. The
Indian could not explain in words, but
picking a piece of sandstone from the
bank he scraped it with t large crystal
till it was round, like a lagre sausage,
then he took the jade and smartly rubbed
il for five minutes with the sandstone,
without speaking. To my surprise and
delight 1 found on examination that the
smart friction of the gritty sandstone
was wearing a groove in the jade similar
to the groove disclosed in the partly cut
stone found in the river.
Put how was the sharp cutting made
The Indian shook his head but profit
ing by the first lesson given by .he old
red man, took the wedge shaped o1ys-
tai still held in the Indians palm and
commenced saving at the jade with it.
At first no impression was made, then
. scratch appeared. After working fcr
twenty minutes I was rewarded by find
ing that the hard ia d was giving away
TO the quick saving of the crystal, and
that at least a week 5 labor eight hours
a day, would make a triangular cut like
that disclosed in the jade stone. manipu-
lated perhaps a thousand years ago"
Here, then was the secret of the situa-
ton. The sandstone wore away the jade
quickly, but it made only blunt indenta-
ticns. conforming to the shape of the
sandstone. The crystal implement. for the
sharp cuttings, required much greater la
Dor and a hundred times more patience
but no doubt the crystal was the tool
employed, perhaps with the aid of the
sandstone ground fine and moistened.
The Indian was much interested in the
experiments, and volunteered the infor-
nation that nine miles farther up the
river the whole bank was made of the
same stone. Professor HiIl-Tout visited
the spot, and found that the mother lode
was indeed there. He discovered quar-
~ of jade. much of it of high grade
As in China, the mineral was found in
veins and pockets clearly marked. The
first specimen discovered. with the an
cient cutting upon it, was sent to Or
Dawson, the Dominion of Canada govern
ment geologist, who expressed himself
much delighted with the specimen and
the description of how the Jade was cut.
Five hundred pounds of powders was