Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1900-02-26
ORIGIN OF THE DIAMOND.
Is Explained As the Recent Discovery
 in Kimberly.

Ill Kimberly
 The origin of diamonds, which for so long has been debated question, appears to be explained by recent discovery near Kimberly. In both the Indian and the Brazilian diamond fields the gem occurs like a pebble in certain sgravelly strata but has not been traced back to any rock that gives any indication of it's genesis. After the discovery of diamonds in the river sand on some South African riYc CTS, Il peculiar material of broWnish- buff color, which turned to a dark bluish tint, was found. It became harder as the miners dug down. The diamonds lay in this material, together with several other minerals, such as garnets. iron ores, augite, olivine, etc. Excavations-beg unsystematically were eventually carried on on such scale that near Kimberly they have reached depth of more than i 400 feet Here the rock is about as hard as ordinary limestone. The blue ground Is found only in limited areas.
 
 banded wirh hard sandstone, ia which sheets or dykes or basaIt or some ma terial which was once in molten con- dition axe occasionally found The blue ground fills a sort of shaft of colossal size in these other rocks, and is itself cut up by similar dikes. The opinion of geologists differs as to whether the gems were produced where they now lie or have been formed of some older rock, which has been shat tered by volcanic explosions. It Is thought that the mystery has been at last cleared up. About two years ago the manager of a diamond mine near Kimberly picked up a specimen in which smaller diamonds were appar~ ently embedded In a garnet. This led to an investigation of various bowl ders, one of wfich was broken open and was found to contain diamonds. The rock is of the description known to mineralogists as "eelogite. It is apparently composed almost exclusive ly of red garnet rock and a rather peculiar light green augite. The rock is coarse1y crystalline, and in all prob ability was once like garnet in a mott. en condition, the diamond being one of its original constituents. Experts now tend to the belief that the "blue ground" in which diamonds were found Is not their true birthplace. The powders are often water-marked, and may have rested for ages in an an- cient gravel at the very bottom of sedi- mentary rocks of the district. In course Of time volcanic explosions shattered the rocky floor in which the diamonds were embedded, of which the powders were only samples, and dis persed it, together with the overlyins materials. It is believed that this is the true explanation of the formation Of the diamond-bearing "blue ground.H Boston Herald.
 0garettes.
 Taking the population of Great Brit. ain and Ireland at 3S,000,000, trade journal assumes that 10 per cent, are cigarette smokers, and that they con- sume on an average five day all the year round. This would give total of nearly 100000, ,000 The tobacco contained in this number of cigarettes would weigh aver $500 tons. and if 1t were slowed in carts, each carrying a ton, and the carts marshaled in a line with twenty feet for each horse and vehicle. procession would be formed over thirty-five miles long, the total length of 7,00a,000.000 of them would be upward of S31 900 miles, or more than enough to circle the eloha