The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1902-04-10
AS TO AMERICAN DIAMONDS
The Native Variety Docs Exist,
Though Few Have Been
Found.

Found.
With the steady increase IN th
price of diamonds and the assuranc,
on all sides that the advance will con
tinue for some few years at least COM
reports from all over the world of ex
plorations and examinations looking t,
the discovery of a diamond field tha
will be fitting successor to tn,
Consolidated Mining Company's land
in South Africa. Of all lands IN which
diamonds have boon, and are being
found the one in which a discovery OF
diamond mine or district would prove
the greatest surprise to experts Is The
United States.
This is not due TO any absence oj
native American diamonds, az authcn
tic finds have been made for over
sixty years at least, and will no doubt
continue, but TO the fact that all dis
coveries heretofore have been of single
stones, and the maxim, mot twice in
the same place." is becoming to be
believed as applying more certainly to
diamonds than it ever did to lightning.
Not ouly have the diamonds 80 far
found been isolated stones, but the
geological conditions of the places OF
discovery have in many instances been
such as TO show the diamond crystal to
be stranger in the neighborhood, or
at last show nothing to Indicate the
presence of crystallized carbon.
Diamond finds have come from no
one or two sections, but have extended
over large territory on the Atlantic
and Pacific slopes and in the North
Central States, on the surface or in
loose material and among deposits of
gravel or earth. All the discov cries
have been of sufficient importance to
excite The interest of the geologist
or mincralogist, as we'll as to cause
comment locally and in the scientific
world, but never have they been large
enough TO warrant any speculation
from business standpoint. In fact,
Judging from the discoveries of the
past half century, there is no reason to
believe that diamonds can or will ever
be numbered among the important
products of the United States. Never
theless, with each new lind, hope
springs i'll the breast of the finder that
he will be a second Cecil Rhodes or
Barney Barnato, and the public gaze
is centcred on his locality for short
time.
According TO George f. Kunz, the
government gem expert, the authentic
discoveries OF diane onds have all been
IN three distinct localities, as follows
l. In Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana
and Ohio, in the vicinity of the Green
bay lobe of the continental glacier:
2. In Georgia, North Carolina, South
Carolina, Tennessee and Kentucky,
and
3. In California, adjacent to the
watersheds of the San Joaquin and
Sacramento rivers, where diamonds
were first found in the United States.
The last diamond known to have
been found was two-karat stone
picked up on land owned by b. +.
Hudson, five miles from Columbus,
Ga, carly last November. On Mr..
Hudson's farm is field about ten
acres in extent full of rocks of all de-
scriptions. While crossing this Mr..
lludson's son found crystal which
seemed to have peculiar light. He
took it to V. j. Pekor, a jeweler of
Columbus, who after careful ex-
animation, thought it might be a
diamond. So interested was he in the
specimen that he advised Mr.. Hudson
to write to George +. Kunz, the gem
expert, and send him the stone. This
Mr.. Hudson did, and in reply received
word that the stone was diamond,
for which an offer of $50 was made.
TO this Mr.. Hudson agreed, and he
received check for the amount.
This diamond caused great excite.
ment in the vicinity Of Columbus, and
many were the reports of unexpected
finds by hundreds, who Immediately
started diamond hunting. Up to this
time, however, no other gems are
known to have been unearthcd. Dia.
monds had been reported from at least
six more localities in Georgia, but
these are doubtful occurrences.
The only important recent find re,
ported PRIOR to that of Mr.. Hudson was
a diamond of 4 1-2 karats found il
Alabama, in Shelby County, abou
thirty miles south of Birmingham. |
was found by little glrl in earth usct
to fill up some low spots in a garden
Some Of this earth was close TO tn,
house, where water drippcd on it from
the roof, and here after rain she say
The diamond and picked it up. 1t ha'
been washed clean. The stone, whicI
was pronounced an exc, llcnt one
would cut into gem of 1 1 2 karats, j
is estimated, or perhaps a little more
1t was sent to New York and ex
amincd, but remains in the possession
of the finder.
Two diamonds were reported fror
Tennessee III the latter part of 1896
and were found at Luttrcll, nca
Knoxville. The details of their dis
covcry are not available, but they wer
bought by jeweler in Knoxville, VIII
had them cut, and reports that the
are of good quality. Hardly any othe
finds of importance have occurred dul
ing the past six years, no diamond
being known to have appeared duin
1896, 1897 or 1903.
One of the first diamonds rcpOrte
to have been found Oh the Atlant
coast was a stone unearthed at Br;n
Teton creek, Burke County, Mort
Carolina, by DIR. Il. M. Stcphcnso
and its value is said to have BET