The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-06-24
LAND OF BLACK DIAMONDS.


 dance In Bed Of Brazilian River.
 The black diamond is an important article of commerce, not because 1t is destined to embellisl the hand of feminine grace, but because of the fact that it has been widely applied in in |dustry, where it Is almost as valuable as it's white fellow. The home of the black diamond in Brazil, the classical land of the diamond. the richest beds of the mineral having been found in. the province of Bahia and on the banks and in the bed of the Sac Jose river. The stone, which is perfectly opaque, is not beautiful, and if the magical word diamond had never been applied to the substance there is no doubt that to this day the black dia- mond would be a thing unknown. How lever, the favor which this mineral en- joys is of recent date, for 20 years ago properties were unknown and the trade in the stone was practically nothing.
 The constantly increasing perfec- tion of boring instruments brought our the value of the black diamond, the |use of diamond point drills now hav- ing become so general that the price Iof the material has in consequence rapidly increased. To day the dia- mond has become of prime necessity in working tempered metals, saving lof marbles, piercing of tunnels and galleries and in mines. At the time of the inauguration of the Laboratory of Arts and Trades on July 1, 1905 cir cular saw provided with diamond points produced surprising results, cutting into thin slices the hardest of materials. On the banks of the Sac Jose are found traces of the first Iexploitation of the mines by the na- tiyes, the Garperos. The black dia- mond, however, having no commercial value, did not attract these people and lthey were apparently ignorant of the real character of the mineral.
 From the report of an engineer who explored the reigon in 1858 it is learn l ed that one day the diamond diggers discovered a black stone in the Sac Jose. They took the stone to one of their huts and sought to discover it's nature by attempting to crack it. All their efforts were fruitless, the stone resisting the most powerful hammers, and after time it was thrown back into the river. The stone weighed about 10000 carats and at the price of $40 8 carat represents a loss of $400,- lO00 ss I The exploitation of the Brazilian diamond mines by the Garmperos, 1t is The crevices of the rocks are explored The crevices of the ricks are explored with the hand, the gravel being taken away in.litle barrels which are carried on the head. Attempts have been made to lesson the time of the work by div ling for the mineral. but the violence of ] the stream is such during the rainy season that this plan has been but lit- tie adopted. The only method which will produce results and the one which will shortly be put in operation is that of draining. Dams will be errected 300 feet apart and centrifugal pumps will be installed for the pupose of draw ling off the water. The results of the work cannot be a question Of doubt, Judging from the past performances of these diamonds mines. | The question naturally arises, Why have the diamonds been found in the Sac Jose? The answer to this is not difficult and is given when it is said that the original rock-which former ly occupied the high plateau-has been gradually disintergrated, the debris of the rock being carried by rains into the Sac Jose. Because of the indensity the black and white diamonds were con- cealed under the sand, together with the mineral accessories which sur round them and which are the indi- cations of the precious stones Thus ill course of years these beds have been formed, beds the richness of which is alculable.-Chicago Chronicle. Ia B