The Washington times., 1906-03-18
CANADA PRODUCES
DIAMONDS GALORE
StOneSOf Great Value Found
in Northern Region.
INDIANS OlSC0VE GEMS
Country Between Great Lakes and Hud-
son Bay Said to Be Teeming
With Riches
INDIANS DISCOVER GEMS

FORT FRAfCIS. Ontario March. IL
Old mining men ard prospectors IN this
region did not need TO be told by Dr.
Ami, of the Geological Survey, that
great diamond wealth undoubtedly lies
hidden in that part of Canada between
the great lakes and Hudson Bay. In
the Rainy River district and IA the auri-
ferrous valley of the Seine many spark
lers' have been obtained from Indians
and French Canadian voyagers who had
picked them up in their wanderings
without any idea ns their character and
value
At the hamlet OF Mine Center. in the
Seine River country. George r. Douglass
IS the resident agent and assayist for the
Rothschild interests. who are buying
large tracts OF land in the district that
give evidence OF gold bearing quartz. Mr.
Douglass was long a resident of South
Africa He says the geological confor-
nation of the Rainy Lake and Seine
territories is almost identical with that
OF the Kimberley district, which has
given TO the world the famous diamond
mines.
many AHCAcuI mOunGS.
Forty miles from the mouth of the Big
Fork River. which empties into the
Rainy from Northern Minnesota. are
many ancient mounds. whose origin ex
tends beyond the tradition o. the Oiib-
ways. Until recently these mounds had
been inviolate. for they are in a wild
region but little visited by white men.
and accessible only by canoe.
One summer, however a party of
scientists from the University of Toron
10 came out TO explore them. From one
OF the mounds, on which q sturdy oak
was growing. large human skeleton.
perfectly preserved, was exhumed II
was not that Of an Indian, and in the
cavity whence It was taken were evil
Sences OF prehistoric civilization In the
form of many articles of pottery. some
stamped with unique and beautiful de-
signs.
Around the skeletons neck wss a mas
siye band of pure copper and on fits
bosom rested a curiously wrought neck
lace of the same material into which
were interviewer shells and coiora5
stones What arrested the attention of
lne exploring party. however. was a
stone which cleaned from the center
or pendant 20 the necklace At first
it was judged to be nothing more than
q clear piece OF quartz. but closer ex-
ANIMATION and testing proved that II
was diamond.
Although half a dozen mounds vyere
opened up before the party left the
region, and copper ornaments and not
teFy were found with skeletons in ali of
mem. no more diamonds were un-
cdrthed.
Held Diamond IN Scorn.
On going out band of Ojibways was
met, TO whom the articles found in the
mounds were shown, in the hope of OBJ
tanning traditions concerning their
origin As TO the copper. the Indians
were ignorant, but they grunted dis Iain-
fully when shown the pottery and the
diamond Specimens of the former. they
said, could be obtained IN almost any
quantity from the remains Of en- ancient
pottery works that once existed on the
banks of the Big Fork. near the Big
rails, few miles up the stream, while
IN the same region glittering stones of
the sort the palefaces seemed to regard
so highly had frequently been found.
Startled by the information, the Toron-
10 party pushed on 10 the Big Falls.
which marked in old days the disputed
boundary between the Hudson Bay
company and John Jacob Astor's An eri-
can Fur Company. There they found an
old hermit scuatter, Dan Campbell He
opposite his cabin, and, what was more
brought from a pouch which he carried
three stones OF a purity and brilliancy
that greatly exceeded that Of the one
found by his visitors. These stones he
had found In the course of his thirty
years living by the Big Fork while
scratching the surface of the pottery
heid with his hunting knife
Old Dan had no idea that his finds
were anything more than quartz. despite
the care with which he had preserved
them SO skeptical was he of his Wis
itOTs' assertions that the stones were
diamonds that he intrusted them to their
care TO be appraised In Toronto and their
value sent to him. Nor was the party
mistaken in its judgment The four
stones We're pronounced to be real gems,
of an aggregate weight OF twelve carats
and worth $500
Mr.. Douglass was sitting in the trad
ing post at Mine Center one afternoon
when a young buck and his sQuaw en-
tered to exchange pelts for provisions
They had come by canoe fifty miles
down the Seine Valley Strapped TO
papoose on her back. This she took
off and leaned the mummified youngster
against the counter while she joined in
her husbands chickering's with the store
keeper.
Mr. Douglass noticed that the young
redskin held something firmly in his
hand. which every now and then. after
gazing upon, he attempted to put into
his mouth, but was prevented by the
vigilant mother. Curious to see what
kind OF toy the Indian baby had. Mr..
Douglass pricd open his little brown fist
and there lay scintillating a diamond as
large as a hazel nut There was no mis-
take about At. In astoniShment he in
ouired of the sQuaw where she found
the gem.
'Oh, it, she replied. contemptuously.
in her cultural tongue. my man pick
cd it up when he was getting the poles
for our tepee up the river.
Got $1,000 Gem for SIo.
Douglass pulled out a twenty dollar
bill and offered It to the squaw for the
stone. But paper money has little sig
nificance for the Ojibway in the wlds
OF Canada. A gleam OF avarice shot
into the squaw's eyes and frightened the
corners of her mouth as she saw how