The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1906-07-07
NOTHING rolT
Carbon Man Says There IS 10 Trust and no
Anti Combination.

story told us by gentleman who IL
connected with the operation OF several
diamond drills ON this range. 10 the
effect that the drill operators had COM
bined b. force down the price OF car
bons. We doubted the story at the
time but published il for what IL was
worth and also printed the interview
with u. n. Mcdonald, denying that
his firm is in the combination or that
he was cognizant OF such combins-
ton.
The article was given wide circula-
ton aud last Monday John Van
Borstel. representative Of big carbon
house, took occasion TO emphatically
deny the reported carbon trust 70
representative of the Marquette Min
ing Journal The gentleman's in
formation about the diamond business
is very interesting and we print IL
herewith.
Mr.. Van Brostel said This trust
talk IL new TO me. The fact OF the
matter is, there are but four firms in
this country. except one hardware con-
crn in the East. handling black dia-
monds, and these four are located. in
New YORK. In my opinion there is no
Likelihood of combination being
formed, as the firm | represent sells
more carbons than ali OF it's com
petitors combined
"The American dealers in black
diamonds are In no way responsible
for the high prices now prevailing.
The best quality stones bring tS5 a
carat and 1t would not surprise me II
they went higher, as they are very
hard TO get Our firm keeps a man in
Paris who usually has the first choice
of every package Of stones that come
from Brazil He pays cash for the dia-
monds and the firm trade Is now so
extensive that they buy every good
carbon they find on the market Only
last week an old diamond drill man
entered our New York Office and offer
ed for sale some stones that he bought
fourteen years ago at Sl5 carat He
said that the stones had been used a
number Of years. We took them, pay
ing him the market price
The price Of black diamonds Is
controlled. and dare say always will
~ controlled. by the natives Of Brazil
Black diamonds ara not mined, a. are
the white stones The natives find
them ia the bottoms Of the rivers and
they have u dive b get them At
times they labor for day- without find
ing stone A rule the natives
try to find only enough diamonds TO
keep them supplied with the necessities
Of life They are well informed on
their value
The report that ia 800 some of the
mining corporations 81 this region and
other large consumers Of carnons. sent
man to Brazil to buy stones ia large
quantities with the expectation Of
getting them At price below that
asked by the regular dealers. i untrue.
New York parties who imagined all
they had to do was to 20 into the
market and buy the goods, sent man
ont He did not remain ia Brazil
long, however. as he found after get
ting there, that he could not purchase
the carbons any cheaper than the men
already on the ground, and that If he
did wait for the natives TO come in
with the goods he would have to bid
Tor them Black diamonds are market
"a in only two places, Paris and Lon
do Whenever desirable lot Of goods
arrive in London our representative
usually goes there 10 look them over
While carbons are high the dia
mond drill men are not losing as many
Of them as they did from ten to twenty
years ago, az they are now more care
full. and besides they seem TO under
stand the work better An ordinary
stone used in this region, where the
ground ia hard. will weigh between
four and one.half aud seven oarats, 80
you see bit containing eight such
stones il very valuable One day last
week Tom Dee. who Il one Of the best
authorities living on the drill business
told me when | called on him at his
Office in Chicago that more than 81,
OcO 900 worth Of carbons.were used by
the operators Of drills in this and the
foreign countries last year This being
true. the Yawger Demmert company
sold more than 80 per cent q them, a.
their business las year exceeded
$500 COD