Woodruff County news. [volume] (McCrory, Ark.) 1901-1910, 1907-08-15
One Hundred and Forty Genuine
Diamonds Found in Pike County
Field Visited Recently by DR. George Fred
erick Kunz, Mneralogist of Inter
national Fame
STONES PRONOUNCED TO BE REAL GEMS
Company Will be Formed to Develop and
Work the Mines

Trom The Ark. Gazette Sunday Aug. 4, 1909
Diamonds have been found in Pike
county, Arkansas, and that most valu-
able Of earths minerals must be added
to the products of the state.
They have been declared genuine
diamonds by the highest authority in
America-Dr. George F. Kunz, vice
president and one of the trustees OF
Tiffany & Co., of New York, for many
years member and now an honorary
member of the United States Geologi-
cal Survey, and recently decorated
with the Legion of Honor by France
In recognition of his valuable services
In the fields of geology and mineral
ogy. DR.. Kunz contributes the encylo-
several books on the subject and is
recognized as the greatest diamond
expert in the United States, besides
being of international fame. He saw
the first three diamonds found, they
having been submitted to him in New
York, and afterward visited the Pike
county diamond field.
The mere fact that diamonds have
been found, would not of itself be of
Importance because they have been
found in 20 other places in the United
States at various times.
But the vast importance which
attaches to this find as compared with
all others in America lies in the fact
that all the other finds have been of
one or two stones at place, and in
each case they have been glacial. In
other words, they have been individual
diamonds deposited by retreating gla-
ciers and brought down from some
where near the North Pole.
$40 Diamonds Found.
The Arkansas diamonds have been
found to the number of 40 on one
tract in a volcanic formation, and
with the geological strata similar to
that of the famous Kimberly mines in
South Africa.
Not the least singular feature of the
find is the fact that Branner's reports
as state geologist, on file in the secre-
tary of states office, called attention
years ago to this similarity, and
expressed the opinion that the pres
ence of diamonds was indicated in
that portion of Pike county, and yet
this valuable tip was absolutely
ignored. The most plausible explana
ton is that official reports are usual
1y dry statistical reading and that no
one interested ever read it. Anyway,
the fact remains that while prospectors
have searched that region for every
thing from gold to asphaltum none
looked for diamonds, and as in all 9th
er diamond field discoveries the first
one was found by accident,
The First Arkansas Diamond.
John Wesley Huddleston owned
farm in the barren hills of Pike county
near the town of Murfreesboro. He
was an enthusiast about minerals and
always carried around specimens of ore
bearing rock. He is not in robust
health, lives much outdoors and bought
the farm more for its mineral POSSIBLE
tiles than for its fertility. Mr. Huddle-
ston had an idea that gold might be
found and at no time suspected the
existence of diamonds on his rocky
estate. But in his explorations he
picked up many of the crystals and
other interesting looking stones on his
place.
The diamond in the rough bears lit
tie resemblance to the symmetrically
cut and highly polished gem which
goes to enhance the beauty of fair
woman at fashionable function and
it is not to be wondered at that the
children of the South African Beers
used diamonds for marbles or that the
Pike county farmer should regard
them as the pretty but commercially
worthless crystals which are found
throughout the state.
But one day Mr.. Huddleston picked
up a crystal which glinted brightly
in the sunshine and seemed to hold
and reflect the light more than any
he had noticed. He took it home to
add to his collection. Rubbing it
against another crystal he noticed
that it cut it. He then decided to
take the stone to Murfreesboro, 1-2
miles distant, and get some one elses
opinion on it. This first stone is No.
8 on the accompanying illustration.
Marketing First Stone He Finds
Second.
Mr.. Huddleston rode muleback
toward Murfreesboro. Possessed now
with the idea that the bright crystals
on his land were valuable he kept his
eyes on the ground as he rode slowly
along. Passing through one of his
fields his keen eye caught a luminous
CLINT of reflected sunshine from a peb
Bile lying in the dirt. Dismounting
he picked it up and proceeded on his