New-York tribune., 1907-09-23
DIAMONDS In ARKANSAS
Rich Field Arou1d Ertinct Volcan6
Near Wurfreesboro.

11urfreesboro Ark. Sept 22 (Special).-Tw@
years ago John ". HuddIestone. ArkansaG
farmer. bought 243 acres of land the Little Mis-
souri, River. two and one-half miles from hers. fcr
$500 Six months later. while travelling, over ths
F-ound. he picked small crystal object which
aroused his curiosity After 1t had gone through
the hands OF number Of experts fe was pro-
nounced genuine diamond
Mr. Huddlestone sold his $500 farm, last wees
for $4,000 and moved to Arkadephia Ark where
there Is a college at which he intends to educate
his children He himself can neither read noy
write
Since hs sold his place for sss 900 the peop;e
who bought It have taken In diamonds NOR
than four times the price paid and IL the stats
ments or the government geOogists are to BE- re-
He'd on. a diamond field which may rank favorablv
with those OF the vaal River. In South Africa has
been found
Ten shafts already sunk within an area OF one
square mile have tapped the diamond bearing
peridOtite. and many more diamond drills are
working on adjacent properties. while entsrprfsirs,
prospectors are working the shoals on the Little
Missouri River and Prairie Creek. with the hope
of good returns
Land values have advanced in sorne cases from
one dollar to thousand dollars acre. but.
the fields cover such large area. II fs impossible
for any syndicate to obtain control OF all the sup
posedly good locations. and. result, much pros
pecting is being done by individuals Diamonds
have been found IN different localities over strip
of country about five miles broad and extending
from Nashville UP TO Yell County distancs of
more than eighty miles
What from present development seems to be the
mother location of all the diamonds found IN this
locality is the centre OF extinct volcano. s.u-
ated between the Little Missouri River and Prairie
Creek At this point huge blocks OF peridotits.i
the diamond bearing rock have been forced
through the surface Of the ground by volcanic ac-
tlou while In the middle OF the appears the
of the extinct volcano. rising OF the SUP
rounding level plain TO elevation Of about two
hundred feet making mound 24s acres IN size
Government geOlogists advance the theory THAI
some remote period the Gulf OF Mexico covsret
this section OF the country. and that during
eruption Of this volcano the waters rushed IN ana
the sudden cooling. together With the terrific press
ure Of the earth produced the diamonds They
that the peridotits is exactly the same al
that found IN the noted South African diamond
fields.
Inasu1uch as q majority Of the stones thus fapl
found were either picked up on the surface or
rooted out of the earth with sticks great -
being taken 10 prevent any one from trespassing
the properties Armed guards are kept patrol
ling the boundaries OF the original find both day.
and night All photographers barred from ths
field and it with much difficulty that pictures
were finally obtained
Every drill hole thus far sunk IN the vicinity oe
the cone of the crater has uncovered diamond
bearing rock For the part the peridottte Is,
found from twenty twenty-five feet below ths
surface of the ground Above this IS a stratum oe
pebbles such are washed down by rivers 1t Is
this perhaps than anything else that causes
geoIogists believe that one time the Gulf oc
Mexico extended beyond the Little Missouri Rivert
and during this period these loose, smooth rocks
were deposited
On the south side of the OF the crater ths
Little Missouri River has worn channel almost
deep enough TO uncover the peridOtte. and In this
gravel prospectors expect To find many loose dfa-
rnonds Several of them have already erected
primitive screens through which they sift tbs
gravel and pick It In a number of cases they
have been more than repaid fOC their labor
party Of St. Louis men who own five hundred
acres in a choice location have offered to suble-
the property on a royalty basis to individuals who
will work it. 4 number OF applications Tor leases
already have been made