Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1907-11-02
j. S. DIAMOND MINE.
First One Found In Arkansas,
Says Or. Kunz.
DEPOSIT COVERS 100 ACRES.

Says Gem Expert-Gevernmen Re.
port Will Show That Never Before
Has the Stone Been Discovered In lts
Native Place In America.
Diamonds Gin place" or in their orig.
inal geological setting, and of such
fine quality and such quantity to give
promise of rich mine have been
found In Pike county, Ark.
Such was the statement made the
other day, says the New York Herald,
by DR.. George f. Kunz of New York, a
noted gem expert That the diamond
mine existed has been kept as secret
as possible by the owners since they
were assured by experts that their
ground carried the gems.
In government report to be made
public soon the first official notice is
to be given that a diamond mine has
been found in the United States. This
bulletin, which will prove sensational,
despite the conservatism with which 1t
has been prepared, embodies the result
of Investigations by DIR. Kunz and Dr.
Henry S. Washington, a noted phtogra-
pher. DR.. kunz has studied and en-
deavored to trace to their supposed
sources every diamond found in the
United States in the last twenty years.
Arkansas diamonds are found over
an area of 100 acres near the little
town of Nashville, about sixty miles
from Little Rock. They occur in
volcanic rock, similar to that of the
South African mines, which forms a
small igneous stock in Pike county.
The first two stones We're found on
Aug. 1, 1906, by an Arkansan, and since
then they have been found almost con-
tinuously, the total number being 100
at last report. Many stones are white
and of good water, while some are yell
low and others of brown tint. The two
largest stones weigh six and a half
carats, one being exceedingly fine
white and the other brown. They are
found on the surface of the igneous
area as well as in the greenish, fable
decomposed peridotite, somewhat like
the famous blue ground" of Kimber-
ley. No diamonds have been discov-
cred outside the 100 acre area. They
were all found between the two dikes
where roadway has cut up the de-
composed rock within an area of some
FIVE acres.
1.-The property is all controlled by one
company" said DR.. Kunz, land Is be-
ing actively prospected. The course
of the owners SO far has been sensible
and conservative. One hole has been
sunk 1856 feet and another 40 feet, and
both are in the igneous rock all the
way. On the De Beers property one
hole has been sunk 1000 feet
'In my opinion genuine, permanent
diamond mine has been found, and
Americans may soon be wearing Amer
lean diamonds instead of gems found
on British soil. Much will depend on
the manner In which the property is
developed. In diamond mining it has
been found necessary to handle 7,000,-
600 parts of earth to get one part of
diamond, and even with the fine pros
poets the Arkansas owners have the
enterprise might prove improbable.
"a diamond was found in Arkansas
in 1912, another in 1916 and others In
1888 and 1889. Only recently has the
right kind of an investigation been
made of the peculiar geological forma-
uon
This Is the first time diamond has
been found In place In the United
States. l have traced diamonds found
In Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio and In
diana and found them to be within the
glacial moraine, which carries their
source north of Lakes Superior and
Huron. About 200 individual diamonds
have been found in the gold mines of
central California. One was found
near Richmond, Va, one In Montana
and one in Idaho. But all these stones
were found to have floated from other
places"
None of the Arkansas stones have
yet been cut, but their quality is pro-
nounced by Dr. Kunz to be superior
to the De Beers output. The region
In which they were found is amply
supplied with coal, wood and water
for operating purposes.