Bisbee daily review., 1909-12-07
DIAMONDS
SpaTNers Unearthed in Encieut
Mounds in Rainy Lake District.
Experiences Of Old Miners and Proc
pectors Support Theory ot Head
ef Geological Survey That
Rich Beds Exist.

Fort Francis. ont.-oid mining men
and prospectors In this region did not
need 70 be told by DR.. Ami Of the geo
logical 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 in the auriferous
valley OF the Seine many "sparkiers
have been obtained from Indians and
French Canadian voyageurs, who IN
their wanderings had picked them up
without any idea Of their character or
value.
At the hamlet of Mine Center, tn
the Seine river country. George r.
Douglass Is the resident agent and as
sayist for the Rothschild interests.
who are buying large tracts Of land
in the district that gives evidaEce OF
gold-bearing quartz.
Mr. Douglas was long : residen. Of
South Africa. He says the geological
conformation of the Rainy lake and
Seine territories is almost identical
with that of the Kimberley district.
which has given to the world the ia
nous diamond mines.
Forty miles from the mouth Of the
Big Fork river, which empties into
the Rainy from northern Minnesota.
arc many ancient mounds whose origin
extends beyond the traditions of the
Ojibways. 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.
Cne summer, however. a party o,
scientists from the University OF To-
ronto came out to explore them.
From one OF the mounds on which a
sturdy oak was growing a large hu-
man skeleton, perfectly preserved, was
ezhumed. 1t was not that Of an In
dian. and In the cavity whence 1t was
taken were evidences of prehistoric
civilization. In the form Of many arti-
cIes Of pottery, some stamped with
unique and beautiful designs.
Around the skeletons neck was q
massive band OF pure copper and on
Its bosom rested a curiously wrought
which were interviewer shells and col
ored stones. What arrested the atten-
ticn of the exploring party, however.
was a stone which cleaned from the
center of pendant to the necklace
At first it sas judged to be nothing
more than a clear piece of quartz. but
closer examination and testing prove
that it was a diamond.
Although half dozen mounds e
opened up before the party left the re-
gion. and copper ornaments and pot
terry we're found with skeletons in all
of them, no more diamonds were un-
earthed.
On going ent band of Ojibways
was met, to whom the articles found
in the mounds were shown, In the
hope of obtaining traditions concern
ing their origin. As to the copper the
Indians were ignorant, but they grunt,
ed disdainfully when shown the pot
terry and the diamond. Specimens
Of the former, they said, could be OBJ
tained in almost any quantity from the
remains of an ancient pottery works
that once existed on the banks Of the
Big Fork. near the Big Falls, 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 To
ronto party pushed on 10 the Big
Falls, which marked in old days the
disputed boundary between the Hud-
sons Bay Company and John Jaoob
Astor American Fur Company. There
they found an old hermit squatter.
Dan Campbell. He took them to the
ancient 3 pottery field opposite his
cabin and, what was more, brought
from pouch which he carried three
stones of purity and brilliancy that
greatly exceeded that of the one found
by his visitors. These stones he had
found during the 80 years he had lived
by the Big Fork, while scratching the
surface of the pottery field with his
hunting knife.
Old Dan had no idea that his finds
were anything more than quartz. de.
spite the care with which he had pre-,
served them. So skeptical was he OF
his visitors assertions that the stones
we're diamonds that he intrusted them
to their care to be appraised in Toron.
to. The four stones were pronounced
real gems OF an aggregate weight Of
II caEsts ana worth s2.500