The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1910-02-10
ARE STILL LOOKING FOR
r THE FAMOUS DIAMOND

azine telling the stories of the two largest
diamonds in the world-the Excelsior,
which was found in 1893, and which held
the record for size until the discovery OF
the Cullinan in 1906. In this article I
quoted a letter written to me by Sir Will
liam Crookes, who. after a scientific ex-
animation of the Cullinan. commented as
follows: The diamond is a fragment.
probably less han half, of a distorted
octahedral crystal, the other portions
waiting to be discovered by some fortu-
nate miner 1 stated that I believed the
original weight of the entire stone to
have exceeded 5000 ~carats. the portion
found weighing 1904 carats, or almost one
pound and six ounces ayoirdupois.
These statements were reprinted in the
South African papers, and doubtless re-
peated by the men in the mining districts.
BY the rule Of progression which governs
all gossip, these statements naturally ex-
banded into the rumor that the other
half of the Cullinan has been found.
do you think 1t likely" asked the re-
porter. that any one OF the four frag-
ments Of the Cullinan has been found?'
mo, l DON'T" replied Mr.. Kunz. THE
discovery OF any of these four fragments
would be a big find and the lucky mining
company would Immediately report it be-
cause OF the favorable action it would
nave In the stock market upon it's shares.'
ouI 1871 I II possible mat a workman
may have found it and secreted it?"
Al answer to that question would be
pure guesswork. a thing useless to indulge
In"
IN this connection, however, it is in
teresting to remember the stories as told
by Mr.. Kunz of the finding of both the
Excelsior and Cullinan diamonds.
The Excelsior was picked up by a ma
tive loading u truck with diamond earth,
and alth0noI q vyh{tn x,nyooo $50. A--a
Ing by, the negro manager to secrete 1t,
and kept it on his person for some time.
1t does not appear. however, that he in
tended to steal 1t. for he eventually de-
hHered 1t to the manager. saying that he
wanted to give it to the boss
1.-THE Cullinan was discovered even more
casually. The days work at the mine was
over. and Mr. Frederick Wells. the sur
race manager, was making his usual
rounds CHANGING along one side of the
deep excavation. his eye suddenly caught
the CLEAN of a brilliant object far up on
the bank. He lost no time in limbing up
to the spot where he had noted the CLINT
OF light. He had not been mistaken; it
was really a brilliant crystal. He tried
TO pull 1T out with his fingers, and as this
proved impossible, he sought to pry it out
will the blade of his penknife. To his
surprise the penknife broke without caus-
ing the stone to yield.
In telling OF the story of his discoy-
cry Mr.. Wells said: When l took a good
look at the stone stuck there in the side
OF the pit it suddenly flashed across me
that 1 had gone insane-that the whole
thing was imaginary. l knew it could
not be a diamond. All at once another
solution dawned on me: Some practical
joker. thought !, has planted this huge
chunk OF glass here for me to find it.
He thinks I will make a fool Of myself
by bringing it into the Office in a great
state of excitement
Determined to test the stone on the
spot before proceeding further, Wells
rubbed off the dirt from one of its faces
and soon convinced himself thai 1t wa
not a lump of glass but a diamond crys.
tai apparently of exceptional whiteness
and purity.
With the aid of a larger blade Of hi.
knife he finally succeeded in prying out
the stone and carried 1t to the office of
the mine. Here 1t was cleaned and to
the establishment of all was found to have
a weight OF S,024 carats, more than three
times that of any other diamond that has
been discovered. Before many hours had
passed the telegraph carried tidinRs to
all parts OF the world that the greatest
diamond Of this or any other age had
been brought to light