The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1910-07-16

( the black diamond, while the
United States is its largest
market II is found in La
/ Chapada and Lavras districts
OF the province OF Bahia, Brazil
where II is mined from river beds and
{ other alluYium. The miners sell their
hnd to agents OF exporting firms In
the city of Bahia. II is calculated that
this port ships annually about $4,000,
/ 600 TO s4,600000 worth of black dia
monds, and, with the adoption OF
/ modern methods and machinery ia
/ place of the extremely primitive ones
formerly employed. the industry will
be tremendously stimulated. About
twenty-five years ago a stone OF 100
carats was found. followed by one OF
100 carats. and in 1895 a gigantic
stone of 3,07S carats or els grams.
which was purchased by a New York
house for s32 600 and broken up into
pieces of suitable size for diamond
drills. At present prices this stone
would be worth about 1852 600. Dur
ing the past ten years stones OF 400
TO 500 carats have been discovered,
while they are frequently found weigh
ing from 100 to 200 carats.
Previous to 1870 carbouado was
practically yaluelesS From 1870 to
1872 it was employed as an abrasive
for cutting and polishing the white
gems, and thousands of carats were
NJ H.. -
Cd to powder Tor this purpose \ few
years later when carbCnado was EN-.
ployed in diamond drilling il sold at
from s. to 81 carat Between 1895
and the present the market value has
tluctuatrd between SIS and So a carat.
this high price being caused by the
decline in the supply OF carbonate in
the past ten years, while The demand
has increased. In connection with the
subject of black diamond consumption
In drilling, il is interesting 10 remark
that in digging the drill hole at Ryb-
mix tParuschowitzl Upper Silesia,
which attained depth of nearly 1000
feet upward OF $4,000 worth OF car,
bOnado was used
The conditions are entirely differ.
cut from those OF Africa The gravel,
sand. and other material containing
diamonds lie in or near the beds OF
streams and rivers, and have been
washed down by erosion from high
"chapadas" or plateauS which are
probably the original matriX in which
Brazilian diamonds were forme5 Is
Is natural. gold and 4 yaria. OF other
substances, such rs Eacolumnite,
divine, limestone. heuatite, granite,
gneiss, and clay are associated with
he diamonds The diawoud.hsariug
material OF Brazil consists CT con,
slomerate. sometimes iu,erbeddrd with
hard yellow sandstone, which is wash
ed down through erosion by rivers. or.
in some cases. may be badly deyor-
posed and rotten rock Fossils are
generally lacking The deposits often
consist Of schis,s and scaistose clay.
diamond-bearinE clays, reddish earth.
granite and gueiSsic formations, and
pebbles OF various sorts.
The states q the republic which
have yielded diamonds are MiuaS
Geraes. Parana. Bahia, Goyaz. ana
Matte Crosse. II IS in the first named
that Dismantina. celebrated for the
rich diamond mines in its vicinity. Is
situated The city is well butt and
lies at The Eeadwatsrs OF the Je4uitin.
honha. or Diamond river. a stream
$50 miles long. which emp,ies into the
Atlantic al Beluouts To the east Of
Di8mantina Is the peak Of Noun,
ltAmbe. $500 feet. In the Scrra ESpjn.
AGO Range The mines are situated
north az Rio dc JaGeiro $40 kilO-
meters, Or 49, miles, north Of H4ro
Pre,o, the capital OF Minas Getaes.
The territory in which they are stu
ated forms . vast elupSe, - k-o-
meters. or 80 miles. BY 30 kjlometers.
or - miles. in plateau 1000 10 1900
meters $3.50 70 2.SS- feet. co4..ln.
Ing a number of valleys cut by trs
JeQuintiuhCuha and It's left tributaries.
Ribeir3o do Inferno. Rio Caethe. etc
and also by the Sac FraEcisco's at-
euentS which aow 20 the Uorthv est. In
very different basin.
Although diamond minius has been
more extensively and systematically
pursued n the states Of MiDsS Geraes
and Bahia than elsewhere in Brazil.
Matte Crosse. GoyaE, and Pa7ana have
yielded Sufsc5ert results 70 justify the
belief that their future as centers of
diamond production Will be prosper
Gus
The primitive methods ~ mining
employed In Brazil until resent years
have, nevertheless. abgaGantly re.
yealed the natural produCtivsresS ot
the Brazilian diaUsn.ite0oGs deposits
Two native u,sthois are still very
largely - uSe, aecCl 3iIS 70 lie loeA.-