The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1910-04-07

held the supremacy during the
ext 143 years, when the discoveries
In South Africa, in 1871, transferred
the center of diamond mining to the
latter regions. The sudden influx of
thousands of energetic white immi-
grants to those alluring fields. the
constructive genius of the late Cecil
Rhodes and his associates and the
ability shown by the British authori-
ties Of Cape Colony in adopting wise
and far-reaching measures for promo
ting the interests of the new and rap
idly growing colonies clustering round
Kimberley have SO focused public at
tention upon the South African fields
that the rich diamantiferous deposits
Of Brazil, yielding stone which ex-
perts consider so per cent, on the av-
erage. purer than those of South AT
RIGA, have been momentarily forgot
ten 1t would appear. however, &C
cording to information recently fur
nished by United States Consul-Gen-
eral George e. Anderson of Rio de ia
metro, that Brazil will now recover her
former supremacy as the principal dia-
mond producer of the world He re-
ports that great changes are already
taking place in the diamond mining of
the republic, due especially to the
fact that American capital has OBJ
tanned possession of practically all of
the diamond-bearing territory in the
finest Brazilian region, known as the
"Diamantina country" Modern dredg.
Ing machinery has already been in
stalled along the Jequithonha river, in
the state of Minas Geraes, an innova-
ton which, in Mr.. Anderson's judg-
ment, signifies that a revolution in
the mining industry of the diamond
district of Brazil is practically effect
ed. which will probably r%evolutionize
the diamond markets of the world.
The American men. continues Con-
sul-General Anderson, who have Sc
cured most of the better diamond
bearing property in Brazil have bought
1t with the idea that modern mining
methods, modern machinery, the intro
duction of water to the high, level, dry
country, the dredging of the river beds
by modern dredging machinery, the
separation of gravel products by the
latest machinery. the use of water
power for the generation of electricity
for the operation of mining machinery.
modern business management. the i'm.
provement in means of communica-
ton which can be made without un.
due expenditure-that all these ele-
ments combined can so reduce the
cost of securing diamonds in Brazil
that the enterprise can be made profit.
able.
Before discussing the opportunities
offered by Brazil, it may be well to
review briefly the origin and history
of diamonds and diamond mining from
the o remote ages down to the
present. There has ever been a fas.
cination for the human mind in the
diamond. which. in it's greatest purity,
is unrivaled for luster. brilliancy and
fire. and which is so hard that no
known substance can cut il or make
the slightest indentation upon it save
another diamond. so that the popular
adage. diamond cut diamond" is lit.
orally true. 1t is unaffected by any
acid and remains unimpaired when
attacked by any of the nonmetallic
elements. Careful experiments prove
that the finest quality OF diamonds
are pure carbon. and thus related to
coal and graphite. The diamond.
when subjected to the intense heat of
the oxygen fame. d~issOlves into car.
carbonic acid gas and leaves a residue
OF ash. When extracted from any
given locality the gen is of a rather
dull appearance and 1t is only after
the skill of the l~apidary has removed
its rough exterior and polished by