The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1910-01-20
MAINE VERY RICH IN
VALUABLE GEMS
T0urmallne Close Second 10 the
Diamond.

In a general way it Is understood
that Maine is rich in gems but We
doubt If many of our people realize
that it is the richest State in the
Union in this line.
While Colorado and California may
have more of these precious stones in
some particular form, neither can
boast such a variety as the old Pine
Tree State. In rarity and value the
tourmaline may be called a close sec
no other section of the country can
even approach the State of Maine.
Not only Is Mount Mica the largest
tourmaline mine in the world but the
stones are of purer quality than can
elsewhere be found. This mine was
discovered as early as 1920, but not
until so years later was its value APP
preciated. And yet this gem is but
one of a full half-hundred that have
a commercial value and are found
scattered through the pregmatic area
that extends from the banks of the
Kennebec to the New Hampshire line
The richest part of this gem bearing
zone lies between the city of Auburn
and the town of Newry. This belt is
about 70 miles long by fifteen miles in
width and the main feature of the geo.
logical formation is schist. gneisses
and limestone. The gems are found
in veins and pockets and as a rule
are of a high quality and value
The minerologist, w. R. Wade OF
Lewiston, now in charge of a tur-
quoise mine In Mexico, speaks of the
gems of Maine in the Mining and En-
cheering Journal:
The Maine Tourmaline Company
mine at Auburn yields principally
pink and green tourmaline, the deep
red shades not being abundant Some
very beautiful deep green stones OF
good size have been recovered In
! 1904 series of pockets yielding hand
some dark blue tourmalines of near
ly an oriental sapphire shade, were
opened in pit No. 2. The green tour
malines from the Maine deposits are
superior in color and brilliancy, es-
pecially at night to those found in
Brazil or California, and when prop
erly cut are exceedingly beautiful
gems.
The Mount Mica deposit was dis
covered in 1920, and the locality is
famous for the gems and minerals ii
has produced
The Pulsifer mine Is on the same
vein as the Maine Tourmaline Co s
property at Mt. Apatite. This prop
erty produced notable pocket of
clear, transparent, purple apatite
crystals, of which there were nearly
5000 in the pocket counting all siz-
es, the largest of which were about
two inches in length. A large part
of this find was purchased by Har-
ward university and is now in their
museum. The occurrence of the tour
maline is the same in this mine as
in the mine previously described.
The predominating shades are pink
and green, and many fine crystals
have been taken from this small ex-
cayation.
For the last two years the John S.
Towne lease has been sublet to the
Maine Feldspar Company which did
the mining, using steam drill and
derrick to handle the waste, paying
royalty on the feldspar and leav-
ing the gems to Mr.. Towne. Green
tourmaline of value of about $500
was recovered during the summer of
1907.
The Hatch mine near the top of
Mt. Apatite has been worked spas
medically. The principal product
has been feldspar with but little tour
maline.
The Berry mine. strictly speaking,
is not a gem mine. it's main product
being feldspar. 1t is situated about
two miles south from Mt. Apatite
Both pink and green tourmalnes of
gem quality are occasionally found.
Some good gems have come from the
mine, but gem material Is not abun
dant enough to warrant working 1t as
gem property.
In the township of Hebron, about
16 miles northwest of Mount Apatite
is the Merrill mine, The deposit has
produced some of the deepest red
tourmalines.
The National Paper Company owns
piece of land in Newry, near North
Andover. Me-, on which tourmalines
were found in 1902. The property
seems to be fairly rich but due to the
peculiar occurrence of the gems they
are difficult to recover
The gem crystals are peculiar In
themselves, for they nearly all con-
sist of two crystals crossed oblique-
ly. They are generally opaque and of
faint apple green color on the out
side with a beautiful clear, red or
green center.-Lewiston Jurnal.