The Mobridge news. [volume] (Mobridge, Walworth Co., S.D.) 190?-1917, 1910-04-08

IL Nv otPiNiidNs utI IL III
next l43 wears. when the discoveries
In South Africa. in 1871. transferred
h center of diamond mining to the
latter regions The sudden influx of
thousands OF energetic whi.e immi
grants to those alluring feds. 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 stones which eX-
pertS consider 20 per cent. on the av-
eraee. purer thar those OF South At
rlca. have been mOmentarily forgot
Ten IL would appear. however. aC-
cOrdlng to information recently fur
nlshed by United States ConsulGen-
eraI George + Anderson of Rio de ia.
metro. that Brazil will now cover her
90 ~ a TIC
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
TACT that American capital has OBJ
tanned possession of practically all of
he diamond bearing territory in the
nnest Brazilian region. known as the
'Dlamantina 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 iudg-
hleht' signifies that a revolution in
he mining industry of the diamond
district of Brazil is practically effect
ed, which will probably revolutionize
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
ductlOn of water to the high. level. drv
cor,.tly 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 IN
proVement in means OF communica-
ton which can be made without un.
due expenditure-tha all these ele-
ments combined can so reduce the
COS of securing diamonds in Brazil
that the enterprise q 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 most remote ages down to the
present. There has ever been d tas-
cination for the human mind in the
diamond. which. in its greatest purity
is unrivaled for luster. briiliancy and
fire. and which Is so hard that no
known substance can cut il or make
the slightest indentatioh upon it save
another diamond, 50 that the popular
adage. diamond cut diamond" is lit
orally true II is unaffected by any
acid and remains u~nimpaired 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 lame. dissOlves into car
.carbonic acid gas and leaves a residue
Of ash When extracted from any
given locality the gem is of a rather
dull appearance and ii is only after
the skill of the lapidary has removed
its rough exterisE and polished by