The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1912-11-07
BIG FIND Of
MAINE GEMS
oJ,0OO Carats of TOurmaline Gems
Found In Single Pocket.

at his gem mine in Poland. last week.
Again the worlds record has been
broken as this pocket far exceeds in
value any of the five previous ones
that Mr. Hayey has opened at that
place
The largest one that he has hereto
fore taken out of his mine contained
900 car8ts when cut into brilliants.
while from the pocket opened Wed
nesday nearly or quite $4,000 carats
of green tourmalne In the crystal
form have been taken out When cut
into gems these crystals will make
in the close vicinity of 5000 carat3.
The best part of the matter is that
these crystals are of exceeding purity
SO that the gems when cut will be
worth $25 per carat There is scarce
" a flaw to be detected in any of the
crystals that this great pocket has
yielded.
The mine is located on Mr.. Hayey's
farm just across the Little Andres
\
coggin river from Haskells Corner
in Auburn. This place was purchased
by him some three or four years ago
at a price not to exceed $4,000 and al
ready he had taken out tourmalines
to the value of 100000 previous to
this last and greatest find. And all
this In excess of the feldspar taken
out and sold to the mill at Littlefields
Corner.
For several days Mr.. Hayey had no.
ticed indications of a pocket and We'd
nesday morning he instructed his
eight Italian workmen to use the ut
most care in blasting He came up
from Brunswick. where he is opera
ting a feldspar quarry, in order to
personally superintend the opening
of the posket which was on the same
line of trap rock and about 20 feet
south of the last great pocket opened
more than one year ago.
In order not to damage the contents
Mr.. Hayey ordered a small charge of
dynamite to be used on the suspecte1
place True to his prediction when
the explosion came the top was lifted
off and a huge pocket disclosed. 1t
was fully as large as Il sugar barrel
and completely filled with shattered
rock and dirt Mingled in this mass
were the rich crystals of tourmaline
many of which could be sseen on Tie
top.
Then began the task of taking out
the contents. A number of half bush
ell boxes were arranged, around the
opening and into these the contents
we're placed. After taking out sever.
al bushels 1t was found that more
ing to do more the pocket was covered
with heavy rocks and the boxes taken
to the house some 40 rods away where
the washing process was commenced.
With Mr. Hayey was his foreman, NJ.
l.. Keith, of Auburn, who is also a
gem expert and together the two mer
worked all day washing the debris
and sitting out the gem crystals talk
ing out more than five quarts, some
of which were three inches long arc
three-quatters of an inch wide with
out a flaw.
Thursday morning the pocket vas
again uncovered and more than two
bushels of the same material taken
out and this cleaned it to the bottom.
This bottom debris was even rich ar
than the top and fully as many more
crystals were found.
BY this time the story of the mar
velous find had become known and
| there was much excitement in that
section. Teams began to come in and
several autos brought their loads of
sightseers. This delayed Mr.. Havey
in his operations more or less but by
two o'clock the work had been done
and Havey was richer by a full peck
of magnificent crystals.
A very curious fact about this
pocket is that there was no mixed
colors. In all the previous finds tnere
have been pink and several shades of
green but these are all of a deep
green color. This is the most valu-
able of all tourmaline and commands
the greatest price 1t is tie hfth
pocket opened in this mine and there
/ l. no doubt that many more will be
I found. Mr.. Hayey has known for
some time that he was in ,h1 vicinity
of a rich pocket but he hardly ex-
pected to find one of such tremendous
proportions and contents.
The first pocket opened at this mine
was in 1910 That one contained 5000
carats of tourmaline when cut. This
work has been done by Robert Bick
/ ford, the well-known lapidary of Nor
way and for the most part the gems
have been sold and gone to various
parts of the country. Mr.. Bickfort
was present when the last one con
tanning more than $4,000 carats in the
rough were taken out. This was
about one year ago The one of las,
week was taken out by Mr.. Havey as