The chronicle=news., 1913-03-20
UPPER BURMA IS
WHERE the FINEST
RuBIES COME FROM

R.eardcd by the anclcnts as typi
cal of what TO their mind was fhI
most precious In this material w0rI,
Of ouus. the ruby retains today In .
foromoft position among the varie'
colorcd gems. This most highly priz
cd stone possession of rulers of oil
was tho innnimaic caus" for mani
u deep intrigue, priyations of nj
sorts and conditions. loss oil life. for
tune, hralih and what not. and tn,
very coloring Of the ruby seeming
iy io designate /. as ihc gem az pas
sion and power.
Even magical properties were nj
one tins assigned 10 the ruby by ,h'
suIorstitious. and IL was thought iC
he guard against poison. plague
fadnoss. evil thoughts. wicked spirit,
etc, ana that /, would also keep H.
woarcr In good health. According n
our own experts the ruby Is the most
beautiful or all gems AMI the most
valuable. tho finest specimens Oi
which come from the Mogok section
In Upper Burma. in India.
While certain qualities OF rubics
arc widely distributed and found In
burma. Siam. Ccylon. AfghanIstan.
India. Brazil. Australia and the
United States. tho countries of Bur
ma. Siam and Ccylon ARE beyond
question commercially tho mors I'm
portant. Just as this is true there
rests but little II any doubt that Up
per Burma. the MoEok section. fur
nIshcs the finest and largest supply
Tho miues OF Upper Burma. 70 far
ax We have boon able to learn. werc
worked In ono way or another as
carly ss the Fifteenth century, hut up
to tho time OF the annexation by tho
British in 1856 no we'll authcnticat-
ed description OF the. ruby district
had yet bcsn written by an English
man. tch only accounts OF tho mines
being from tho pen of an Italian Jcs-
uit missionary by the name OF Giu-
scppc d'AmotO.
From the most authentic channels
OF Information W, learn that the
ruby tract OF MoRok. which. accord
Ing to experts. furnishes the finest
specimens OF these gems. together
with tho adjoining districts OF kathc
and Kyat-Pijin. formerly belonged
to Komcib. n ruler Of great power,
but the burmese as a people knew
comparaiiv ivcly nothing OF tho great
value OF tina precious gems. any more
than did those who lived In early
biblical fimcs.
In 1880. 80 tho story goes. m itin-
Grant Burmese fruit dealer came In
to tho settlement Of Mogok with ia
marlnds ns his stock In trade. lie
rold them of course. and In return
was given n rcd stone in payment.
Just n red stone. that's all II was TO
him. but its color pleased him. In n
spirit of generosity he had tho stone
presented to tho King of Ava. who
was likewise pleased with II: In fact.
70 much pleased was he. and poasib-
ly having tho iuStinctivc forcsiGhtcd.
ness OF tn, succcsstui business man
OF today. that hc entered into ncgo-
iiat ions for the tract where the stone
had been found and secured Il In
1857.
The district Of Mogok. located In
l'pper burma. about 100 milca north.
cast OF Mandalay toffcn mentioned
by kipiinG in his writingsD and 81
miles east OF the irrawad'ly river. IL.
al we have said. tho most important
ruby tract and embraces for'y-fivc
square miles. or II tho abandoned
mIncs are TO he included. ahout sixty
six square miles. The ruby hearing
area. in al probability. is much
rrcniar than this. extending To the
south and cas-, into the ipi"pcndoni
Shan states. and estimated by ". =.
I.oSkahri. e. T.. who for - umbcr OF
years was the resident engineer OF
the Burma Ruby Mining company at
ino square miles.
Tho a. l.nfAnf n tInynn which IL
tho principal town In the stone
tract lection. s,ands at ma elevation
n. 400 feet above sea level. and .hc
highcst polnt in the section IL about
500 feet: but notwithstanding this
rather riph altitude the section Is de-
cidcu!y unhealthy. both to natives
and Europeans alike. and many hun
drcds OF lives have been given up In
tn. search FOR this beautiful rcd
stone.
The mines may be divided into
three classes. the 'Twin-lonc." or
pit. 'lImyaw- -Dwin.' or hillside work
ing and the "Loo-Dwin." The cavern
or cave mine. The first OF these min
ing systems is. together with the
more modern way. still practiccd In
tho valley bottom in dry weather.
Nv 'titbatN si' 'iNlN' anu
low an upper vein OF Illuyial soil
aud at n depth varying from fifteen
TO twenty feet Is found the bed Of
"byon" or ruby bearing soil. having
= thickness OF from four to five feet.
invariably we, and soft. and the soil
Is Kept under control by the use OF
piles until the "byo" has been cX-
tractcd and the 'ahkon," n substra-
tum reached.
In soma districts where the soil is
siiffrc and small shafts are sunk to
II depth of twenty to twenty-five
feet to the bed of "hyon.' or course
there have been some improvements
in the general mining scheme. but 1t
is in the most part quite the same
today rs years ago, the washing in n
general way consisting of placing the
''byon" in n series of troughs. The
running of the water gradually ear
rios away the lighter STUFF and the