The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1922-10-18

Prepared by the National Geographic So
ciety. Washington. d. CO.
Once jade, lustrous, semi-precious
,tone, was considered the key to the
supposed dispersal of peoples from
Asia. Jade ornaments ere found in
Asia. Europe and America, and appar.
emily mines Of the stone existed only
In Asia. Jade seemed to prove, there
fore, that humanity had begun its con.
quest Of the earth from the heart of
the old continent to the East. In
latter years jade has been found in
veins or as bOulders in widely scat
tered places over the earth, and its
supposed value rs key to early mi
grations Of men has passed. But
romance still cllngs to this stone for
which the Chinese as a nation can
almost be said to have had a veritable
passion, and which, wherever It has
been found, has been highly valued
or even reverenced.
Characteristically jade is green, but
the most highly priced specimens in
China during some eras were pure
white or creamy white. The choicest
pieces Uf jade were sent to the court
of the emperors. For thousands of
years the Chinese court workshops for
the carving and polishing of jade con-
stituted the most famous seat Of the
Industry.
Sage and artisan alike among the
Chinese were strangely infatuated
with this austere, wax-like stone. Its
Chinese name Yu, means 'the GEM
none other Is worthy to share place
with 1t. 1t is described as ''the quint-
essence Of Heaven and earth" and 1.-THE
subtle matter Of the rainbow con-
creted and fixed under the form Of
stone" Even Confucius sang it's
praises, saying that lin the eyes of
wise men its polish and It's brilliancy
represent virtue and humanity, and it's
perfect cOmpactness and extreme
hardness the safeguards of intelli-
genCe."
Quarried in Eastern Turkestan.
Though Jade has been found in
greater or less quantities in many
places. Chinese or Eastern Turkestan,
not far from the geographical center
of Asia. is alike the greatest and per-
haps the earliest source Of the stone.
Travellers describe the jade quarries
as situated on the south face of the
kuenlun mountains in the main valley
Of the upper part of the karakash
river, south of the city of khotan.
They extend for mile or more in
length, and In this space are the ell
frances of at least Il hundred tunnels
which riddle the mountain side in
every direction, and in some cases
pierce through the mountain to the
further side. The mineral Is found in
veins of varying thickness, in width
from few inches to ten feet, but so
scanned and cracked as to make it
difficult to find a piece even IL few
inches thick which is not badly flawed
Until the middle of the last century
China maintained her authority over
eastern Turkestan, including Yarkand
and khOtan. The people, however,
were Moliummedan, and in 1852 they
succeeded in throwing OF the Chinese
yoke by general uprising, in which
all the officials We're massacred. The
Jade workers. who We're Chinese, pTOb.
ably fled from the quarries at this
time and shared the fate of their coun-
trylnen. Their clothing, implements
and remnants of food were left in
their haste, and were seen by GAYLE
when he visited the Quarries in 1871.
Work was resumed later. but too many
OF the expert carvers and workmen
wee killed during the rebellion for
the industry to recover it's former
pre-enlinence.
ried down by the force of the current
In the Karakash and tributary streams.
and they eventually become embedded
in the soft clay banks or ore deposited
In the bed Qf the river. This water
Jade" is highly valued by the Chinese
carvers, as its rough journey is Sc
we're test of hidden fl,.ws, Which might
otherwise cause the block to fall to
pieces after much labor has already
been expended on il. 1t is obtained
either by digging the boulders out of
the banks or by divers specially
trained for the work. An inspector
always accompanies these diving par
ties. whose duty it is to mark each
lump as it is brought up. estimate it's
value. and finally ship the jade to
Picking. Such pieces bring three times
The price. of quarried specimens of
similar size and color.
Other Sources of Jade.
In many rivers of eastern THrkestan
Jade pebbles are found in abundance
The word "kash," 50 often found In
the names of rivers and places in this
region. IaeQns Jade" in ToOrkee and