Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1922-10-11
IN a CITY Of Eastern Turksstan

IN City OF "a
rPrsnarrf ~ go National Cecwraphic So
ciatg. washington y. c.
Once Jade. lustrous, semi-preciOus
stone. was considered the key to the
supposed dispersal OF peoples from
Asia. Jade ornaments were found In
Asia. Europe and America. and appar-
entity mines ~ the stone existed only
IN Asia. Jade seemed TO prove. there
fore. that humanity had begun It's con-
guest ~ the earth from the heart Of
the old continent 10 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 as a key 20 early mi
KratiUns 81 men has passed But
romance still clings 20 this stone for
which the Chinese as a nation can
almost be said 20 have had a veritable
passion. and which. wherever IL has
been found. has been highly valued
0r even reyerenced.
CharacteristicalIy Jade Is green. but
The most highly priced specimens In
China during some eras were pure
white or creamy white. The choicest
picces 81 jade were sent 20 the court
81 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 we're strangely infatuated
with this austere. waX-llke stone. Its
Chinese name Nu, means ''the gem
none other is worthy TO share place
with H. IL Is described as 1.-THE qulnt-
essence % Heaven and earth" and the
subtle matter 81 the rainbow con-
crgted and fixed under the form OF
stone Even Confuclus sang its
praises, saying that in the eyes OF
wise men SIS polish and its brilIiancy
represent virtue and humanity. and its
perfect .compacness and extreme
hardness the safeguards OF lntelli-
gencc"
ouarried in Eastern Turkestan.
Though jade has been found In
greater or less quantities in many
PLACES. Chinese or Eastern Turkestan,
Eot far from the geographical center
Of Asia. is alike tie greatest and per
laps the earliest source % the stone.
Travellers describe the Jade quarries
as situated on the south face Of the
kueniun mountains. In the main valley
81 the upper part OF the karakash
river, south 81 the city Of KhOtan.
They extend for a mile or more in
tength. and in this space are the en-
frances 81 at least a hundred tunnels
Which riddle the mountain side in
every direction. and In some cases
pierce through tie mountain % the
further side. The mineral Is found In
veins 81 varying thickness. In width
rrom a few inches 10 ten feet. but so
scanned and cracked as 10 make il
cifncult 90 ind "a piece even a few
inches thick which Is not badly nawed.
Until the middle OF the last century
China maintained her authority over
eastern Turkestan. including Yarkand
and KhOtan. The people. however.
acre Mollammedan. and in 1852 they
succeeded In throwing OF the Chinese
gcke by a general uprising, In which
AL the officials were massacred. The
Jade workers. who were Chinese. prob
ably fed from the quarries az this
time and shared the fate Of their coun-
trymen. Their clothing. implements
and remnants OF food we're left in
their haste. and were seen By Cayley
when he visited the Quarries In 1871.
Work was resumed later. but too many
81 the expert carvers and workmen
we're Killed during the rebellion FOR
The industry 10 recover its former
BFecmineuce.
Loose b0ulders OF jade are often car
Fied down 10y the force Of the current
IN the karakash and tributary streams.
and they eventually become embedded
An the soft clay banks or are deposited
In the bed Of the river. This water
Jade" Is highly valued by the Chinese
earvers. as its rough journey Is a Sc
we're test u hidden flaws. which might
ofher1 ise cause the block 10 fall 10
pieces after much labor has already
teen a.. ended on IL. IL Is obtained
either by digging the boulders out OF
the banks or by divers specially
trainei for the work. An Inspector
always accompanies these diving par
ties. whose duty IL Is 10 mark each
lamp as Il Is brought W. estimate It's
value. and finally ship the jade TO
Peklns. such pieces bring three times
the price of Quarried specimens OF
similar size and color.
Other Sources Of Jade.
In many rivers Of eastern Turkestan
54de pebbles are found In abundance.
lie word ~kash." so often found In
the names 81 rivers and places in this
regiOn. means Jade" In TOOrkee. and