AMERICAN DIAMOND MINES.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VII, Issue 236, 3 October 1872, Page 4

AMERICAN DIAMOND MINES.

" One Thousand Diamonds now in this City." Under this heading a San Francisco paper gives the following descriptionof sbme'riewly discovered mines:—- --..'.'. We jhave a.-.wonderful story to tell. | We listened ;to it at first- with incredulity, j but. after: hearing all that our informant, bad to say, we found that there 'were . reasons; for believing: '> We i have seen ' a document., written by Henry Janin, a mining engiheerrofc established reputation, who has visited'the miues, examined them professionally, aiid reported favorably on them. He has accepted J-he position of Superintendent, and expressed, the opinion that Hrithtwenty^five i men i he i will takeout" 1 gems v?orthliyOOO,oo^ a' the^rjaper^HcK^o^a^' ■-h^'X^'tta6liißd , .;.so : - AAd iscjisses y the' question, ithe»val u$ v l Oif; diamond^ ;ci^ Ja tion^andhisc %ra^e^aye«thußi commence^ ||^Iteci^

rests. Hie statements evidently command confidence, for Borne of the leading capitalists of the State; have purchased stock.;: < *' Tho phjee of the new mines has^not been communicated to us by any of the interested parties, but street-rumour says it is in New Mexico. About three years ago an Indian near the diamond deposits, gave several diamonds an.d rubies to a white man, who brought them to Messrs. Roberts and Harpendig, in San Francisco. These gentlemen satisfied themselves of the value of >: the gems, and sent the men* to find' more: They met the Indian after a long search ; he took them to the place and was subsequently drowned. Wo tell the story as it was told us. "Then Mr. Janin went to the spot, washed a ton and a half of gravel, took but . one thousand diamonds, four' pounds" of rubies, and a dozen sapphires, and selected tlie best ground for mining, or that supposed to be the best. Three thousand acres were claimed under the Mining Law, passed at the last, session,;, which allows miners to take up any valuable mineral deposit. Wood, water, grass, and game are abundant, and water for washing can be led without difficulty over the diaraond-beariug gravel bed. Tho^country, fqr a- considerable distance aroundj was ex-,: amiried and .'no other equally promising:' deposit was found. ' " Most of the 1000 diamonds obtained by Mr. Janin are small, weighing about a carat. The largest. is eight, carats ; one obtained before Mr.' Janin visited the place, weighs 100 carats, but is black and of little value relatively." There are 109 carats in an avoirdupois ounce, so that a diamond weighing a carat is a small affair, but yet, if clear and well shaped, it may be worth from 15dols. to SOdols. The ? value of the larger.- gems is greater relatively than that of the smaller ones, going up to more than 2000 dollars per carat in some cases. Some of the sapphires are as large as pigeon eggs. " The diamond mines are tbe property of the San Francisco and New York Mining and Commercial Company. This company is incorporated ■'. in this city. A ' party of miners have gone to tho "mines with tools and provisions for the winter's work, and the extraction of the gems will probably commence in a few days. The stones are to be brought to San Francisco and cut there."