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About The news-herald. (Plattsmouth, Neb.) 1909-1911 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 11, 1909)
Y I m rrwr 13 iinnn tl fl.1nf flf tTlP ', i H Itepublle of Colombia that tin markets or ine worm ue prncl for their nupply of the lrH'iuH rtone of the beryl varlct.- kncwn fin lb "em erald." From tali country thp most valual lo single emerald of imodern times was obtained, now forming ono of th Kt-inn of the collt'rl ion of tho fiiil.e of Devonshire. Thl Is a perfect hexagonal crystal, weighing 8 ounces fiiul 18 pennyweights, 2 liifiu s In lentil, and mr;: .urlng across Its three diameters U, 2 15 and 1Tx Inches. Another fine I'poriuMsn, In the Hope vai l net, weighs 6 ounceii. while larger but less val uable stones are In varl outi royal Jewel caskets. The old name of smnr Hgd, h development of the ('reek verb meanlug "to lilin. la tho origin of the present deslg liatlon of the emer ld, Its Spanish nun c, osineralda, fornlng the connect ing Itnk. There can tie no doubt thr.t jiii tiy nnclent writ ers confounded, un der the general clas tlllcuMon smnragduK, jeveittl distinct mlti crr.lH of green color, nich an true emer olil green Jasper, malachite, chryscol la, Ri een. fiuor Hpar, He. ' SHAFT TO MEMORY OF INDIANS Monument Erected as Tribute to PoV tawattomies Unveiled Near Plymouth, Ind. . Plymouth, Ind. Tho seventy-first- anniversary of the removal of Chief. Menominee and hia band of 859 Potta- wattomies from Marshall county, In-i diana, waa marked by the unveiling! of the first monument ever erected tot an Indian through state or federal ap propriation. The shaft Is at Twin Lakes, five mllo3 from Plymouth, and Is in mem-t ory to tho aborigines that once bold th Hoosier hunting grounds. The ceremonies were witnessed by hun dreds. The granite was unveiled by Miss Julia Quakano Pokagon of Hart ford, Mich., a granddaughter of the famous Pottawattomie chief, Pokagon, who died not long ago. The monument to the memory of the rottawuttomie Indians Is the re sult of consistent work on the part were obtained In the barren district of Atacama and worked by tho native Inpldarlcs with a marvelous skill. In the Manka valley of Teru tho Indians appear to have paid divine homage to a magnificent emerald of the Blze of an ostrich egg, which they named the Goddess of Emeralds. Ab these gems were reputed to be peculiarly acceptable to the goddess, offerings of great beauty and value were frequent, and many costly stones, some possibly from the adjacent Colombian territo ries, fell into the hands of the Spaniards. Ecuador also contributed Its share of emeralds to the ppolls of the Invader and the town Esmereldaa Is supposed to have obtained lis name from the precious stones found so .... ih$$m j ?c5 FOR FMERALDS W COLOMBIA I St 4TY 1 IP -w"' I, " mi I 1 MvmV2Z-Z among the most valuable properties within the Re public of Colombia. At the time of the Spanish con quest the Muzo and other deposits were exploited In a primitive manner by the Indians, and since that period tho stonos from Colombian mines have been unequaled In richness of color and brilliancy. The mines of the republic occur In groups, each covering a considerable area and consisting of sev eral veins or deposits. All are situated within the radius of a comparatively small number of miles, at altitudes between 2,000 and 7,000 feet above sea fj I MliO-COZOtC V ) (50MeBbNCO) 7 JH $ o-ovo. w (30M WASHING DE&RI3 FOR FMERALDS fN COLOMBIA The true emeralds of the ancients are said to have been obtained from the workings of iMount Zabaroh, In upper Kgypt, although the eopenlng of the mines In the nineteenth cen nry by Mehemet All did not prove commer jclnlly profitable. In this district was probably thlncd the Jewel adorning the breastplate of Earon, described In Mcalc writings and form ing part, possibly, of the spoils carried from tKgypt by the departing Israelites. Of Egyptian lor Ethiopian origin la, undoubtedly, also, tho (remarkable emerald in the papal tiara, ono inch In length and 1 Inches deep, and which formed part of tho pontifical treasure prior ko tho discovery of America and the suhse jquent appearance of Peruvian gems lu Ku Iropo. Tho Luge emerald used by Nero, In keep ing with the belief of the times ns a correc tive for his poor vlsiou-. the engraved emer ald set In gold presented by l'tol"tuy to Lu uillus oti his landing nt Alexandria; the robes worn by Cleopatra and other famous beauties of Iho past, whose embroideries were inter Kpcrsed with emeralds; and the exquisitely 'graven snnls of antique workmanship on view In museums and private collections all prove tho estce.n in which the Jewel was held. Or naments of emerald have been unearthed In Thekan toir.bs and excavated from Pompcll and llcrculaneum, and In all ages the stone .has been ciassed among the rarest of gems. Various virtues were ascribed to It by an cient traditions; It was regarded as beneficial Ho the eyes; effective against evil spirits; and tin tho east It Is still accredited with talisman lie ami medicinal qualities. Immense emeralds are mentioned by nnclent 'authort! but they were doubtless either less (precious stones or glassllko Imitations. Such jwns tho colossal statue of Serapls; also an obelisk In the temple of Jupiter, 60 foot high and 6 feet broad. Tho oriental emerald Is not. however, like (tho weaterr. emerald, a silicate of alumina and igluclna. It Ik more valuable and Is a green, rtranspureiif variety of corundum, nnd there fore nearly pure alumina, differing from the Kipphlro only In color. Peruvian emeralds were famed from the ilmo Plznrro sent the first specimens to Huropa tunong bl spoils of conquest. Many abundantly there. Among tho Altec treas ures of Mexico were em eralds as fine as those of the Peruvian Incas, and It Is reported that Cortez was offered 40,000 ducats for one of these stones by some Genoese nierchnnts. Tho Mexican gems were exquisitely cut, and it is from this source that the magnlficont emer alds now forming part of tho royal collection at Madrid were supposedly procured. Tho terra "Spanish emerald," as applied to a very high grade stone, might quite appropriately bo al tered to "American" emerald. Sections so far apart as Siberia, India, Salz burg In Austria, Australia, Norway, Hra.ll, Ire land, and parts of tho United States yield cer tain returns from emerald exploitations, but It is from the Muzo and Coscuez doposlts near ltogota, In Colombia, that tho gems of great est beauty nnd perfection nre obtained. The exploitation of Colombian emeralds is under tho control of the government, and tho celebrated mines at Muzo, or Muza, have re cently been leased to an English syndicate which agrees to sell at least $1,250,000 worth of stones each year for 20 years, tho leaso In tho original call for bids being valued at $oC0, 000 annually. Tho Bales nre to bo under gov ernment Inspection, and competition is prac tically Impossible by reason of legislation for bidding tho salo of uncut stones and by tho Imposition of taxes on privately exploited mines. Tho value of emeralds depends first, upon deepness of color; second, upon brilliancy; third, upon freedom from flaws; and fourth, upon size. While reckoned inferior only to tho diamond nnd ruby, It does not, like them, Inereiiso in value In proportion to the cube of Its weight. One'feature of emerald mining which adds greatly to the value of the gom Is that flaw lets stones are seldom found in any consider able size. For an exceptionally flno varloty of six carats tho price of $3,000 lms been paid, but stones of such character are raro. By Pendant the value of emeralds ot fine color and free from flaws Is given ns follows: Four grains, 100 to 120 francs; 8 grains, 240 francs; BEARINCt J)BRIS 15 grains, 1,500 francs; and he cites one fine stone of 24 grains which was sold for 2,400 francs. The emerald Is transparent or translucent, being brittle and comparatively soft when freshly mined, but becomes much harder on exposure to air. The gem Is cut on a copper wheel with emery and polished on a tin wheel with rotten stone. In a good stone tho sur face must be perfectly straight und Bincoth, the form usually Riven being that of a square table with the edges replaced, tho lower sur face being cut Into facets parallel to tho sides. Tho Colombian gems exhibit to tho highest degree tho qualities of color, brilliancy, flaw lessnco, and size characteristic of the host em eralds, and the Muzo district is at present the principal source of supply. The matrix In which they are embedded overlies a great prec ipice of black shale or slate. ThU black rock contains few stones. They are found for the most part In white calclte running In veins through the slate, somo being embedded In tho mnt'rlx, and others lying in pockets. Under great heat and pressure, due, no doubt m to further and subsequent volcanic action, these minerals In the fissures or veins have crystallized In different shnpes and forms ac cording to the various minerals contained In any particular vein or fissure. Under favor able circumstances, the most beautiful emer alds of a deep green color have been found in these small veins, tho tint being duo to the presence of chrorao In sufficient quantities. In other veins, the emeralds found are of a light green color, owing to the absence of sufficient chrorao. Again, In other veins, where no chrome Is present, the crystals nre pure white or colcyd red or yellow by oxldo of iron. Many of the crystals are pure silica, and oth ers have various minerals combined with silica. The emerald mines are unquestionably DIAGRAM cSHOWm EMERALD MIMES OF COLOMBIA n lovel, amidst the precipitous heights of the eastern cordlllera of the An des. They are all within 100 mllos of Bogota, the capital of Colombia, the district being reached by a Jour ney from the capital of two hours by rail and two or three days on mule back. The Muzo group Is the only one that has been worked In recent years, but complete data as to the quality and value of the emeralds mined are not issued to the public. The output has varied considerably from voar to year as lessees have been more or less fortunate in stri king productive veins. Estimates of production vary from jzo.duu canus nor annum to 7G8.936 carats. At the latter figures tho annual valuation of the stones minod would do aooui uu.uuu. . French company at one time holding the leaso f th mines is reported to have worked for 14 nmtiths without finding a stone and then to have obtained enough emeralds in a compara tlvely short space of Umo to pay me reniai ior thp full terra of the lease. The Muzo mines are about 75 miles north of Bogota, In tho state of Boyaca, and extend over an area of about 110,000 acres, or wnicn oniy About HO acres have been exploited In the last 23 years. Their general appearance resembles n inantivn vi.lriwiti- crater In the sides of 111 IV.H I v ' - which the emeralds are found. Closo by Is the CoBquez group, though at a somewhat greater elevation, covering an area of nearly 5.000 acres. It la from these mines that the Spaniards obtained many of their gems. The Culncha mines are about 6 miles east southeast from the Muzo group. Tho Somondoco or Chlvor group consists of five senarnte mines, about 80 miles east norm east of Bogota, situated at an elevation of 6,500 feet abovo sea level. At the time of tho con ouest. tho group was being worked by the In dlans. and the Spaniards continued tho work, but In the subsequent struggles their location. as In tho case of tho Cosquei group, was lost The Muzo mines were first made known to the Spaniards through Capt Juan Penagon, and the first scientific examination made in 1764 by Jose Antonio de Vallcgas y Avedano. who rediscovered tho large vein that had dis appeared and arranged for Its exploitation. Prior to this, however, Franolsco Tobar Alva rado worked the mines and presented the king of Spain with a necklace containing 25 stones valued at that time at $10,000. Organized work in the mines was carried on under control of the Spanish government until 1793. when they wero rcntod at public auction. Pottawattomie Monument. of Daniel McDonald of Plymouth, who, as a member of tho Indiana legisla ture In 1907, secured an appropriation of $2,500 for tho purpose. The site is one of the beauty spots of nature. It Is near where the old Indian chapel was built, under the di rection of Father Baden, In which Menominee and his band, who had embraced Christianity, worshiped for many years. The monument was cut from Vermont granite. The pedestal Is ten feet high, surmounted by the statue of an Indian seven feet high, in native costume. It Is near the center of the Menominee reservation. The story which leads up to the monument's erection Is briefly told. In 1832 a treaty was made with some Indian chiefs by which they ceded their lands to tho United States for $14,000 and agreed to remove to In dian Territory within two years. Menominee refused to sign this trenty or releaso lila land to the government. When the Indians who had signed the treaty were ready to remove another attempt was made to get the Menomi nee lands. A couneil was called at Twin Lakes and after considerable discussion Col. Pepper, the Indian agent, told Chief Menominee that he would have to re lease bis lands and remove peaceably or be forcibly evicted. Then Menomi nee arose, drew his blanket around him nnd with dignity 'and eloquence that would have done honor to famous Chief Logan, rebuked the white man for usurping the country. The coun cil adjourned without result Later the Indians were accused of molesting the white men. They were surrounded by the military and for cibly evicted. It was m sad scene. The village was wrecked. Mass was sung In the little chapel by Father Paden, the first Catholic priest or dained in Indiana. On September 4, 1838, the proces sion started south. Many Indians fell ill. The soldiers were unsuccessful and finally withdrew lm favor of the priest. Father Baden fulfilled his mis sion and his Journey, but on his re turn he died. Ills body now lies at Notre Dame. The Wolf In Sheep's Clothing. A wolf, clothing himself in the skin of a sheep, and getting in among tho flock, by this means took the oppor tunity to devour many of them. At last the shepherd discovered him and cunningly fastened a rope about his neck, tied him up to a tree which stood hard by. Some other shepherds happening to pass that way and ob serving what he was about, drew near and expressed their admiration at it. "What!" says one of them, "brother. do you make hanging of a sheep?" "No," replied the other, "but I make hanging of a wolf whenever I catch him, though In the habit and garb of a sheep." Then he showed them their mistake and they applauded the Jus tice of the execution. Aesop (seventh century B. C.) Make Good Husbands. Countess Carle Dentlcl Dl Frasso, who was Miss Gcorgiana Wilde, and formerly lived in St Louis, says that foreigners are much kinder to their wives than the Americans. Her hus band works ns hard as any American man, she says, having his business and being a member of parliament. And yet he finds time to come home for luncheon and seo his wife sev eral times during the day. The dis tances In Italy, she says, aro Just as great as in New York, and an Amtr lean business man would never think of going home to luncheon. A Euro pean man In politics depends upon his wife's aid to furthor his alms, and when In business he reasons that two heads aro better than one, and Is will- Ing to concede that his wife's Intelli gence Is equal to his own. This men tal intimacy, she says, makes tho mar riage of American girls ami foreigners, as u general thing, very pleasant, and is the reason for fewer divorces abroad than In this country.
