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.
