Cherokee
district, Butte county, in 1853. During the last ten years there have
been numerous reports of " finds " which have been more fruitful of
stock companies than diamonds and the " kimberlite " which South
African experts have been called in to vouch for, has, in some cases
certainly, proved to be a very different material from the South
African peridotite, so named.
Diamonds
have been reported from Idaho and Montana, and one brown crystal which
weighed one carat, from Philadelphos, Arizona. Much excitement and some
legislation was secured by the discovery of diamonds and rubies in
Arizona a few years back. The discoverers had first salted the ground
very liberally with African diamonds and garnets. It cost their
western dupes about three-quarters of a million dollars all told.
The
finding of a diamond by John W. Huddleston, 2 miles southeast of
Murfreesboro, Pike county, Arkansas, in August, 1906, has since been
prolific of learned opinions and discussions and, as far as publicly
known, about 140 diamonds ranging from 1/64 of a carat to about 6-1/2 carats
each. Investigation showed that a volcanic pipe of material, which
authorities pronounce similar to the kimberlite of Africa, exists where
the diamonds are found, and it was confidently hoped that it would
prove rich in diamonds. A company of reputable men was formed to
develop the property and about 130 diamonds were found during the first
year, but nothing of any importance has been reported, though much work
has been done. Since the original company was taken over by another
with a largely increased capital stock, however, there is a report that
about 5,000 stones alto-
