Neb. Great excitement was aroused, but the stone proved not to be a diamond.
The
well-known " Arizona diamond swindle " was a clever one, and its
locality could hardly have been better selected ; but it should not
have received so much credence, since gem minerals are so readily
recognized through their local characteristics by all collecting
mineralogists. A few words in regard to this celebrated swindle may
not be amiss. Twenty years ago fabulous stories were circulated about
the richness of New Mexico and Arizona. Companies with high-sounding
titles were organized to collect not only the diamonds, but the rubies,
sapphires, emeralds, and other gems, which were said to abound there.
In 1870, a large scheme for this purpose was originated. It was
represented in San Francisco that Philip Arnold and John B. Slack had
found diamonds and other precious stones in great quantities in a
certain Territory of the United States. Among some of the objects
shown in confirmation were 80,000 carats of so-called rubies and a
large number of diamonds, one of 108 carats weight. These gems were all
displayed for the inspection of those interested in the scheme, and
were deposited with the Bank of California for safe-keeping.
Subsequently the same parties again visited the fields, which were
reported to lie somewhere in New Mexico, and returned with another lot
of stones, not so large as the former ones, however. It was remarked at
the time that one could scarcely expect to pick them up by the bushel.
Heavy capitalists on both coasts soon became deeply interested, and on
May 10, 1872, a bill was passed by Congress in the interests of the
diamond-miner. Finally, a party composed of representatives of both
the East and the West, with a mining expert, a graduate of the Royal
School of Mines, Freiberg, Saxony, chosen by the investors, started
out prospecting, equipped for a sixty days' expedition. They left
Rawlins, Wyo., May 28th, first taking a southwestern course, then a
northwestern course, until some of the party thought that they had
missed their way, and began to doubt the truth of the discovery. But
when the mountain was reached, the promised Golconda, every one picked
up gems, and hope rose correspondingly. In a week 1,000 carats of
diamonds and 6,000 to 7,000 carats of rubies were gathered, and the
party returned, well
