curious
candle-shaped stalactite of chalcedony, about 3 inches long, had a
black core of oxide of manganese, a secondary deposition in a
chalcedony stalactite, running through its entire length, at first
sight scarcely distinguishable from a half-burned candle; unfortunately
it was cut into a number of matched stones for cuff-buttons, which were
rendered quite unique by the black central dot. In the southeastern
part of Humboldt County, Nev., are large quantities of moss agate of
the dendritic and " fortification " forms. A beautiful moss agate is
found in Trego County, Kan. (See Jasper and Moss Opal.) Moss agate has
been little used since 1882, the sales not exceeding $1,000 a year.
Since the introduction into cheap jewelry of the Chinese natural green
and artificially-colored red and yellow moss agate, the sale of native
stones has almost entirely fallen off.
Jasper
is found in many places in the United States, and in a great variety of
colors, though, for so common a stone, it is very little used in the
arts, the entire annual sales not amounting to $500. Fine red jasper is
found on Sugar Loaf Mountain, Me., and a yellow variety with chalcedony
has been found at Chester, Mass., and "red and yellow by Dr. Horton, at
Bell vale, Orange County, N. Y. Pebbles of a fine red color occur along
the Hudson River from Troy to New York, especially at Hoboken, Fort
Lee, and Troy, where so-called jasperoid rock crops out. Jasper agate
is found in considerable quantity at Diamond Hill, Cumberland, R. I.,
in all shades of white, yellow, red, and green, and with these colors
intermixed in one specimen, usually mottled, and at times beautifully
banded in irregular seams of white, creamy brown, greenish, and
brecciated. It is found in large quantities. Fully 1,000 pounds are
taken away yearly by visitors and collectors, but not over $100 worth
is sold in a year. Large pieces of fine yellow jasper are found at
Tyringham, and elsewhere in the Berkshire Hills, Mass. In Pennsylvania
jaspers more or less impure are abundant in the drifts of the Delaware
and Schuylkill Rivers ; also in Berks County, near Reading; a
yellowish brown variety is found at West Goshen, Chester County, a
reddish-brown variety near Texas, Lancaster County, and a brown-banded
variety near Bethlehem. The arrow-heads found in this vicinity and near
Easton are mostly made of this jasper. The
