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582 MINERAL RESOURCES.
that exhibits color. Undoubtedly better material exists in the locality ' where this was found.
Dumortierite.—About
the same time that Messrs. Eiggs and Diller found that the blue mineral
supposed to be indicolite was identical with dumortierite in Harlem,
New York, masses of quartz were discovered in Yuma county, Arizona,
heavily impregnated with dumortierite and of an indigo-blue color, and
which when polished resembled the blue lapis lazuli, and would serve
the same purpose in jewelry, as the quartz is harder than lapis lazuli.
Tourmaline.—Among
some very interesting minerals found by Messrs. C. E. Beecher and S. A.
Robinson, at Newcoinb, Essex county, New York, were some remarkable
specimens of brown tourmaline. The crystals, although not so fine as
those from Gouverneur, New York, were frequently sufficiently
transparent to offer material for at least one hundred gems, weighing
from 1 to 10 carats. They varied from golden brown to topaz-yellow in
color.
Rhodonite.—This
mineral, which has been known to occur in bowlders near Cummington,
Massachusetts, has been traced to the ledge. Fine masses, weighing
several hundred pounds, have been blasted out, and efforts will be made
during the coming year to introduce this as an ornamental stone, it
being as beautiful as the Siberian variety, which is so extensively
used for table tops, mantel pieces, paper weights, etc., in Russia.
Turquois.—Considerable
mining of a desultory character has been carried on at the turquois
mines near Cerrillos, New Mexico, by the Indians and hunters, who
obtained the turquois in a primitive manner by building fires against
the wall rock and then cracking off large masses by throwing water on
it. This method, however, invariably destroys the color. Some of the
material sent from this locality during the past year was in form of
thin veins entirely free from rock. In color it was almost equal to the
poorer Persian material, and should find a ready use as an ornamental
or decorative stone. The recent releasing of the property is likely to
prevent the existing method of working the locality. A new deposit of
turquois was opened during the year in the Holy Cross mining district,
30 miles from Leadville, Colorado, which is very similar to the
variety from Arizona and New Mexico, the color being, if anything, a
better blue. At this locality there was no evidence of prehistoric
mining. Until recently the impression in the vicinity was that the
turquois was an ore of copper.
Gadolinite.—This
stone admits of a high polish, and is of a deep velvet-black color.
During the last year large quantities of it were obtained near
Bluffton, in Llano county, Texas, 22 miles from Burnet. The occurrence
of this gadolinite was somewhat similar to that of allanite in Amherst
county, Virginia. It has more than ordinary interest from the fact that
it contains from 40 to 50 per cent, of yttria. About 1,000 pounds were
found in a single pocket, associated with xenotime, fergusonite, and
euxenite. One crystal weighed 11 pounds, another 13 pounds, and a
single group weighing 40 pounds was obtained. The pro-
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