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692 MINERAL RESOURCES.
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same
time, thus doing away with the long belt for each machine. Now, an
individual dynamo for each mill is suggested, thus dispensing with the
belts entirely, saving power and making it possible to cut diamonds
with more cleanliness than with a moving belt. This is also of interest
when one realizes that small dynamos could be attached directly to
precious-stone polishing wheels, to the gem-cutting lathe, or, better
still, to the revolving drill, such as is used for the dentist's work
and gem engraving, thus producing, as in the days of ancient Greece and
Rome, more artistic finish than would be possible by the horizontal
lathe method. This method of gem engraving was fully described by the
writer in a paper read before the New York Academy of Sciences, May 25,
1884.
SAPPHIRE.
About
$20,000 worth of sapphire was sent abroad in 1892, but during 1893 more
Montana sapphires were actually sold than in any previous year,
probably on account of the company's endeavor to introduce them into
the London market, and also because of the large influx of people into
this country and particularly to the World's Columbian Exposi tion,
where a lapidary cut and sold these stones in one of the main aisles of
the Mining Building.
At
a meeting of the Montana Sapphire and Ruby Company, held in London,
December 18, 1893, a deficit of £6,000 was shown, £158 only having been
realized from the sale of the gems during the past year. It was also
shown that in this company, which was supposed to have been
incorporated with a capital of £150,000, apparently not more than
one-tenth of that amount had been subscribed; as the underwriters,
among whom were the Marquis of Lome, the Duke of Portland, and the Duke
of Leinster, representing £370,000, had withdrawn, so that in reality
only £45,000 had been actually paid in.
Among
other sapphire deposits in Montana is one of 1,500 acres on the west
fork of Rock creek, 25 miles west of Phillipsburg, in Granite county,
on the east slope of the Bitter Root range. The specimens obtained here
are red, pink, yellow, blue, and amethyst of various shades. The matrix
is an argillaceous slate. Another deposit of about 2,500 acres is
situated on Dry Cottonwood creek, about 5 miles east of the mining camp
of Champion and on the western slope of the main ridge. Within the few
days that this was worked, about 25 pounds of sapphires were found. On
Rock creek the yield is about 60 stones to the pan of gravel, and about
30 stones to the pan at Bed Rock, on Cottonwood creek. Mr. F. B. Walker
mentions a locality for sapphires as occurring about 125 miles
northwest of Helena, Montana. The earliest mention of the finding of
sapphires in Montana goes back to May 5, 1865, when they were found by
Mr. Ed. R. Collins, an earnest and reliable prospector, on claim No. 4,
before the discovery of Eldorado Bar. A stone was cut by Messrs.
Tiffany & Co., and another by Messrs. M. Fox & Co., New York
City. Mr. Collins also sent stones to
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