A
plentiful supply of water is obtained from the mountains for washing
purposes, and the debris is washed down to the Rio Minero. Over 100
persons are employed at wages of about 25 cents a day with food,
shelter, and medical attendance free. The workmen are protected from
the sun by canvas awnings and palm leaf shelters. Even then the
temperature in the pit reaches 115° to 120°, and the air is
excessively humid. The peons are carefully watched, and every stone is
turned over to inspectors as soon as it is found. The latter clean the
gems and report to the government officials. At least $1,000,000 worth
of emeralds were mined and sold during 1906.
GARNET.
Several
varieties of gem garnets were produced during 1907, and from several
States. The most important were the hyacinth garnets, spessartite, and
essonite, which were obtained chiefly from California, though Mr. Don
Maguire, of Ogden, reported a large production of rough spessartite
from San Juan County, Utah. Much of the hyacinth came from the
foothills in the desert near Dos Cabezas Springs, San Diego County,
CaL, where the San Diego Gem Company owns ten claims. The remainder
came from the gem mines near Ramona and Mesa Grande, Cal.
Mr.
W. P. Dorsey sent in specimens of hyacinth garnets found by him near
Silver City, N. Mex. They were small, clear, trapezohedral crystals
with a rich yellowish-red to brown color. The crystals varied from
pin-head size to 3 or 4 millimeters in diameter, and will furnish
beautiful gems if larger ones are found. The garnet crystals Were
associated with quartz crystals in the specimens, both appearing to
line cavities in a feldspathic rock impregnated with garnet and quartz.
A
quantity of pyrope garnets were collected from the Indian reservations
in northeastern Arizona and northwestern New Mexico. Mr. J. L. Hubbell,
of Ganado, Ariz., mentions a locality about 75 miles west of north of
Ganado where garnet is found abundantly over a stretch of country about
10 miles long. The garnets are picked up from the surface of the ground
by the Indians. They occur in a sandy soil and are uncovered by the
action of the wind.
Mr.
Samuel Scott, of Custer, S. Dak., reports the occurrence of beautiful
red garnets 4 miles west of Custer in Elephant Gulch. These garnets
were obtained while mining for placer gold, and the flawless ones were
sold as gems at from 10 cents to $5 each.
The
majority of the garnets are found in well-developed dodecahe-dral
crystals with smooth faces. Small garnets, the size of a grain of
wheat, are abundant, but stones suitable for cutting into large gems
are rare. Some of the smaller garnets are saved by the miners and sold
in small vials to tourists.
Mr.
J. D. Endicott reports the discovery of a band of mica schist carrying
almandine garnets, near Canon City. Some of these garnets are as much
as 1-1/2 to 3-1/2 inches in diameter. They have a rich red color, and
some have portions that are clear and free from flaws. About 10 pounds
of stones fit for cutting into small gems were obtained at this
locality during 1907.
