Diamonds In America

Importations of those precious stones have gene away down. In 1894 they droppod to a lower point than for many years, only $6,768,000 worth being brought to this country. The growth of luxury in the United States is fairly rueasured by the importa of dlamonds, which in 1867 amounted to barely more than $1,300,000. In 1889 they had reached nearly $11,000,000; in 1890, $13,000,000; in 1892, $14,000,000. This was the high water mark. They have fallen off to less than half that figure since. It seems more than surprising that no diamond mines have ever been dlscovered in the United States, remarks the St. Louis Globe-Democrat. Occasional gems of this kind have been pieked up in various states, the conclusión drawn from such discoveries being that they are restricted almost wholly to a belt along the eastern base of the southern Alleghanies in Virginia and Georgia, and to anolher belt along the western base of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade ranges. It is a melancholy f act that this country hardly produces an average of $100 worth of diamonds annually. And yet there is hope ahead. Nobody can say with certainty that diamond mines rivaling those of South África may not be struck some day within the limita oí Únele Sam's domain. Within the last few years same "flnds" have been made which cause the experts of the geographical survey to shake thelr heads thoughtfully. In 1876 a well digger at Eagle, Wis., found a diamond of fifteen carats. Another one, wine yellow in color, was plcked up on a farm belonging to Henry Endlich at Kohlsville, Wis. It weighed twenty-four carats, being nearly as large as a plgeon's egg. Mrs. Endlich keeps it as a memento of her deceased husband. Many other diamonds have been found in the same neighborhood, and geologists are certain that thoy have been brought down from the north in glacial drift.