Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 244, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 October 1911 — Scents Diamonds in Texas [ARTICLE]

Scents Diamonds in Texas

English Expert Is Searching Ground In Montgomery County—One Flawed Stone Is Found. Houston. Texas.—Diamond “indicators,” indications of the existence of a diamond mine, have been found la Montgomery county, Texas. The discovery was made by Fred W. Packer, a captain In the British army during the Boer war and an. expert formerly In the employ of the De Beers in South Africa, who has been prospecting in Texas following the recent discovery of the supposed diamond mine In Arkansas. Captain Packer has unearthed a heavily flawed stone from his Montgomery county mine that has been declared a diamond by a Houston diamond expert The stone weighs two and a quarter carats, but la of little value because of the flaws other than proof of the existence of a mine in Texas. The Texas stone was picked up from the surface of the ground. Packer’s mining apparatus is very crude and it is his belief that several other stones have been washed through. Captain Packer was attracted to the United States by reading in a diamond magazine in Africa of the discovery of a supposed diamond in Arkansas Coming to America he investigated the Arkansas proposition, then followed the earth formation into Texas. In Montgomery county he was confident, because of the formation, that diamonds could be found. He immediately began operations, employing half a dozen negroes to dig and sift the gravel. ' After months of operation this first

•tone was found. Hli Interest In the work was kept up by the continual appearance of "indicator” stones, such as are thrown up in volcanic disturbances and which Indicate the presence of diamonds. No effort yet has been made to go below the surface into the clay. Bine clay has been found and It Is believed that better indications will be found deeper down.