People's Pilot, Volume 2, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 June 1893 — TREASURES OF EARTH. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

TREASURES OF EARTH.

Enormous Wealth in Gems and Minerals at the World’s Fair. *Ues of Precious Metals from the Western States and Diamonds Ln the Bough from South Africa—Odd Notes of Interest. [Special Chicago Correspondence. ] There is in the various departments of the world’s fair enough mineral wealth exposed to the gaze of the thousands of visitors each day to furnish ransoms for several kings, and highpriced kings at that Piled up in glittering profusion in the different state exhibits in the mammoth Mines and Mining building and in the state buildings of several of the western states there are gold and silver bearing ores enough to make a mountain of riches, and molded into various forms throughout the fair there is enough more of the

precious metals to make a great many men independently wealthy. Aside from this there is among the multitude of exhibits, in the form of watches, jewelry and ornaments, an enormous amount of gold, silver and precious stones, surpassing in quantity and richness anything of the kind ever before placed on exhibition in this country. People who have barely enough of the “needful” to keep them on a peace-

footing with the butcher, the baker and the rest stroll about among the golden ores with as much unconcern as if they were gazing on so much worthless rock. There, close to their hands, are riches enough to enable them to retire permanently from active business pursuits, and they pass it by with but little more than a passing glance. Of course they couldn’t make away with any of it if they wanted to, as there are always

plenty of lynx-eyed guards ab«ut. but it seems strange that so mueh loose wealth does not attract more attention than it does. In the Montana section of the Mining building the other day an oldish eon pie paused before the silver statue of Justice worth seventy-five thousand dollars on a pedestal of gold worth two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, and after looking it over for a few moments •the woman said: “I wonder what that figger is made out of? 1 suppose it’s lead, ain’t it?” “Yes, I guess so,” said the man, carelessly, “it’s lead or tin, mebby,” and, without deigning a look at the largest block of gold in the whole country, they passed on and became deeply interested in a pile of coal in an adjacent exhibit. Several of the mining states of the west have made extensive and elaborate exhibits of ores and minerals, and in some cases the displays of agates and crystals are extremely beautiful and artistic. The facade of the California section is formed of variegated onyx and is exceptionally fine. The stone and marble exhibits of some of the states are also entitled by their beauty to more than a casual glance. But the center of attraction just now is the diamond exhibit of the Kimberly mines of South Africa in the Mining building. There is in the exhibit about one hundred tons of diamondiferous earth which is to be operated upon day after day during the exposition season, and the process of extracting the precious stones from the clay will be an

established feature of the fair. ‘The machinery used is the same as that used at the mines in Cape Colony only built on a much smaller scale the better to demonstrate the process to the visitors. In the operation of washing the dirt it is lifted into a great pan, where by constant stirring it is worked into a soft mud. It is then passed into a cylinder with a spiral motion and holes of different sizes. The smallest pebbles pass through the first aperture, the next in size through the second and so on until all have been dropped into the sieves. The stones are then passed to a sorter who spreads them out on a table and looks for the diamonds. The exhibit is one of great interest, in that the entire process of getting diamonds is shown. First, there are shown pictures of the mines and the methods of getting out the “blue earth” or diamondiferous soil. Then begins the practical part of the show. The machines for disintegrating the rock and dirt, washing it and getting the dirt away from the stones are shown. The big machines are run by Zulus,who are brought from the mines for the purpose of demonstrating the workings. These savages are dressed in short trousers only. They refuse to wear anything else, and under these they have their native trousers, if such they can be called. The method of cleaving the diamonds to prepare them for cutting is shown by skilled workmen, and then the diamonds are polished after being cut All the processes are carried on in full view of the audience, for whose especial benefit elevated platforms have been erected about the machinery. Thus the production of diamonds, from the mining of the blue earth in which the native gems lie imbedded to the last touch given the polished crystal, will be shown.

The gigantic Zulus who are constantly on guard over the exhibit are in themselves something wonderful to behold. One of them, called “Big Jim,” is a great chief who participated in the late Zulu war. He is a man-killer, if reports be true, and most likely make it interesting for any night prowler who undertook to trespass upon his preserves. From the waist up these natives of the cape are clad only with bear’s claws, strung

about their necks, but the nether portion of.their costumes is -suggestive of an acquaintance with some American “Cheap John” clothing establishment. It does not take the rude, untutored child <®f nature long to gat into the “swim 1 ’ when he comes to Chicago. In a case that is guarded by the Zulus is a collection of whait might be taken ior ordinary crystals, but which in reality are diamonds in the rough, aggregating in value somewhere near one million dollars. The clay that is to be worked is put up in strong sacks and is as jealously guarded as any other portion of the exhibit. This is indeed a wonderful sight and one that will draw to the Mining building a great many [people who have read all about the production of diamonds but have never had an opportunity «of witnessing the operation.

ZULU GUARDS.

ENTRANCE TO MINING BUILDING.

HUNTING FOR DIAMONDS.