Trans. N. V. Ac. Set. 102 Jan. 30, 



number of beryls having a color verging distinctly upon the true emer- 

 ald tint, none of which crystals, however, were deep-colored or trans- 

 parent enough for use as gems. 



Some of these crystals were obtained by the Mr. Stephenson before 

 mentioned. It was the sight of two of these " green bolts " which 

 prompted me to visit the locality and make a search for the true em- 

 erald. I cannot understand why work was not commenced long ago, 

 when such favorable signs were so common. 



That such indications could receive only passing notice from collec- 

 tors, is really inexplicable. A very natural conclusion would have been 

 that where these pale emeralds were found loose in the soil, darker and 

 purer ones would be found by mining for them. 



Such inducements as the following were held out to the farmers to 

 search for these "green bolts." A visiting collector had offered the 

 munificent sum of one dollar, to farmers who should find a crystal as 

 long as his finger, which must, to merit the dollar, be dark green, pure, 

 transparent, and with perfect terminal planes and prismatic faces ! 



Such is the history of the emeralds found in Alexander county, be- 

 fore I commenced systematic mining for them. 



The location of the mine was obtained in the following manner. A 

 corps of workmen was employed to dig a series of deep ditches in direc- 

 tions that would cut the strata at different angles. The site chosen for 

 work was on the spot where at least halt a dozen pale emeralds had 

 been found. This location was shown to me by the farmer who had 

 discovered the specimens while plowmg. 



Not knowing then their manner of occurrence, I expected in this way 

 to strike a vein bearing them. Five weeks were spent (in July and 

 August, 1880) before any success was met with ; and then, at a depth 

 of eight feet was discovered a " blind vein" (so called because it had 

 no outcrop), having very small emeralds. In this vein, or pocket, as it 

 proved to be later, and outnumbering the emeralds fifty to one, was 

 also found the new emerald-green mineral which was such a surprise 

 to the scientific world, and which was destined to answer the same 

 purposes as did the gem I sought. I refer to the spodumene-emerald, 

 now known as Hiddenite. 



You must pardon this digression, but the search for emeralds is so 

 interwoven with my discovery of emerald-green spodumene that I can- 

 not tell the story of one without the other. The two minerals occur 

 intimately associated, and while mining for the one the other is con- 

 stantly found. 



This blind vein yielded very handsomely of the new mineral, 

 but very sparingly of emeralds, and the few found were too small to 

 be useful as gems, though their color was very good. A tunnel, for 



