638 PROCEEDINGS OP WASHINGTON MEETING. 



ON A JOINTED EARTH AUGER FOR GEOLOGICAL EXPLORATION IN SOFT 



DEPOSITS. 



BY N. H. DARTON. 



The instrument exhibited is a modification of the form proposed by McGee in the 

 Ninth Annual Keport of the Director of the United States Geological Survey, for 

 1887-'88, pages 106-107. It consists of an ordinary carpenter's auger, 1^ inches in 

 diameter, welded to a short length of iron bar; a number of 3-foot lengths of ^-inch 

 iron pipe with threads and couplings, and a cross-head of ^-inch iron bar for a handle. 

 In clays and sands borings have been made with this instrument to a depth of 40 feet, 

 samples being secured at about each 6 inches. A detailed description of the instru- 

 ment is given in American Geologist, volume VII, 1891, page 117. 



ON THE OCCURRENCE OF DIAMONDS IN WISCONSIN. 

 BY GEORGE FREDERICK KUNZ 



In October, 1890, Mr. G. H. Nichols, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, wrote to the 

 editors of the " Engineering and Mining Journal ''* stating that in a review of " Gems 

 and Precious Stones of North America"! published in that journal no mention had 

 been made of the finding of diamonds in Wisconsin, and adding that he had found 

 several small ones there. The matter having been referred to me, I immediately put 

 myself in communication with Mr. Nichols, and from him obtained the information 

 which I now give. 



In the summer of 1887 Mr. Nichols, in company with Mr. W. W. NeweJl and Mr. 

 C. A. Havvn, of Rock Elm, prospected for gold on Plum creek, in Kock Elm town- 

 ship, Pearce county, Wisconsin. They employed some help, and, while sluicing for 

 gold, one of their workmen detected a bright stone, which proved to be a diamond. 

 This was in gravel which had been taken from the bank of the stream at a depth of 

 some feet below water-level. Bad weather prevented the continuance of the work 

 then, but as soon as favorable weather came they resumed their search, and Mr. Newell 

 found one, while several were found by other members of the party. No more work 

 was done in 1887, but in panning three miles further up the stream Mr. Newell found 

 another diamond, which was very much distorted and oif color. 



In the summer of 1888 actual sluicing for gold was begun, and in the gravel that 

 occurred at the washout four diamonds were found in three weeks' time. One was 

 found on the surface of the gravel bed, and another came from material taken out of 

 a pit some thirty rods from where the other was found, at a depth of five or six feet 

 below the water-level. The most perfect stone was found by a workman, who secreted 

 it. In 1889 prospecting was again resumed on the western branch of Plum creek, 

 where Mr. Nichols found another diamond in a shovelful of gravel taken from the 

 sluice. Two or three small ones were also found in the tailings. 



Gold is found all along the main branches of Plum creek, as well as all along the 

 smaller runs of their extreme headwaters from two to five miles from their confluence. 

 From Mr. Nichols I received a series of specimens both of the gold-bearing sands in 



* December 13, 1890, page 686. 

 tNew York, 1890, page 336, plate 24. 



