Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1872-01-26
MINING DEPARTMENT.
January 10. 1872.

Another, and [ think the most im
portant form in which this oxide of iron
is found along this belt, is that Of .
bright, new powder. In this condition
it is sometimes found in regular fiat
openings in the sand rock, mixed with
very pure coarse grained sand; bu
oftener disseminated through the mas:
in the shape of cement. In this con
dition it varies from a ferruginious, o.,
irony Sandstone, to sandy ochre.
The richest deposits, however, arr
found along ranges of assures. or mor'
especially where ranges Of ditferen'
bearings intersect each other TheI
points of contact are the richest places.
and seem to be the centers from which
material DIVORCES, gradually grow
ing poorer as the distance from then
increases. When the oxide Of iron
in this form is not abundant, the sanu
rock is very coarse and tIiable. and ea>
lily reduced to its original grains.
In this form it is rot chemically de-
posted in the sandstone, that is, it ha
not a crystalline texture, it is easily
separated from the sand by washing it
in water. Water takes it up very read
lily when it is stirred. and allows it als'
to settle readily when undisturhed.-
When separated in this way and allow
ed to dry it is a very fine red powder.
as fine as the oxide of zinc; and when
mixed with, or ground in oil, it will
make paint of brilliant red color, that
will make as fue finish on wood as
zinc or lead.
Since [ first discovered it in this
form (since July, 1870 have been
experimenting with it as paint, by ex-
posing it to the extremes of climactic
conditions. Thus far it does not seem
to be affected by heat or cold, wet or
dry, any more than the best quality Of
lead or zinc under the same conditions.
The brightness of its color, that at
first feared would not stand light and
,,o;ct,ro co,,,;,c tl,,e g., ,,n.E.,.roj
or if changed at all it is deeper red.
AS a pigment, this material is eqnal,
if not superior, to anything we call
ochre or mineral paint, and if its dura
bility should prove to be, when tested
by time, what it appears to be under
experiment, it cannot fail to be vaua.
BILE, and will take the place Of lead and
zine paint for most out door work, and
common building And if in this
form it will furnish paint of bright
red co!or, that will put on finish as
fine is lead, and that will be as dura
BILE, or eyeh approximately so. and can
be furnished for less than one fourth
the cost of lead, it certainly nl1st be as
valuable to the State as lead itself
What our State is most deficient in
for manufacturing purposes is fuel; any
material that can e manufactured into
useful commodities for commerce with
out coal, is specially important. to US
hence, valua ble. The cost Of coal aud
the expense of getting it to our zinc
mines takes off a large portion Of what
the zinc is worth when prepared for
market, consequently renders our zinc
deposits comparatively worthless.
This form of the oxide of ir,n can
be obtained along this belt and prepar-
ed as paint for the market IT rerv
trlfiing expense, except labor. 1t is
found in lodges of sandstone drained |
by deep valleys. cutting back Into this /
ridge, and exposed in places from 80 to