The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1873-04-05
COLUMBIA, As IS. G..
Saturday Morning. April s.. 1873.
The Mari Beas and PhosphAts Rock
or South Carollna. e sTsI E

. y 2
We have been pleasantly confirmed in
the estimate. derived from review Of
the trade and commerce Of Charleston
for the last seven years, Of the extraordi-
nary vitality and varied resources OF our
old city by the sea. by similar. iavora-
BILE view Of some Of the leading business
journals Of New York and Boston. We
have derived no little Satisfaction from
the pamphlet OF the Chamber Of Com!
merce, which luoid!y and elaborately
describes the growth Of the numerous
branches Of business ip the city, ont OF
the losses and ashes OF protracted
siege and deaolating fires. and in despite
Of heavy taxation and the extravaganoe
OF on ignoran. and corrupt Government.
FromsJwhas has been eohieyed. under
suoh difficult circumstances. we may in
fer q rapid and h1aishful progress in the
future, under the: more favorable oopdi.
tions which are now rapidly grouping
themselves together. X, r.vy 1.;-.
As matter Of general interest, and
yet comparatively unknown. IN ;its de-
tails, we presented. . few days ago. the
more important facts and statistics con-:
cerning she. msnhfaGture and trea7 ;a
commercial fertilizers. To make this
information more satisfactory and com.
plete, 1t will be necessary to briefly
notice the mari beds and phosphate
rocks, from which the crude material,
the base of the manufactured article, is
drawn. We are indebted to the ex-
haustive articles on this interesting sub
ject, contributed by Major Edward
Willis, and embodied in the recent pnb.
lication Of the Ohamber Of Commerce,
tor valuable information, which we:shall
freely use. The marls and rocks have
long been known and are treated of in
early histories and reports. The eco-
nonaic value Of the msrls was especially
brought to notice by Mr.. Edmund
Ruf1in, State Geologist, in 1841 and
1842, who aleo noticed in his report in
1843, the nodules, now known as phos-
phate rock. which have since become 80
famous Mr.. Tuomy, who filed the
samerposition ii 1s48, alluded to them
as mail atone, and represented, .tos con-
tain numerous fossils. Professor Holmes,
in 1850, described them with considera-
BILE care;fss the: mari rock, fossiliterous,
emitting a fadd smell. &c., bpt. without
allusion to their phosphate character,
OF which, in fact, there is no recorded
evidence that it was understood prior to
the spring of 1867. During the summer
of that year, DE-. st. Julisn Ravenel DE,
came aware, from the examination OF
specimens of teeth, nodnles and mari
from Goose Creek and Ashley River, Of
their true character and value. His con-
oiusions we're verified By the analysis Of
DR.. Pratt, who at once grasped and
comprehended the immense interests
which depended on these rich deposits
Thus. although known as enrly as 1905,
and more iamiliarly since 1s43, it was
regarded rs, worthless for all purposes OF
practical Utility, its richness in the phos-
phatic element undiscovered, until
within the laat Ave years. =
There;are two sharacters Of phosphate
deposit-the land and river. The frst
mentioned is altogether dug by hand,
with spade, pick and shovel-a portion
being taken from the sand that overlies
it; but the main yield is from the clay in
which it is imbedded. and is the best
land rock. The clay is hard to separate,
but that which is found in the sand
readily yields to the action of water. and
and can bs we'll cleaned at small cost.
This land is private property, mostly
owned by the parties working it, or it is
rented by them or worked on shares OF
for II subsidy. Itpays no tax or royalty
to the State. The river deposit is en-.
tire1y different, being mined from the
navigable streams. the property OF the
State. The Legislature has granted
charters to two companies to mine them,
and exactcd for the State ono dollar per
ton royalty for every ton mined or re.
moved. This deposit is worked by hand
from April to September, but at all times