The weekly Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1872-1887, 1877-02-18
Mica.

Tho following article which we clip
from the Aha of Feb. 1ith, will be oi
interest to many persons in this part OF
the country as there nre several very
promising locations Of Mica deposits in
this county:
From Dreslau, city il Prussia,
ranking in population next to the capt.
tai. Berlin, aud an Important industrial
centre, we receive the following COM
municatiou: On several occasions
! your esteemed Journal spoke OF deposits
! of Silica discovered in California aud
the Pacific States. Such discoveries
are Of considerable interest to many
| people here, owing to tho extensive elm
! ploy of this mineral III our city, where,
for tho last fifteen years, Mr.. Max
Raphacl bus occupied numerous. work
| men III tho manufacture of articles for
ordinary and everyday use, as well rs
for scientific purposes. made either
wholly OF or combined with Mica. He
Is doubtless the largest manufacturer in
this particular branch in Europe. The
peculiar properties Of Mica lit il for u
nuinber Of purposes which other sub
stances do not answer. We learn from
our townsman, Mr. Raphael, that form
crly he imported large quantities Of
Mica from the United States, but WAS
compelled to cease, on account Of the
constant increase Of the price by Boston
and New York dealers. Having found
cheaper sources i'll other countries, he
is now obtaining his supplies from
them, though the mineral is inferior i'll
quality to the American. lie states his
willingness to iInTo:t anew from the
1K,.. 0 L.,
sonahlc rates. In such nn event, and
rs soon as pending contracts With oth.r
countries expire, he will engage large
quantities, 10 DC shipped III him from
any port of the United States, either
Pacific or Atlantic. though lie will r..
quirc some guarantees us to steady sup
plies and at uniform rates. Many Of
the objects manufactured by him Of
Mica can DO likewise made Of glass,
especially Of tho rrccntly-inyrntcd
Cough glass" unless the price of Mica
is reasonable, it cannot exclude such
competition. Once superseded by
toughened glass, Mica would no longer
pay to be mined. and, except for few
scientific purposes, become ya!wclcss.
\ price such rs several dollars, or even
onc dollar n pound, is out OF Question.
Ii may DC paid by II scientist. who needs
n few pounds for making experiments
and who requires select specimens for
particular study. AS for understandable
aiica, even ot the Best quality, the waste
i'll working il 1t the factory is from 80
to 10 Fer cent, aad the waStaGc is not
worth dollar per hundrcd-weight.
The price at which Mr.. Raphael is OBJ
tninins his supplies ut present, varies
ucccnrI:iu,r To iiyp nDI uDrlity fran, IN
to 10 cents per pound. TO form cor
rect estimate uf tho quality and value
and to enable him to contract for largo
quantities, Mr. Raphael requires sum-
pie lots Of about 2uO pounds OF tho raw
material, just us it comes from the mine.
only freed from coarGe and stony matter.
The ricccs should he left i'll their nat
ural shape, not trimmed or squared, nor
split up. Mica Of good quality has the
following chGrncteristica: II tho top
layer oc stratum, generally stained by
foreign Substances. is removed. the one
beneath, when split off, should be Of
crystnl-ikc transparency, while the
body u: the piece, i'll all its thickness.
should show Ia reddish hue, with mirror
like sirOothuess OF surface. 70 the
touch it must feel hard; scottish mica,
huuSh over 50 transparent, does not
serve for misunderstanding purpu6ts. Final
~. tie layer. or strata, VIXEN Separated,
should Lc fr.e from flaws ur uir.l ,ubblvs.
With Tcft renee tn the above cniu,nun'
cation, any onn interested III the min.
ing o. exp, 1t Of Mica can DO furnished
with the full nd,iI css Of tho BrcslGu
manufacturer by calling at tho Office Of
this pnmer."