Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-08-21
BUZZARD ROOST.
The sleepy Town Among the Noun
Gains i'm North Carolina.

n. c., says: As its name implies. this
hamlet is high up among the noun
tains in that weird, wild portion of
Western North Carolina christianed
so appropriately 1.-THE land of the
sky Mount Mitchell, now known
to be the highest point east of the
Rocky mountains excepting Mt.
Washington ~ towers among the
clouds not far away, surrounded by a
blue mist of haze, while the French
Broad river, called by the Indians
merry waters, laughs and babbles
and dashes along merrily at its feet.
Buzzard Roost is not busting mart
of trade On the contrary the town
consists of one house, which does duty
as postofiice, railroad ticket office,
store and dwelling. There are two
mails daily at Buzzard Roost, and this
serves to divert the population Of the
place, which consists of the postmast-
or and his wife. Once in while a
man comes here to fish or hunt, upon
which occasion the town puts on its
gala dress and does its best to be en-
Pertaining and hospitable.
Half mile from Buzzard Roost, way
up among the mountains, is mine.
The owners don't say much about it,
nor do they appear TO be anxious for
visitors to go there; nevertheless, the
mine is one of the most curious af-
fairs in the country-the only one OF
its kind, il is to be hoped, liz the
world. The material mined here is a
peculiar kind of white rock which
the miners say has no name, so they
have very appropriately called it
deception rock. It's uses are vari-
ed and its value is so great that the
mine and the works near by pay a
good dividend upon the
money invested. The rock
is mined in great pieces
or chunks, which are loaded
upon wheelbarrows and taken to
large wooden chute, where they are
dumped This wooden chute runs
down the precipitous side of the
mountain and ends at ''the mills. "
The rock in its rapid transit through
the large trough becomes reduced 10
small pieces or Jumps about the size of
cocoanuts. These are gathered up by
the workmen and when the rock
comes from the mills it is reduced to
soft, white powder, which is put in
barrels and shipped to New York,
where it sells for from So to So a
barrel
The uses to which this powdered
rock is put are many. The coarser
quality, especially that which con
tains small portions of mica, is used
to adulterate granulated sugar. 1t IS
said to be excellent for this purpose,
since nearly 20 per cent. may be
mixed with the pure sugar without
fear % detection 1t also gives sugar
great weight, and for this reason is
valuable for purposes of adultcratlon.
1 The second grade of the deception
rock" powder is much smoother and
finer; this is used to adulterate pow
dered sugar 1t is also used in large
quantities to give the cheaper grades
of family -four the desired weight,
Still another and finer grade of the
powder is made. and this is used ex-
clusively ia the manufacture of can
dies. Since the introduction of this
powder about two years ago 1t has
largely superseded terra alba,
which was formerly used in the man
ufacture of candies-especially in
those brands known as the cheap
French mixed.
| asked one of the operators OF the
mine-an intelligent colored man
why the candy manufacturers used
deception rock powder" in prefer
ence to the terra alba" We'll,
sah," he replied, II reckon it's jest
cause you can detect terra alba,
which is kind of clay an you can't
detect dis we're powder so easy, Ri
yo' dissolve the best made candy IN
water very slowly you will find either
terra alba or dis we're powder IN 1t
cherry time, I'll bet a nickel. I've
hear tell boss, dat mother reason
why de candy makers use dis yere
powder am, dat eff folks eats heap
O. candy with it in dey amt so liable
ter have spasms as if terra alba had
been used.
The mill and mine together have a
capacity of 300 barrels Of this com
pound per week, all Of which is ship
ped direct to New York, where 1t IS
disposed of to the various dealers whC
choose to use it.
Just as luck would have it, IS |
boarded the train after leaving this
mine at Buzzard Roost, | met one OF
the most prominent candy maGdiac-
turers in Atlanta.
''Terra alba is no lorger used by
respectable candy-men, said he, "a
reply to my questions, but 1t IS nara
to get confecLioner's sugar nowadays
that has not been aduterated with
terra alba or this powdered rock, the
latter being most used now. Terra
alba was formerly used IN cheap
candies. but the manufactures Of that
class Of goods now use this powder,
as it is cheaper and less dangerous.
Terra alba hardens in the stomach IN
lump just like plaster Of paris if
eaten in large quantities, and causes
spasms or commissions. But
this new powder seems
to go through the system generally
causing, / believe, many case OF