The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-02-04
INDIANA'SRICH KAOLIN BEDS
A Discovery Adding Another Resource
to the States Wonderful Wealth.
An InexhauStible Supply of the Finest Quail
ity of Kaolin Found in DR.. Parsons
Landin Lawrence County.

Within the past year Dr. c. D. Pearson, of
this city. has found his kaolin beds in Lawrence
county to exceed in richness of deposit and fine
ness Of quality any known deposits of that earth.
Twelve years ago he had under his lands there a
valuable bed which, four years later, he sold to
the Pennsylvania Salt Company. Adjoining this
was rich deposit owned by the then State Geol-
ogist Professor Cox. This also passed into the
possession of the company named. Such an in
vestment on the part of foreign capital was
enough to excite the hopes of many landowners
thereabouts. They began prospecting and for
miles around dug holes, with bright expectations
only to have then greatly deprecated by finds
that would not pay for the working. DR.. Pear
son owns 200 acres of land in the southwest
ner OK the county, along the o. & M. railroad
He had faith in its koalin richness, and with
very successful discoveries to encourage his
work, about year ago struck the deposit which
is the spirit of this article. In a conversation
with the Doctor, he said: ''There is no kaolin
in the United States elsewhere to equal it. /
have proved by experiment that the bed extends
under 100 acres of my land, and I am satisfied
that it goes beyond-in fact, lies under the
on it for a year. and find the veins
to be of the richest resource. They
have an average depth of six feet, and the work
men have reached several places where they are
seven feet In tunneling in the main vein tim
bers were used for forty feet or more to protect
the walls and roof. Beyond this the workmen
reached point where they thought the roof to
be safe without support, conjecturing that there
was nothing but rock above. The deposit of
kaolin, however. fell, showing that at that point
the vein could not be less than twelve feet in
depth"
do you reach the demand for your producti'
Il have just made shipment to Japan. and
have sent large quantities to New York.
have contracts to supply as much. if not more. as
soon as the weather opens so as to permit work. A
chemical manufacturing company are anxious to
have me conclude with them longtime con-
tract for the entire output of the deposit. Kaolin
enters so largely into manufacturing and COM
mercial purposes that it is almost impossible to
limit its uses. It is an essential in alum, queens
ware chinaware, house finishing, thing and so on
am sorry to say, too, that it is used largely in
adulterating articles of food. The yield on my
land will be about 20, 900 tons to the acre. and
am prepared for any demand"
Your deposits, then, are inexhaustbeW
'They will last at least fifty years I have
easy access to the Ohio & Mississippi railroad.
Wv IduEO6u Ulr6Cb lrOm lHuldudpollS To tudt
region is needed. AS it is, this city will derive
some benefit from the wealth of these deposits,
but one can hardly estimate the impetus to her
progress if she could reach direct that region.
1t is there the mineral wealth of Indiana lies
Indianapolis ought to have the Belt
railway surrounded with manufact-
cries, such as potteries, alum factories.
those for chemicals and manufactures of wood
Once pottery is established here others will
come, and we have the essentials in this State to
GSGuStalQ them There is whV the
greater part of this rich product should not be
| utilized for the benefit of the city I will try to
organize a pottery company this year, and have
no fears but that the placing of the plant here
will quickly bring other capital in the same line
of investment The kaolin wealth of the Law
renee county section is remarkable, and it can
only be utilized to the best advantage for Indi-
| annapolis by direct railroad connections"