The Helena independent., 1889-06-16
MICA MINING.
Interesting Facts for Montana Pros
peetors in Search Of the
Valuable Article
Il Does Not Improve With Depth
The Formation in Which
II is Found.
where Ii i. Pound in This Cou ntry
Experience Of n Yankee Who
Found MicsIn the Mounds.

Discoveries OF mica have recently been
reported in southern Montana, also In the
northeastern portion OF the territory.
Whether or not OF commercial value has
not yet been determined. c. +. HazeitOn
OF this city, a gentlemen with much expeT-
ience In mines and minerals has
paid particular attention TO mica
deposits. An INDEPESDENT reporter
approached him yesterday on the
the subject aud the gentlemen kindly con
sented to be- interviewed on the subject Tor
the beneht of the thousands OF men engaged
in mining in Montana who will md much
valuable Information in what ne says;
''In what formation is mica found =
asked the reporter
Mica is found associated with the old
est rOcks-the ABcheon-the crystals being
imbedded in gangue OF f.lspAT and quartz
the crystals are usually fractured, SO mucn
so as TO be Yalueless. PrOspectors shouio
not expect mica 10 improve with depths
fallacy also common 10 gold and silver min
ing-since IL does not oxldize- therefore II
good mica is not found near the snI1ace II
Is not probable that IL Will De found at .
greater depth.
Muscovite mica, the ordinary mica OF
commerce, is found in nearly all the gran
lite and gneIssoid area OF the country, yet,
while abundant, good quality OF mercan-
tile mica is scarce, especially OF la-ge sizes
and good quality. The total annual pro-
duction of commercial mica IN the | nIted
States does not exceed 10000 POUNDS, the
average value of which Is - ~ per pound
making a total value of S272 600. At pres
ent North Carolina produces two-thirdS or
all the mica mined in the United States
The center of this industry Is At bakers-
vile, Mitchell county, North Carolina.
Senator Clingman, a gentleman OF some
scientific knowledge, had noticed IN his
geological Investigations OF the formation
of Mitchell county ancient mounds, upon
which large forest trees are growing. sup
posing these mounds to be the dnmps of
some ancient mines worked IN prehistoric
time, be opened several, but found no prec-
iOus metals only mica, which he believed
worthless. Therefore, the exploration of
these mounds was abandoned. A few
months later ''cute Y ankee" from Con
necticut, while prospecting the county Tor
mineral and coming upon mound which
Clingman had opened, upon examining the
mica md determining Its value, soon after
ward obtained lease upon the property IN
question and by his energy and practical
knowledge of the business soon made
q handsome fortune. At the present
time there are in this section buttwo mines !
that are large producers, the CloudlAnd, !
now 100 feet deep, and the Ruby mine, the |
most valuable property of its kind in the |
country, which is being worked at depth |
or 300 feet and producing two tons monthly. |
The Clarissa mine, near BakeTSVtlle, AZ |
one time produced about one half the total |
product of the United States. but after be
ing worked to depth OF 300 feet has been |
abandoned, as the vein has pinched and |
the mine is now very wet.
A large portion of the product o. North |
Carolina is mined by farmers who exc out |
q scAnty subsistence by prospecting for |
this valuable mineral. In this mica belt, |
which Is thirty miles wide and 100 miles /
long, the mica is found near the surface |
and OF as good quality as at a considerable |
depth, which is unqueStlOnably common |
experience every here, since mica Is not /
as quickly oxidiZed as other minerals. At |
ter the vein is opened few feet in depth, |
say ten or twenty feet, II no pay mica Is /
found the prospect Is usually abandoned. /
These quasi miners are well satisfied with /
the finding of few pockets yielding 500
TO 500 return for seasons labor.
Ii is a notable fact that all the best mines
OF North Carolina are of prehistoric origin.
The ancient people working these mines
were doubtless cOtemporaneOus with the
mound builders of the Ohio valley. since in
ChillicOthe. Circleville and other places
have been found in the mounds adjacent
sheets of mica covering human remains;
also mica lying upon ancient affairs, evil
IDENTIFY used for saeriteial purposes, while
perforated discs OF mica found in graves
suggest they were worn as ornaments.
Mica mining IN the Rocky Mountains has
thus FAR not proven a very profitable indus |
Ify, the obstacle To It's successful prosecu-
tiOn being the poor quality OF the mica and
high price of labor. In the Black Hills q |
considerable quantity has been mined, of
; very good quality, but the large expense
)f mining has hitherto rendered the bnsi-
hess not profitable.
In New Mexico one or two mines have
been opened. promising satisfactory results |
Some prospecting has been done on Cur |
rent Greek. IN the southeast section of the |
South Park, and about 100 pounds of com
mercial mica have been recently shipped 10
Philadelphia, but it is apprehended the cost
If production will bar further development |
n that section. The quantity is abundant |
n Colorado, but most of IL is stained and