Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1894-06-09
MINERAL PAINT TESTS.

In view of the greater Importance
which attaches to this mineral by rea-
son of the proposed erection Of plant
in this city for its utilization, we APP
pend the following report Of Prof A. j.
Morse, at present occupying the chair Of
chemistry in the School Of Mines, who
has recently made number of tests of
the mineral found near Rockford and
Hermosa, and submits the following
conclusions, which We clip from the
Rapid Journal
Several samples of mineral paints have
recently been received III the school vi
mines, which have excited considerable
Interest as they seem to Oe exceptionally
tiue. Some mention has been made of
them in one or two local papers and In
the Omaha Bee, but We believe no de-
tailed description has been given. The
s2lnpies received al the school belong ~
the class of mineral paint commonly
called ochres, and occur In Two varle-
ties-red and yellow. lhe red variety,
or red ochre," occurs here III hard
massive deposits, OF dull red color /;
not so hard, however AS 10 be al ali dlti.
cult TO pulverize. 1t is really an impure
red hematile" iron ore, the color being
due 10 "a large per centage of oxide Of
iron. The best samples Ne have seen
of this variety comes from near Her
mosa. IL contains seventy per cent OF
oxide Of iron. When ground very fine
the powder has been much lighter
color than the Jumps, and when ground
with oil and laid upon surface with
brush 1t gives rich red-brown color,
has good covering power and leaves a
tine surface. An other sample from the
same locality much resembles the above,
but has not SO good color. 1t contains
go per cent of oxide OF iron.
The sample OF yellow ochrs furnished
US comes from near Rockford. The yell
low ochre occurs in bedded deposits and
is soft like clay. 1t also owes its colors
to iron but In this case the iron COM
pound is a hydrated oxide, that is it
contains chemically combined water
and the hydrated oxide being brown or
yellow instead of red gives the yellow
ochre its color. The Rockford ochre is
already in fire pulverulent condition,
and when ground with oil gives very
fair brown shade. Its principal value
however lies in the fact that when
roasted, the hydrateI oxide ot iron loses
its water aud turns brilliant red, and
this ochre, when roasted, has by far the
best color Of any OF the paints submitted
to us. Ii contains before roasting AZ per
cent of oxide Of iron, after roasting $50
per cent, the remainder of the material
being principally clay.
Such paints as those just described are
fitted for the market by roasting. (if
necessary and then grinding extremely
fine. They should be ground so fine,
that, when mixed with oil, not the
slightest gritty" feeling can be observed
when the paint Is rubbed on the smooth
est of writing paper with the finger.
Iron paints when so prepared, (unmixed
with oill are worth in the eastern mar
kets from Sl2 to $50 per ton, more in
exceptional cases
The Black Hills deposits are said to
De very extensive. II they are so, and
are of uniform grade, we can see no
rearon why they should not be valuable.
A. j. MORSE.
TWENTY THOUSAND DOLLARS TO THE TON.
In last weeks issue the News stated
that very rich ore had been encountered
in the Tea lode on Palmer gulch. In
making this statement, this paper stated
everything that was known at that time
Of the strike La.e Developments, how
ever, have proven that the most san
guine did not realize the phenomenal
richness of the ore. This property is
situated on Palmer gulch, not far from
the Forsythe claims, and when the own.
ers. Messrs. Mcclure and Petit, first
staked it, they found that the quartz,
although it prospscted, was not rich
enough to get excited about. Mcclure
and Petit, however. are two old pros
pectors, who know that mine is not
found on the surface and that it takes
money, brains and muscle to develop a
piece Of property, and so they COM