The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1895-12-19
our MINERAL WEALTH.
North Cardinals Splendid Exhibit at
the Atlanta Exposition.

IOitSllJ Iu!iItbS, d. tIII 1ApOSiIiOh;
Atlanta, planned by Prof. Holmes,
under whose charge the State Geologi-
cal Survey has accomplished such ex-
cellent work. and is practical one
throughout.
The following data concerning this
collection has been furnished through
the courtesy Of Prof. Holmes and gives
an excellent idea not only OF the ex-
hibit itself, but also of the parts of the
State in which the various minerals are
found.
In corundum, of which more is
mined in North Corolina than in any
other State, the samples represent the
famous deposits at Corundun Hill, in
Macon county, Buck Creek and Shoot
| ing Creek in Clay county, and num-
Der Of other localities The chrysolite
and rock in which these corundum de-
posts occur, and the more common
associated minerals, are also exhibited
from Corundum Hill. These speci-
mems are supplemented by series Of
samples Of ground corundum and
emery prepared from the Sapphire
! cOrundum mines.
Among the iron ore deposits repre-
sented in the collection arc the magne
titles at Cranberry, the red and brown
hematites at Bessemer City (Ormond
and Little Mountain ore beds, brown
hematites at Ore Hill near Green's
boro) and in Cherokee county, and
the large but undeveloped magnetic
deposits in Ashe county
| North Carolina has not heretofore
attracted any attention as a coal pro-
duclng State, but the Cummock mines,
formerly the old Egypt mines are now
shipping more than 100 tons per day.
In this North Carolina exhibit there is
a section showing the structure of the
coal formation there.
The monazite exhibit is exception
ally completes and illustrates the edu-
Cational value of this kind of exposi-
ton work. A map on the wall shows
where the monazlte occurs in North
Carolina. Nearby is long box con-
tanning a section down through the
| gravel four feet thick in which the
mOnazite IS found in the valleys and
along the small branches, OVERLAND by
four feet of loan soil from the Lati-
more mine. Near this is a large glass
jar of the hillside and red loan in
which monazite of the best quality is
being mined at the Phiefer nine, also
near Shelby in Cleveland county,
Standing by these sections Of soil is a
slulce box in which the monazte sand
Is washed and concentrated by stream
o. water that IS constantly passing
through 1t. On the top Of the min
cral cases, in the centre of the exhib-
tipn, is a row of jars containing the
| different grades of soil in which the
monazlte sand has been found, the
different grades of monazite sand and
the tailings which result from the
washing and concentrate of the mona
zIte. In window directly above
the exhibit are too large glass transpa-
renCes, one of which shows the method
o: mining and washing monazite sand
III the lowlands, where it is mixed with
the gravel, and the other, similar op-
eritlons on the hillside, where the
monazlte sand is scattered through the
red loamy soil for several feet below
the surface, and even scattered through
the underlying rock. Nearby is fine
exhibit of the new Welsback burners
and illustrations of their manufacture
from the monazte, At night the en-
tire building is illuminated by these
lights-a practical illustration of the
use of the monazite sand.
The phosphate collection illustrates
also how these expositonS can be
made of decided educational value.
50 much has been said during the
past few years about the Charleston
and Florida phosphates that but little
attention has been given to these de-
posts in other States. Phosphate has
been found in a number of places in
Eastern North Carolina, and in one
point, Castle Hayne, it is being
worked constantly on a commercial
scale, and the crude material is being
shipped to Wilmington, Charlotte,
Baltimore and other places. 1t &C.
ours mainly as a fine gravel from one
to four feet in thickness and at a
depth OF from three to eight feet below
the surface. 1t is overlain by sand
and underlan by she'll limestone. The
pebbles usually vary from less than a
quarter Of an inch to an inch in diam
eter. In the North Carolina exhibit is
4 section showing the character of this
formation from the surface soil down
to the base of the phosphate gravel,
and near this is exhibited in addition
to the crude ground phosphate rock, a
number otsamples of the manufactured
acid phosphate and other commercial
fertilizers, exhibited by the Navassa
Guano Co., and the Powers & Gibbs
Company, of Wilmington, and the
Charlotte OH \ Fertilizer Co., of
| Charlotte. Adjoining this also is an
exhibit OF pyrlteS from CASTOR county,
\. G., showing the crude material in
large blocks, weighing several hun
dred pounds each, and the pulverzed
pyrltes and sulphuric acid manufac-
tured from ii by the Charlotte Oil x
Fertilizer Co. In a window above
this exhibit is also large glass trans
parency, illustrating the methods of
phosphate mining at Castle Haynes.
The more important gold, silver
and copper mines are represented by
| specimens few of which weigh nearly
| 1000 pounds each, though the major
( lty are much smaller. There is one