Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1895-05-04
HUNTING Foa MoNAzIre.
A New Industry In Tho Piedmont See.
tlon 81 North Carolina.


The enthusiasm with which the
search for monazite is now being
prosecuted in the Piedmont section
of North and South Carolina Is some.
thing remarkable. Men, women and
children talk about it, dream about
it. search for 1t, and would perhaps
eat 1t IL Vt could be prepared so that
It would be palatable. For 200 years
tho planters on the coast stumbled
over phosphate rock, which had been
Brought to the surface, ard consider
ed it of no value. Finally, after the
late war Il man OF scien life turn of
mind began to investigate this rock,
and us u result an industry has
sprung up that now amounts to mil
lions Of dollars annually.
In like manner gold miners year
after year in their search for gold
along the streams OF this Piedmont
section have been finding in their
pans a heavy yellowish sand, which
they cast aside as worthless. This
has all been completely reversed In
the last twenty months, and nowa-
days a prospector will cast aside fair
specimens Of gold while prosecuting
his search for monazite. 10 obtain
monazite from the hundred little
streams that are found in the mona
ute belt the prospector sets out pro-
vided with shovel and pan. With his
shovel he scoops out o hole In the
bed OF the stream or near by IL. He
goes through the alluvial deposit
until he strikes a whitish sand and
gravel OF this he takes q painful
and washes IL out, carefully examin.
ing quantity and quality. After
prospecting In several different
places he Is able to decide whether
the branch" as these small streams
are called in the South, Is worth
working. II 1t promises we'll trial
Is made. The top soil Is stripped of
from small area until the monazite
Is reached. That sand ID
taken out and carefully washed, and
IL the results are satisfactory then
work Is begun.
Contractors do most OF tho mining,
taking leases and paying royalty Of
from one-seventh to one-fifth. Occa.
sionally the monazite privilege 10
bought straight out, and in some In.
stances 5000 an acre has been paid.
however, the owners
work their own lands.
Common, unskilled laborers are
employed to do tho work. strip.
pers' are the hands who clear away
the top soil, removing oil timber
growing thereon. The gravel gang
comes next. They carefully lift out
all Of the monazitc sand and turn IL,
over to the washers, who get out all
gravel, silver and clay, leaving u mix.
ture Of heavy material behind. This.
goes through u second washing, and
the material left Is marketable mon
azite.
The washing Is done In wooden
trough from l2 70 Is feet In length,
u inches wide and ~ deep. There
Is cast iron perforated plate ut the
upper end OF the box, through which
the monazito dsops, while the lighter
stuff and clay Goat. away. A stream
Of water flows through the box. Ex.
pert washers receive u q day, but
there are plenty Of men who do this
work fairly we'll and are anxious to
work at Is cents per day. Overseors
md timekeepers receive $3.50. This
Is considered fair wages down South,
where there Ii little demand for day
labor now.
The sand Is about as current a.
gold dust, ak cents pound being.
the average price. 1t Is estimated
that group OF we'll managed hands,
will make twice their daily wages.
Letters Of inquiry como from all
seeking Information about
monazite, and, judging by the mum.
Der and character OF these received.
by the geological survey from various
European countries. the industry
and the amount OF money brought
into this Piedmont section for mona.
site this year. will hardly amount to
less than 100000. Monazite has
been found in small quantities in
Russia, Norway, Bohemia, and in
gold washings In Brazil and In tho
mica veins at Quebec, but nowhere
has II been found In such enormous.
quantities as In this bed.
A Gloucester, N. j., company 10
the only concern manufacturing
monazite In this country. The value
Of sand depends upon the rare metal,
thorium, which II contains, which Is
separated from the associated mate.
rial by very complicated chemical
processes. which are kept secret
from everyone except those who
manipulate the operations. 1t is then
used In the manufacture OF incnn-
descent gus burners OF different
forms.
The finding OF monazite IL the best
hing that has ever occurred for the
poorer people Of the section In which
4 Is found. Hundreds Of day labor.
'rs are now feeding their families,
With the money made in this il.-
lustrV.