Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1895-03-13
RAW ASBES
Rich Deposits Found In
and California
IT IS A WONDERFUL
The Great Expense of Mlnir
Manner of Manufacturer
Useful Articles.

A long, lank. slow-voicec EnEiFa=
man left his native land ora
years ago and settled in Que wh
he hired out as laborer in uo
yard. His great bodily stren pz
plemented by his energy and
soon won him an excellent "a.
After he had been at work Ter Of
months he returned one col winter
evening to the capacious, shed-like
building in which they all lived. Seat
ing himself comfortably before the pot
bellied cast-iron stove, the open mouth
of which glowed red with heat. he de-
liberately drew off his long. wet boots.
Then pair of socks, much the worse
for Quebec mud, came off one after the
other, and his companions saw him
coolly flag them into the fire.
They made no comment on his ac-
tion, but when, almost Immediately
afterward they saw him reach into the
stove with poker, pull out the appar-
emily blazing socks and, after giving
them shake. proceed with the great
est unconoern to draw them ON his feet
again they stood aghast.
1t was plainly an exhibition of witch
craft. Then they scrambled over one
another in their haste to reach the
door. through which they burst into
the dark.
The next day they called on the mana
ger in body and demanded the insant
dismissal of the Englishman. loudly
declaring that they would no longer
eat or drink or work with such mon
ster.
Inquiry being made at once, it was
found that the big Englishman had
worked in an asbestos factory before
crossing the water, and being of an
ingenious turn Of mind he had man
aged to secure some of the material out
of which to knit himself a pair of
socks. When they became soiled he
cleaned them in the fire. But such ex-
plantations were of no avail with his
ignorant companions, and he was COM
PEELED to leave his work.
Asbestos is wonderful substance.
Its name comes from Greek word
meaning inconsumable. Fire will not
burn it, acids will not gnaw it, weather
will not corrode it. 1t is the paradox
of mineals-for mineral it is, quar-
ried just like marble. The fibers of
which it is composed are rs soft as silk
and fine and feathery enough to float
on water. Yet in the mines they Il Q
SO compressed that they are hard and
crystalline like stone.
Although the substance has been
known for ages in the form of noun
tain cork or mountain leather, compar-
atively little has been learned as to its
geological history and formation. A
legend tells how Emperor Chalemagne,
being possessed of a table-cloth woven
of asbestos, was accustomed to astonish
his guests by gathering it up after the
meal, casting it into the fire and with
drawing it later, cleansed but uncon-
sumed.
Yet. although the marvellous at
tributes of asbestos have been known
for SO long they were turned to little
practical use until about twenty years
ago. Since that time the manufacture
of the material has grown until it car
take it's place shoulder to shoulder with
any of the giant industries of this
country. Indeed, so rapid has been its
progress and development that there il
almost no literature of any kind on the
subject, and to the popular mind it is
still one of those dim, inexplainablt
things.
A Chicago dealer in asbestos goods
says that the majority of persons who
use the substance are firmly convinced
that it is all manufactured by some
secret process from wool or cotton.
Up to the late '7Os nearly all tn,
asbestos used came from the Italian
Alps and from Syria. but one day {
party of explorers discovered rich de
posit in what is known as the eastern
townships of Quebec in Canada. Com
panies were at once formed and in 1877!
the mines were opened. Remarkabl,
as it may seem, however, although tn,
Canadians started factories, in tn,
operation of which they were substan
TALLY backed by English capital,it it wa:
an American concern with headquarters
in New York, that developed the man
ufacturing industry most rapidly. Th'
company has now grown so large tina
it has branches in nearly all the larg'
cities of the country, and the machin
cry used is specially made and pecu
liarly adapted to the manufacture o
asbestos articles. There are also ;
number of lage factories in England.
The Canadian mines are located il
a wild, rough country almost outside O
the pale Of civilization. The hills hav
worn themselves bare of earth. and tn,
bleak rocks glare out in great bali
J patches. At one time scraggy growth
of pines clung to the remaining ridge
of soil, but forest fires, the hand O
man and the ravages of wind AM
weather have LETT only the drsar,