Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1895-05-29
HUNTING FOR MoNAZITE. &
4 New Industry In the PiedmontSee.
ton of North Carolina.

a New Industry In the Piedmont Soc.
ton of North Carolina.
The enthusiasm with which the
search for monazite is now being
prosecuted in the Piedmont section
Df North and South Carolina Is some
thing remarkable. Men, women and
children talk about it, dream about
It, search for it, and would perhaps
eat it if it could be prepared so that
it would be palatable. For 200 years
the planters on the coast stumbled
over phosphate rock, which had been
brought to the surface, and consider
ed it of no value Finally, after the
late war, o man Of scientific turn Of
mind began to investigate this rock,
and as 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 heavy yellowish sand, which
they cast aside as worthless. This
has all been completely reversed in
the last twenty months, and nova
days prospector will cast aside fair
specimens of gold while prosecuting
his search for monazite. TO obtain
monazite from the hundred little
streams that are found in the mona
zite belt the prospector sets ut.pro-
vided with shoveland pan. With his
shovel he 5scoopsaout o hole in the
bed of the stream orsnear by it. He
goes through the alluyial deposit 81
lnti he. STRIKES. Q Whitish sand and Z
Il gravel - st5f : "a IS c,Nnapku
and washes it 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. If it promises well trial
is made. The top soil is stripped of
from small area until the monazite
stratum is reached. That sand is
taken out and carefully washed, and
if the results are satisfactory then
work is begun.
Contractors do most of the mining,
taking leases and paying royalty OF
from one-seventh to one-fifth. Occa-
sionally the monazite privilege is
bought straight out, and in some In
stances 5000 an acre has been paid.
Sometimes, however, the owners
work their own lands.
Common, unskilled laborers are
employed to do the work. Strip
| pers" are the hands who clear away
the top soil, removing all timber
, growing thereon. The gravel gang
comes next. They carefully lift out
oil of the monazite sand and turn 1t
over to the washers, who get out oil
gravel, silver and clay, leaving mix
ture Of heavy material behind. This
goes through second washing, and
the material left is marketable mon
azite.
The washing is done in wooden
trough from II to IS feet in length,
12 inches wide and IL deep. There
is cast iron perforated plate at the
upper end of the box, through which
the monazite drops, while the lighter
stuff and clay float away. A stream
of water flows through the box. Ex-
pert washers receive 81 a day, but
there are plenty Of men who do this
work fairly we'll and are anxious to
work at 65 cents per day. Overseers
and timekeepers receive $1.50. This
is considered fair wages down South,
where there is little demand for day
labor now.
The sand is about as current as
gold dust, six cents O pound being
Che average price. 1t is estimated
that q group of well managed hands
will make twice their daily wages.
Letters Of inquiry come from all
countries seeking information about
monazite, and, judging by the NUM-
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.
zite 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 the
mica veins at Quebec, but nowhere
has it been found in such enormous
quantities as in this bed.
A Gloucester, N. j., company is
the only concern manufacturing
monazite in this country. The value
of sand depends upon the rare metal,
thorium, which it contains. which is
separated from the associated mate.
rial by very complicated chemical
processes, which are kept secret
from everyone except those who
manipulate Interpretations. 1t is then
used in the manufacture of incau-
descent gas burners of different
forms.
The finding of monazite is the best
thing that has ever occurred for the
poorer people of the section in which
it is found. Hundreds of day labor
ers are now feeding their families