The news & observer., 1896-12-27
NORTH cAgolaNA cl.AYs

T]scee fx perhaps, less known show
ahfee than any afi{syr &c TIRE StNtes min
cal rc~ourcea. sn middle and e~tern
North garalinss. vrFnsn N man III tEr yNsute
% desires 4 ataanfStS of hrick fol haiRt-
Sny house ov cflnlaeNsS ne u@nHlh
sk,cns ap his aoSsn clay, and makes aud
Aurns his own brick The result th5s
sexs OF WORK has tad rather 4 ,llscoWr-
sgfng effect on persons who know good
brick whom tIsex see tl}enA as they travel
ever different parts OF The State and see
90 mans chifnneys and even Houses put
No of brick Of Inferior quality.
But the interior quality ef these brick
does not necessarily Indicate Che interior
0uality OF the cfay from which they were
made. In many cases II N due TO the In
cxpcvicnce Of the hvick maker. the I'M.
proper mixing OF TIRE eiaxs. the improper
kurninS. ~ other causess Snd SO ii often
Nprens that we nas in SOME places brick
10Th OF very good qualify and very poor
QuAlitS made irons tie same cI.y, The
snany places In Tire state at which inferior
Awick may he seer nas given rise to
vide spread belief that brick of the best
Quality are not or cannot he made In
North Carolina Consequently In = num-
ker of cases. people who desire 60 use first
SkAss brick have ordered from other
&satrs.
With view 60 determining the exact
quality of our cTays tiieir distribution in
tle State ard the purposes for which
Gey are best adapted. the Geological
Survey inaugurated during tie past year
q careful examination OF the clay de-
posits ia all portions OF the State. 4
large number of SAMPLES have been col
Iected and these are To be- tested during
he present winter iii every way, and by
every method which can throw any light
on this question Tn number of cases
the laboratory tests viii &c supplemented
u furnace tests for tire fire brick. and by
factory tests os hvfck fer ordinary pur
noses; and in ssaa cass OF cEays for the
making OF tile. sewer pipas etc. The re-
nort on this subject vlffeIf ii Is Hoped will
te published nezA srrinA viii cuntaiR in
addition to the Infornfat tftyr thus gained
Ii regard TO the cfays themselves. de-
scriptions OF tie most approved maehin-
Uy and methods for making brick. tile
aud sewer pipe OF tile best quality. In
connection with these Investigations we
have found that in number.ef cases our
: brick makers are using the crudest sort of
methods for the mixing of their clays
and the making of the brick; and the of
fcers of the Survey have received from
many Of them numerous applications for
Information along this line. Hence it is
hoped that this report viii be found use
full not only by the persons who desire in
formation STOUT our clay deposits, but
also by maj Of our own citizens who are
engaged in the manufacture OF brick and
other materials out Of these clays
All clay is the result Of r0tting Of
rocks. The best OF our clays are found
along the lowlands bordering the rivers
xnd smaller streams, where they have
been deposited by the action of slowls
running water, the decayed rock having
been washed down from the hillsiles and
the sand and mica and other minerals
!, IN these rocks having been separated
from the cIays through the action Of wa
ter and deposited in different localities.
And thus it is to-day that the best brick
made in the State, like those at Colds
boro, Pomona, Bethania, Fayetteville
and Raleigh are. made from these stream
deposits.
The result OF the explorations conduct
I'd during the year by the Geological Sur
vey has been to show up very large guam
titles Of clay Of excellent quality along the
kwlands OF many of our important
streams, such as the Neuse, Cape Fear,
Yadkin, Catawba and others. Many OF
the best Of these deposits have never been
opened up nor developed to any extent;
but they promise that in the future as
the demand grows for good brick and 9TH
er clay products, we may expect develop
ed in North Carolina large industries
along this line.
j. A. HOLMES.
State GeoIogist