Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1896-01-15
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PHOSPHATE IN JBNIATA
COUNTY.

Beds OF rich phosphate have been
found IN Tuscarora Valley, Juuiata
county, Pa, about 16 miles west of
Msifdintown, in line Of hills between
"cCoysville and Reeds Gap. Six
veins OF fertilizer rocks and pebbles
and nodules have been found IN the
phosphate belt. At Reeds Gap, =
tunnel is being pushed in on the
veln' and ID producing two grades of
rock, one for home use by the Penn.
sylvania Phosphate Company, show
ing ~ per cent. phosphate and enc
vein of higher grade suitable for for
eign shipment. The first car load of
which will go to The York Chemical
Works. The value of phosphats as a
fertilizer can be readily understood
when the fact is mentioned that the
ash OF wheat is compcsad of As to SO
per cent. OF Phosphoric acid and 80
per cent. of potash The discovery
OF phosphate in this county will prove
itself to be of great value to the
peach grower as cheap source of
much needed fertilizer.
The agricultural world and the
business world, will open their eyes
wide over tile announcement that we
have just made, that in one of the
vallies in Central Pennsylvania, in
Juniata county, phosphate rock and
pebbles and nodules, as rich and rich
er than the bones of animals have
been discovered, and are now being
mined. Ths best percentage OF
phosphate in bone according to Lie.
big is 55 per cent. The percentage
of phosphate in The best seams and
pebbles and nodules in Tuscarora
Valley so far unearthed, is 20 to SO
per cent. snd upward. What this
means for Tuscarora Valley and Jun
iata county may be conjsctured when
ths facts is stated that Pennsylvania
pays annually 5 to 6 million dollars
for fertilizer. Tbs formation in which
it is found, is we'll known to the Gcol-
ogist. He reads it like a book. He
has described it's peculiarities of fos-
sils; its fat.ened and rounded and
angular nodules; its red and brown
and white and black colors, and he
has spoken of it's sands as the frag-
ments of the material from the Azo;c
rocks below ths lower Silurian form.
alton, broken and rolled and redepos
tied with ocean sediment on another
Geological horizon in the inlets of a
zig gag shore of prehistoric sea.
lie reads the formation in that way.
But With all that the professional
seologist had no knowledge that this
peculiar zig gag geological horizon is
rich In places, with a fsrtilizing ma
terial As valuable rs the fertilizer
made OF the bones of animals. TIE
discovery OF phosphate in this form
alton will be surprise TO the geolo-
gists Of Psnpsylvanis.
Tuscarora Valley is Indebted to
Colonel Thos S. hioorshead, builder
and proprietor of the Tuscarora VAL
ley Railroad for tho discovery of
phosphate deposits here in Central
Pennsylvania. The Colonel is Q civil
Engineer, and some years ago lie was
with Company Of Engineers that 10
Gated route through the Valley.
That was before dame fortune had
smiled prcpitiously upon him.
Fortune helps the man who
helps himself, and when TIE young
found himself in Florida on
professional business, lie learned
from geologiet that certain pebbles
and nodules and FOSSILS in that land
Of oranges, swamps, gnats and
were rich in phospate.
That was the golden opportunity
that fortune presented and Moore
head availed himself of it and became
q pioneer in the phosphate business
IN Florida. at this time the output
Of pebble phosphate in Florida
amounts to millions of dollars.
The chemists of the past knsw of
the existsnce Of phospates in bones
end ashes and under their advice
ground bones of animals and ashes
of wood have been used from time
out of date for fertilizing purposes
by agriculturists who are acquainted
with the secrets OF nature. One of
the great qualities of lime is found
in the amount of ashes that is dis
tributed with the lime when it is
spread on land, and the action of
lime on vegetable matter in the soil
adds to or stimulates fertility, but
there is 10 fertilizing property in
lime itself. It will form chemical
with coarse vegetable
matter in the soil and in that way
make plant food. 1t is different with
pebble and rock and bone phosphates.
They contain plant food that is i'm
available.
The money that built the railroad
of 27 miles from Port Royal to
Blair's Mills, was made by Colonel
Moorehsad in Florida phosphates.
He still holds an interest in the bust
ness in that Southern State. Since
the discovery of phospates in peb-
bles, it has been discovered in certain
kinds of rocks. The pebble is only
rounded weather and water worn
piece of rock, and geologists since the
discovery of psbble phosphates have
directed their attention to the strait
fed rocks to find the valuable mate
rial They found it in certain kinds
Of rocks in several of the Southern
States, and wherever found it has
proven itself source of profit. Phos-
phate is a shy thing, but where
found is valuable.
Colonel Moorhead's geological
knowledge served him we'll He had
, distinct recollection Of the forma-
ton of ocks in the Tuscarora Valley
r.