, 1898-10-25
WYOMING CLAY
PROF. KNIGHT DESCRIBES BEN
TONITE,' WHICH OCCURS EX-
TENSIvELY IN THIS STATE.
1t Is Very Soft, Greasy to the Touch,
and When Moistened Reminds One
Soap-What Use 1t Is Put to Seems
to be a Mystery-May be Used in
Dynamite.

to be a Mystery-May be Used in
Dynamite.
Prof. w. c. Knight, g~eologist OF the
University Of Wyoming, contributes
the following to the latest number of
the Engineering and Mining Journal:
In a recent article in the Engineer
ing and Mining Journal the writer des-
cribed, briefly, a new variety of clay
found in Wyoming, and suggested the
name Taylorite. in honor Of Mr.. Will
lam Taylor Of Rock Creek, who brought
the clay to notice. 1t has since been
learned that the name Taylorite is pre-
occupied; consequently the clay will
hereafter be known as Bentonite. 1t
has usually been classed with the fire
clays, but, owing to its fluxing proper
ties, would be valueless for fire-clay
goods. When taken from the quarry it
breaks with a ~conchoidal fracture, but
upon exposure loses this quality. Fresh
Bentonite has a yellowish green color,
but upon drying is changes to a light
cream color. 1t is very soft, greasy to
the touch and when moistened with
water reminds one of soap. With water
it forms an emulsion. There is nc grit
ty feeling to the touch, and scarcely any
when crushed between the teeth. 1t is
an unusual absorbent. In a test it
took up twice as much glycerine as in
~fusorial earth. The specific gravity Of
the clay when fresh is 2.1S. In many
respects it resembles Ehrenbergite Of
Germany, but chemically differs in not
containing as much alkali. The soda
reported in the analyses is, as a rule,
found in the clay in thin seams. as So
dunn suphate.
Bentonite has been found very ex-
t~ensively in Wyoming. 1t has been re-
ported from Crook, Johnson. Weston.
Converse, Natrona. Carbon, Albany
and Laramie counties. 1t is found in
beds varying from 4 to S feet in thick
ness in the Fort Benton group OF the
C~retaceous. Below the beds there is a
heavy band Of fossil shale and above a
stratum containing large concretions
of clay iron stone. The Rock Creek
beds, which were the first to be opened,
dip gently to the south. The %clay-iron
stone has been removed for a consider
able area OF ground, and all that is
necessary for the quarrymen to do to
open a pit is to remove about six inches
Of the surface. The clay works equal
ly we'll in summer and winter. The
Taylor quarry is between a quarter and
a half mile from the railroad.
D. Linscott opened a new clay bank
in 1897. which is six miles by rail south
of Rock Creek. This clay is identical
with the Taylor product, and is found
on the south slope of the Spring Creek
anticlinal. The beds in this vicinity, as
at Rock Creek, extend for several
miles. In the fall OF 1897 Messrs. Edgar
& Thole of Newcastle, opened a bank
of Bentonite near Newcastle. The ex-
tent Of the clay in Weston county is
very great, since the formation extends
from Newcastle north and west nearly
to Moorcroft. in Crook county. The
railroad passes through this exposure,
which makes it possible to operate
banks at any station between these
points. So far as known, no other sec
ton has had n production.
This industry is of but little import
ance at present, but seems to be in
creasing. The most singular feature
connected with it Is that no n seems
able to find out the use of this clay.
Some have claimed that 1t is used for
loading paper. This is improbable, be-
cause good tale can be purchased for
So per ton, and this clay is worth at
least ST I. O. b. New York. The ma
jority Of the sales have been made to
commission men. An eastern firm wrote
Mr.. Taylor recently that they would
endeavor to use 1t in the manufacture
Of porcelain. Judging from the COM
paratively slight demand 1t seems high
ly probable that II is being used as an
adulterant. Owing to Its quality as an
absorbent 1t seems reasonable that it
could be used in the manufacture OF
dynamite.
Prior to 1896 Mr.. William Taylor had
shipped 5.4O0 tons. He received SIS a
ton for the first few years, but it grad
ually fell in price to IS per TOT I. o. b.,
and the Newcastle Company has sold 1t
as low as "a per ton.
The production Of 1897 was 100000
pounds, 100, 900 pounds coming from the
Taylor quarry at Rock Creek; 100000
pounds from the Linscott bed at Rock
Creek, and 10000 pounds from Edgar &
Thole's pit at Newcastle. The total
value was $S10.