The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-01-10

LOOKING FOR RARE MINERALS.
A French Chemist buying Uranium
in Colorado.
From the Denver Republican.


From the Denver Republican.
Charles Poulot, an eminent chemist of
France, is in the city looking up rare min
erals. Il came here said he, 80 buy
uranium, and have so far been able to Sc
cure but ten tons, which ! have shipped
TO France. / found uranium in the Black
Hills at Deadwood, but as the ore carried
but ! per cent of that mineral 1t could
not he handled. ! can do nothing with
ore which carries less than 20 per cent. of
that mineral. The most satisfactory re-
suits have been obtained from Gllpin coun-
ty, and | have arranged TO buy 100000
worth from this state, but il is SOW work
gathering il in 1t occurs in pockets, and
several years ago Prof. Pearce of the Ar
go works, took all that was secured in
pocket found in Gilpin county. About half
of 1t was sold and there was no market
for the rest which was left at Argo, until
L bought it.
Uranium was formerly used mainly for
the manufacture of yellow paint but
have patented process for converting
the ore into metallic uranium, which Is
used in the manufacture of steel guns.
All of the product of my factory IS dis
posed of for this purpose. I do not know
the effect of uranium upon steel. That is
not my business. I produce the metallic
uranium and sell it to the gunmakers.
When the ore is presented to me / sample
IL, test IT and pay cash for it.
'"Fhe value of uranium in the ore Is
about $40 for each per cent of a ton; that
is, ore carrying from 10 TO 80 per cent is
worth from 800 to $500 per ton. AS it Is
found in such comparatively small guam
titles Il takes some time for any individual
to gather up ton The best / have found
in Colorado comes from Gilpin county
which runs about 20 per cent
There is a good market for all rare
minerals, which are now In demand for
various purposes; for instance monaZite
from which Is produced thorium, used for
the making of nantes for Weisbach burn
ers. About / per cent of thorlum Is con-
tanned in monazite. | have failed to find
any monazte in Colorado The principal
deposits are found in South Carolina. 1t
always comes in the shape of sand. Be
fore the discovery of the South Carolina
deposits thorium sold for $50 @ pound. Now
Il is worth 81 or So per pound.
There has been quantity of platinum
reported in Colorado, but 1 have only been
able to find it in Custer county. The tro-
BILE has been with the assayers What they
have been in the habit of calling plati-
mum is nothing but titanic iron, which ex-
lists in large quantities in Colorado. When
they find button that looks like plati-
mum, and find that IL does not yield to
boiling In aqua ragia, Ii Is pronounced
platinum, but when sulphurc acid is APP
pled IL disappears al once. There is
good excuse for the mistake, for titanic
iron has a very strong resemblance to
platinum The deposit in Custer county
is certainly platinum, and the owner
writes me that he has a large deposit OF
It, ] viii go to see IL In short time, ana
If ii is suitable for my purpose | VIII buy
It, No, / will not buy the mine. ] know
nothing about mining. ! am a chemist
and prefer to have my. ore in sacks.
think that the miners should be encour-
aged to look for these rarcr minerals
which exist in Colorado, as most of them
command a good price and are in fairly
active demand"