Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1899-07-29

4hnipiuu, l7fFsihfht Y hdhi0f VI YIN"
neree, Denver. Colo. I'.ar sir-ln
keeping With other resources Colorado
Possesses large deposits or gypsum OF
great commercial importance. At pres
ent time, nearly, IL not all, the gsl-
sum products consumed la the state
are Of home manufacture. Annual
production, however, is largely COLI
trolled by home consumption: present
iarir rates prohibit exporting 10 other
STATES
Preliminary TO description of n re-
cvnt visit 10 one of the gypsum quar-
Fies Of l.arinier county, d gsres state
inent relative to the mineral itself, lis
uses, etc, may prove convenient for
ready reference
Gypsum Is hydr0us suiphate OF
line containing when pure, sulphur
trtOxide 1915 IRE eeili., lime y , AMI
water 5stn The color, according 80
purity, varies from white to gray. frd,
I yellow. blue. brown and eysn blask.
When calrined the water i driven on,
and la this cvHditiuH Il is Known as
plaster II paris. GYPSUM OecnFs trans,
parent aud erystalitzsd az ssts-niIs,
nbruus as satin spar, massive sud fius.-
I - HANhAAhl - HtAAhAHAtNF Whh
~ a massive. duiiruibFsd r1ek.
/ t;sul0gieaily, Colorado gypsum j.
/ characteristic u the JuratFias pSFlsd.
aud occurs ia large hssls la vaFiotfs
/ placs, both GA She rast and west sIslr
/ OF tbs. mountain ranges,
( thr chief uss Of Eyptnm s IN making
/ plaster u paris, which - empioyed Tor
I producing hard finish" GA walls.
making moisls, rasfs II statns-s. nisd.
Z ale, embossed war; and Fafiaus 9th,
+ ey things, -StuccD plasfsr" il a mls,
turs OF GLUE. water and eateiaFt sytts
snn. i'agisiau s7sHrnt plaster u
made Of eaieinrd gypsum and water
containing 10 TER rruf tztraz -kr~n's
! cement j. made by mixing ealcinssi
gypsum With nnr part u alum aud
twelve parts ~ hot water Nearly ali
I plaster mills make q pinssrr usius "a.
/ Tiotis cuml1uusls with the raifine.I
gypsum ~ a. 10 grtnyl h frDu quick
sFttluE" when mixed with waIws, ansi
form a very hard plaster. The uss ps
this character Of wall plaster has
shown a marked iurrsass Hmanx Colo.
rndn consumers during the paa. ave
years, Gypstitn u a great fertilizer
but az 81, has hs~n iirtir used foe this
purpoH. within the state
Colorado gypsum has In the main
been formed by eh~mhrni precipitation
At the tim. Of Deposition tts various
aFsl- uuw containing gytrsutn t-ssts
we're covered by tIs aesau EotIow ing
the oscillation ar elevation ~ lbs. sh1fs.
iine the waters Fetr~atsd. Ieav uz saline
lakes Of GREATER OF less extent euf Oft
NOR. or le== completely frum the erean
These landloekpi h1silss Of salt water
wouid by evaporation t~come deussiy
saline aud finally pFevlpitats the "a.
rtous salts. one after another Etpsft.
ments by standard authorities 20 10
show that when 3, to 81 per cent. af
ordinary sea water has t-esu svapar,
ats'l. gypsum i formed. and when 20
To W per cent of ordinary sea water
has h""n cyaporate,i cumuuu rs=rk saI,
begins to crystaliEe out With she dep.
osltion Of gypsum and eninntun salt 80
closely associated. the ntfz-uce of tbs
latter Ia connection with many of the
Colorado GYPSUM bsds j. siie to- sn,. Of
two conditions. via Either the In
land sea waters never tsssnm~ cunrvu.
trnted enough ny evaporation To throw
down rock salt. or. II rock saIl wa-
deposited. being more soluble in was.r
than gypsum. u has bs~-u removed tty
later percotatinx waters.
i.artuer county is at present th.
largest producer of gypsum product.
and Justly claims the major parsor
of the output of The state for che yea
fs's. The gypsum bed and min max
Ing this yield. and the ouly Que olr.r
ating In the country IL located ON ,
branch of the Colorado Il Southern
railroad operating between I.aveIans
and Atkins. Mt n point i've mile. wes
> or Lovsland. generally known n,
Wiid's Spur. Taken ~ n whole. Wild.
spur ana surroundings arr very uirtur
eslue. Lying TO the west are the gray
cofored. snow-capped mountains ri
the front range. having a north and
south trend. Thanking the mountain.
base are two parallel ridges or hog
backs with narrow valleys intervrn.
Ing. The ridges are made uu If the
highly colored aud strntifie.l beds af
rock-the Jurntrias. Near the base of
the second ridge from the mountains
flows the Big Thompson creek, Then n
level. very fertile valley. In high state
OF cultivation. three farrtlt= III n tutie
/ '''N w " f'ihA w Hf-fF fhF IfFkNfH sH MI
stones rise In u fold. the axis of which
II northwest and southeast. These
sandstones, standing on ridge or vertl.
cai. have better withstuod erosion than
the adjoining softer shalss and clav.
md are left standing alone like n hugh
wnil twenty-five to fifty feet thick. ria.
ing In places to over iO1 feet I'm height
and for mile or more IN length Fast
OF this fold IA valley or basin. onc.
half mile Wide. containing the gypsum
deposit.
Farther east two more ridoas of IN.
stratified beds of the Iura. Cretaceou.
occur, lying parallel TO ridges along
the base OF mountains. With n ver,i,
Ni wail thrown diagonalIy across =
vaiiey northwest and southesst} no
tween two parallel ridges north and
SOUTH typical bnsn for lnndlocke d
sen and large gypsum deposit il the
result. Near the center of .be basin
r. number Of openings are found but
,le nihih quarry attacks ridge like n
knoil ana nj present shows fnce of
gypsum 80 feet long by twcnty.eivbt
rect nigh In the center. slopfpg ~
seven feet NJ edges. The pynsu,n I,
| V'lite compact gray I'm collar ,t..