The evening times., 1900-10-16
ANTIMoNY AND MICA.
Interesting Facts About These Two
Products of the Earth.

Interesting Facts About These Two
Products of the Earth.
In a monograph which is being pre-
pared for publication by the United States
Geological Survey, and which treats on
the production of antimony in 1899, Ed
ward W. Parker says: Including the an
timony contained in hard or antimonial
lead, the amount of this metal obtained
from ores of domestic production in 1899
was 234 short tons, valued at $43, 500. j.
to this product is added the amount OF
antimony contained in foreign ores snelt-
ed in the United States, the total amount
of metal produced in this country in iS9l
is estimated to have been l .275 short tons,
having a total value of $251, SI5- In max
ing this estimate the ore imported is as
sumed TO contain an average of % IL per
cent of available metal and the value IS
computed at the average price for the
year In addition TO the antimony pro-
duced in the United States ore imported
in 1899 1890 SI5 pounds. or 1.495 short
tons OF metal, crude and regular valued
at $24i GS5, this value being at shipping
port, exclusive OF freight and import du-
ties. The total domestic consumption Of
antimony in 1893, assuming that stocks
a the beginning and the close of the
year were about equal amounted approx
Of which, based On the average price fer
the year was about $3.50 900.
The ore of domestic production IN 1899
was mined principally in California and
Idaho. Small amounts were produced in
Arkansas and Nevada, but no output was
reported from either Montana or Utah
The discovery OF extensive deposits OF
antimony ore has been reported in Kit
titas county, Washington. from which
shipments were expected to be made be-
fore the elcse OF the present year.
Speaking Of the uses to which antimany
is put Mr. Parker says: ''Antimony is
chiefly valuable as an alloy with other
metals. 1t is used to large extent with
lead in the manufacture OF type metal,
TO which it gives hardness. and, what is
more valuable it possesses the peculiar
ity, when used as an alloy, of expanding
at moment of solidifying. thus giving to
the type clean. sharp impression. From
10 to Is parts Of antimony in 100 are used
in making britannia metal Pewter con-
tains about per cent. It is also used IN
the manufacture OF babbitt metal, an an
tifriction alloy used in the journals of
railroad locomotives and cars and other
rapidly moving machinery. 1t has lately
been used as alloy with aluminium. 10
which it gives hardness and elasticity.
Its effects on some metals is very injuri-
GUS. particularly copper, an almost inap-
preciable amount lone part in thousand
destroying its good qualities. The we'll
known medicinal preparation, tartar
enetic, is a tartrate of antimony and
potassium The trisulphide is also used
TO some extent in medical practice The
sulphide was used to considerable extent
by the ancients as a pigment, and women
of the East are said TO use it at the pres
ent day for daTHening their eyebrows.
In another pamphlet which is being pre-
fD.a--
the production Of mica: THE mica pro-
duction of the United States in 1899 con-
sisted of i08570 pounds of sheet mica,
valued at STO, ,5ST, and 1,505 short tons of
SCRAP mica worth $50. .STS. The produc-
tion in 1898 amounted to 1z9,520 pounds
of sheet AID $3.50 short tons of scrap,
valued, respectively, at S103,534 and S27,-
564. This indicates q decrease OF 2o, $50
pounds in the production of sheet mica
in 1899 as compared with the preceding
year, with a loss in value of $50 947. The
production of scrap mica was 2,49f short
tons less than in 1898. a decrease of over
60 per cent, while there was an increase
of So, ,314. =3r u per cent, in value.
THE reason for the decrease in the do
mestic production in 1899 may be ascribed
to the large importations Of foreign mica,
The amount of manufactured mica i'm
ported into the United States in 1899 was
], ,709, $50 pounds, nearly double the i'm
ports in 1898. while the total value of all
mica was the largest ever recorded.
THE development of the use of cleo
tricity during the past few years has ere
ated a demand for mica as an insulating
material. Much of the small-siZed mica,
formerly of little value. if not altogether
unstable, now finds a market among
electrical manufacturers. Part of this
small mica is reported in the sheet tmica
products. and rs it sells for much less
than the larger sizes which are used in
the manufacture of heating stoves, lamp
chimneys, etc, it has the effect of max
ing an apparent decline in values. On
the other hand, part of the smaIl-sized
sheet mica used for electrical purposes
is reported as scraps, and in this case
causes an augmented value.