El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-09-18
The GYPSUM
INDUSTRY
Last Years Production of
Plaster the Greatest Ever
Known.
DESCRIPTION OF PLAN 7
Used In the Manufacture of plasters
of Various Sorts From the Crude
product.-6Ood Money Made.

Edward ". Parker, of the geological
survey, has completed the report o
the survey on gypsum for the veal
1899, and IL will go TO the printer in q
short time. The report will be OF
more than ordinary interest to St
Democrat, In view Of the fact that II
that city the concern handling the
product is the largest In the United
States. The better grades of the Cyl sum
are ground and caicined, and used in
the production OF plaster Of paris. The
poorer grades, not suitable for this
purpose, are used as q fertilizer.
For this latter use the gypsum ser
YES the peculiar purpose Of helping
ground during the dry weather, ana
has the peculiar quality Of gathering
the dew and dampness In the atmos-
phere and later gradually giving it of
to vegetation. Mr. Parker has made
. study of the product, and Visited the
plants where 1t 10 manufactured, after
being mined. he says extensive gyp-
sum deposits are found In Iowa, Arkan-
sss'. Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma, and
carried on In Webster County, 10. !;
Barber, Saline, Marion, Marshall and
Dickinson Counties, Kan; at Qlanah,
Tex, and Oksrche, Okla. The geolo-
gist describes q plant, which is being
operated by st. Louis capital in this
way.
QUANAH GYPSUM PLANT.
"Over 43 per cent the total pre-
duct OF gypsum in 1876 was obtained
from Iowa, Kansas, Indian territory,
South Dakota and Texas, and more
than % per cent of this product was
calcined. The writer had an oppor-
tunity recently Of visiting one OF these
deposits, near the town Of Quaoah, in
the northwestern part of Texas. This
deposit Is an exceedingly interesting
one. It Is located on both sides Of
South Grosbeck creek, five mile
west of Quanah. The Fort Worth
and Denver railroad CROSSES the de-
posit, affording ample transportation
facilities. The gypsum rock lies
about II feet below the surface, the
overburden consisting OF . similar
material In . disinteErsted coalition,
known as 'Rypsise' or 'dirs.' Part OF
this dirt 10 gray in color, but most
used, there being practically no waste. |
THE dirt 10 mined by scraper,
drawn by mules, the gray and white
mAierials being mixed before charg-
Ing into the oalciniug kettles or tanks. |
Care IL taken TO secure abou. the same |
mixture for each charge. The calcin |
ed product Of the dirt is OF An aytrsc-
tive shade OF gray colors, and is used |
entirely for wall plaster. 1t is Of excel |
lent quality, so far as color and dura-
ollity are concerned, and sells at q |
higher price than the plaster made |
from the gypsum rock, which Is OF |
brilliant white, and is used for the |
white coating over plastered walls,
snd the usual purposes of plaster Of |
paris In the arts. A fner grade CT |
lhe white plaster is used by dentists
'or making plaster casts.
This gypsum deposit has been del
1eloped by the erection of large mil
Tilted with the most modern appliances
or economical work, such rs conveyors,
mills, screens, etc, aud the
amount OF hand labor necessary ia
to q minimum. The mill is
'recied directly on the deposit and the
rude dirt and rock are obtained q
ew feet from the door Of the mill. The
upon which the deposit is
exposed covers several acres, though
he beds probably extend uuder ground
or number of miles In ell directions,
% artesisn water from wells within q
sdius OF five miles IL highly impreR-
lsted with gypsum, similar to that Of
he creek crossing the deposit. The
1ater Is commonly known as 'gyp'
'ater In the neighborhood. 1t is not
& for drinking purposes for men, but
orses and cattle seem to thrive on It,"
RECoRD-BREAKING YEAR. II
Mr.. Parker says In his report:
The year 1899 was one OF record
reaktng activity in the production of
ypsum and calcine plssters. The {
mount of the product was AZ per cen,
.rger than 1898, which was the year {
previous maximum proc ucsion The
slue exceeded that OF 1898 by 81 per
ent and that of 1895 the year of prevI- q
Us maximum vslur, by 30 per cent
ne t,tal product of 1899 was 42S .66I
hort tons. against 291 63S short TOYS in
s9S and 2sS $50 short sons in 1897.
he value OF the out put taken for .hs I
atartsi in Its FIRST market. BILE shape
a. 81 .036. $50, against S755, 200 in 1895
nd 800 o64 In 1897. The increase in
alue, substantial as 1t is shown to be, [
as less In proportion IN an the Increase r
product. This IVES due to the nueu-
ly large amount of crude gypsum sold q
anger In amount than in any year sin v
1881, and to slight decline in the y
Toe of crude rock and land plaster. b
There was . slight advance in the h
ice OF calcine plaster, In addition to t,
lie notable iucrea.e OF the product. q,
he amount Of calcine plaster Unclud-
< wall plasters snd the 6ner grades il
plaster nf paris) manufactured in 7
1913 was 2iS, 123 short tons, against tl
. :OS3 short tons In 1898, an increase e
%, $40 tone, or 81 per cent. The value "
the calcined plaster increased s213,- "
i, or 81 per cent, from 1857 1903 in b.
9S to $50 LAG in 1899 TIE produc-
IN OF land plaster increased 81 per az
Mt from 10, 929 short tons In 1898 10 "
$50 short tons In 1899" 81
The production OF the year is given al
, states as follows: Colorado and b,
yoming, total product 1915 short n,
MS, valued At S24 g54. Iowa and or