The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-01-12
One of the Most Important
Mineral Productions
In Kansas is Gypsum, According
to Prof. HaWorrh.
BELT ACROSS STATE.
Varies in Width From 5 Miles
to 14O and $50 Long.
Dickinson and Marion Counties
Best Supplied.

One of the most important mineral
productions of Kansas is gypsum in
its several forms. The state geological
survey has issued a very interesting
and valuable report upon the gypsum
deposits of Kansas, Prof Erasmus
Haworth of the State university edit
ing it. From this report the facts in
the following article are taken:
The Kansas gypsum deposits of eco
nomic value form a belt trending north
east and southwest across the state.
The belt of exposed rock varies in
width from five miles at the north to
twenty-five miles in the central part,
and to lao miles near the southern line,
with q length of 230 miles.
This area is naturally divided into
three districts, which, from the i'm
portant centers of manufacture, are
named: The northern or Blue Rapids
area, in Dickinson and Saline counties;
and the southern or Medicine Lodge
area, IN Barber and Comanche counties.
These areas appear to be separate, but
careful mapping shows a number of
insulated intermediate deposits, which
serve to connect the northern and CEN
trail areas, and indicate connection be-
tween the central and southern areas.
These connecting links are found near
Randolph and in the reservoir eXcaVa-
ton at Manhattan. In Riley county: at
LongfOrd, in the southern part of Clay
west of Blue Rapids, and the area of
important gypsum deposits lies south
of the Smoky Hill river, north of the
Rock Island railway, and west of the
Atchison, Topeka & Santa, Fe railway.
The area is drained by the Smoky Hill
river, which flows in very winding
channel north of east, united with the
Republican river 80 miles away at juno
ton City to form the Kansas. It flows
in the middle of the northern part of
Dickinson county.
Gypsum deposits of economic import
ance are found near Peabody and Burns,
in Marion county; in Sedgwick county,
near Mulvane, and in Summer county,
near Geuda Springs.
At Hope is located the mill of the
Kansas Cement Plaster company, which
has been in operation since 1877. They
first used the middle stratum, quarried
near the top of the hill, one and one
half miles west of town. The rock is
about feet thick and lies 10 feet below
a buff, shaly limestone. The gypsum
is white and compact in texture except
near the surface, where it is rendered
granular and more or less colored as
a result of weathering. The satin spar.
associated with it is of clear white color
when viewed from the side, and viewed
from above possesses a cream white
tinge- Over the gypsum is a thin de-
posit of black, impure, shaly gypsum
In 1894 the company abandoned this
quarry and sank a shaft a quarter mile
west of the quarry, so feet In depth, to
the lower stratum which is nearly IA
feet thick.
The gypsum in the quarry on the hill
east of Hope lies below a buff, soft,
shady limestone and this limestone ac-
companies all the gypsum outcrops to
the south and southeast-at the Hen
quenet cave, German church, Rhodes
mill, Banner City. The horizon Is 100
feet above the Hope shaft rock. The
levels and dip would connect this up
per layer with the outcrop near Salina.
In Marion county, about seven miles
south of Banner City, the Acme Ce-
ment Plaster company owns a mill and
a gypsum earth deposit similar to the
others. It is to 10 feet thick and is
near a small creek. The gypsum rests
upon sand in which Professor Sharp
found recent shells of types Planorbis
and Physa. Eighteen feet below the top
of the earth is a, Well-marked gypsum
ledge. The mill has not been running
since last spring.
A number of years after the discovery
of the Tinker gypsum area, Mr..
Gotlieb Heller discovered a similar de-
posit fourteen miles east, near Dillon
| station. He purchased the rights to the
deposit from John Linden for 500 and
a team of mules, and later it was pur-
chased by the present owners, the
| Agatite Cement Plaster company.
Kansas holds first place as a producer
| of gypsum in the United States. The
latest figures are for 1897 and are as fol-
lows: