The Columbus journal., 1903-01-07
The or,aIn az cjavo.

The Origin 81 Claye -c
Prot 3 r. Buckley In IN address
before the Wisconsin Clay WORKERS
Association, :saia: IA
It may be interesting to you "a &sxe
me tell you something in regard to the
origin oe clays. I am very eertAil
that many Of you are familiar With
this SUBJECT but II Win 40 no harm Sor
me 70 make IN attempt TO place b.
fore you In i somewhat Systematic
manner the origin Of clayS. In this
connection ! win say that a1l c1ayo.
whether they eccuf Atuhg. thS lake
shore, tiohk some. stream channel
yonder In central wiscopsin. IN the
vicinity OF Eau Claire In the form d
shales. or 1t Stockbridge and Oakaead
In the form Of shales. no matter where
they occur. they are the result Of the
breaking down. the decomposition Of
igneous rocks, rocks which have been
formed from molten material. Shlidi-
fed within or at the surface of the
earth. It is supposed that III The ear-
liest rocks formed were of igneo1s
origin. We have two Glasses of rocks;
the igneous and tho eedi&ent6Sy
rocks. The sedimeatary focts have
been derived nom the igneous rocks
largely. through the mechanical break
ing down OF the later rocks, ind thus
the sedimentary rocks, sandstone.
limestone and slate which covers .
large portion 81 Wisconsin ire oftsh
spoken Of as secondary: simply mean
ing by the term secondary thit they
have been derived from some other
rock. II this should be carried still
farther it might be said that the clays
are sometimes tetiary rocks They
may be either tertiary or depending
upon whether or not they have besn
derived directly from the iSne0u3
rocks. II they have been derived
directly from the igneods rocks they
will be secondary, and II they have
been derived by the breaking down
of the sedimentary rocks they may bs
known ~ tertiary. In this connsc-
tion speak Of the clAys as rocks from
the fact that scientifically any accum-
ulation of mineral matter. whether
solidined or not, comes in under the
head OF the term rock, that IL, the
scientific application Of the term
rock.
Clays may be conveniently divided
into two classes known a. residual
and transported. A residual clay u
one that results from the decombosi-
ton Of q rock In place. Take for d.
ample q thousand acres Of land In the
northern part Of Wisconsin. covered
with naked rocks. and let It be sub
jected to the atmospheric agencies
for IN indefinite term Of years and
you viii have the rocks broken down
into . loose earthly mass. The rain
water seeps into the rock and the
breaking down Of that rock simply
means that certain constituent ele-
ments are separated from the miner.
ais which compose that rock and are
carried OF by the underground water.
That part Of the rock which remains
is known rs . residual clay, provided
the rock originally contains the clay
constituent.
In q great many cases the small par
ticles that have been broken from the
different rocks which cover the sur
face Of the earth are picked mp BY
the water which flows on from the
surface and carried into the streams
and by them into the oceans, lakes
or flood plains of the streams. and
there deposited. These particles are
sorted out according to their size and
specific gravity, particles Of like size
and the same specific gravity being
accumulated in one place.-FArmers'
Review.