Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1903-09-24
Graphite Industry Growing
in Wisconsin.

and about which little mas been
heard of outside of Portage coun-
ty, is graphite mining. These
mines are located about a mile
from the village of Junction City
at the junction of the Wisconsin
Central Lines and the c. NJ &
st. 2 railway.
Graphite is a typical form of
carbon, the same as the diamond
or charcoal, but it cannot be
burned as charcoal nor diifused
like the diamond under heat 1t
is -fusible and non-combust-
ible, making il the best mineral
yet discovered for the manufac-
ture of crucibles for the melting
of the refractory metals. There
are two principal forms of graph
ite, the foliate and the amor
phouS. The foliate variety is
distinguished by the crystals al
ways forming the leaf shape
while the amorphous variety has
no regular form of crystalization.
The Wisconsin graphite is an
amorphous variety of great pur-
ity and fine texture. 1t occurs in
well defined tissure veins dipping
on an average of about 60 degrees.
In these veins the mineral occurs
very pure ana clean, making
mining very Inexpensive. An
average of Sl.00 per ton will
cover the cost of mining The
Oldest company in operation; the
Wisconsin Graphite Company
has this year built a large new
reduction plant at McDill near
Stevens Point, where it secured
an excellent water power. This
company also has d manufactur-
ing plant in Pittsburg, Pa. 1t
keeps a crew of miners constant
ly employed at the mine and ships
the ore to McDill for treatment.
In appearance Wis. graphite
ore resembles slate, but upon
rubbing with the finger or cutting
with sharp instrument the diff
ference is plain, graphite show
ing shiny, black polish like
freshly blackened stove. In fact
graphite enters largely into the
manufacture of stove polish.
1t is in the lead pencil, how
ever, that it is most commonly
met with, and while one pencil
contains but small amount, in
the aggregate the lead pencil
trade uses large quantities of the
mineral. In crucibles also it is
very largely used, and of recent
years core carbons, rheostats,
and various electrical appliances
have come to add to the consump.
tion Of the mineral The use Of
steel for structural work and
roofing, sheeting, etc, has been
responsible for large increase
in its consumption.
In 1894 the Master Railway
Painters of the United States
took up the study of graphite as
a protective covering for iron and
exposed metal surfaces with the
result that they recommended its
use to nearly every railway com
pany in America Many OF them
have already adopted it and it's
use in this direction is being
largely extended every year. The
Baltimore & Ohio railway was
perhaps one Of the first compa-
nies to become large users Of the
mineral as paint.
The mines at Junction City
have proven to be most excell=
ent variety for paint pigment, as
well as for crucible and electri-
cal work and for lubricants in
various forms. One OF the exclu-
sive products of the Wisconsin
mines is what is called pipe joint
paste, and is used to seal the
joints Of iron piping the same as
white or red lead has heretofore
been used. 1t is claimed tha'
with this paste the joint is made