Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1903-06-10

, light. The assemblage OF chemists
we're thrilled with establishment. II
appeared to be a miracle.
Should Understand Mineraiogy.
II is quite necessary that mining men
should have a knowledge of mineral
ogy, and particularly so does this ap-
ply to the p~rospector. Coming in con-
tact with geological formations and
covering large territory, the prospee-
tor has rare opportunity to study min.
erals, and ofttimes does a knowledge
of m~ineralogy prove profitable.
In tho mineral world there are rec
ognized upwards of n thousand dis
tinct mineral species, many of which,
however, are exceedingly rare. being
nothing more than mineral ~curiosities
and only fitted for the cabinet. 9th
ers occur in a great variety of forms.
OF the commercially valuable miner.
ais, those ores containing the various
metals, there are about rs species that
are common to the United States, and
are met with In varying supply IN
about every state in the Union. The
prospector in his rounds and with
what knowledge he has of minerals,
is apt to know a number of these, but
only when a mar Is well posted is he
able to give the name of every specie.
In the gold pres there are five tel
luride minerals that carry gold, and
each specie has a distinct appearance
from the other. These minerals are
calaverite, sylvenite, petite, Macy
Cite and krennerite. There are a halt
dozen important ores carrying silver,
these being %argentite, %proustite, py.
~rargyrite, cerargyite, stephanite and
sternbergite. In copper minerals
there are at least ten that the pros.
pector ought to know, they being chol.
cote, chalcopyrite, covellite, bornite,
tetrahedrite, cuprite, melaconite,
chrysocolla, azurite and m~alachite.
In lead ores the following are impor.
tant: Galena, jamesonite, minimum,
anglesite and cerussite, wulfenite,
pyromorphite and mimetite. Zinc min
erals are not many, the important ones
being sphalerite, smithsonite, zincite
and calamine. It is very important
that the %prospector be able to identi'
fly cassiterite, the only ore of tin i'm.
portance, and that he know a few of
the cobalt and nickel ores, such as
millerite, smaltite, niccolite and co.
baltite. There are a dozen important
ores of iron. In aluminium making
minerals the prominent ores are bauz'
lite, cryolite and corundum, and the
only important ore of mercury is Gin
nabar. There r a couple ores Ct
anthony worth exploitation, and sew
eral of manganese.
There are numerous other mineral
species that 1t would be well for the
miner or prospector to have a knowl.
| edge of. A find of turquoise would
be highly profitable. This also applies
to any of the precious stones or crys'
tallized rare minerals. Fluorspar Is
in good demand as a fiux, etc. Lithia
Is made from the minerals spodumene
ami lepidolite. The borax supply a
the country is mainly from the min
! eral colemanite. The minerals amphi
bole and ~chrysoytile are the main
sources of asbestos, and this is a most
marketable commodity. A knowledge
of phosphate rocks is well for a good
phosphate deposit is a paying prop
erty. Thus one can observe the value
of a knowledge of the more important
mineral species. It is not only a most
interesting study, but car be made a
profitable one. In her distribution Ct
metals and minerals nature worked
marvelously. There's nothing more
wonderful than the vast and varied
chemical mixtures distributed through
the earth for mems use.-Mining
| World.