The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1903-04-02
STRANGE BUT TRUE STATEMENT
Deposit OF Soap in Wyoming Exposed
Above the Ground.

We've got everything out of the
ground but soap, and now we've got
that" said the secretary of the cham
Der of commerce, as he rubbed his
hands clean and held them up for in
spection.
1t was true enough. A soap mine
is an innovation, and some people
will have to be Showed" but Mr..
Williams will show anybody who ap-
plies at the chamber that soap Is
about to become a potent factor in
mining in the West.
Away back in the days when noun
tains rose up ont of the sea and the
Creator put everything into the hills
that now produces wealth there was
evidently a wonderful foresight Of the
present generation. Having provided
almost everything, including gems,
fuel and drugs, he doubtless antici-
pated the need of a choice toilet ar
ticle when man took possession and
smeared himself over with dirt in ex-
tracing the wealth from the ground.
So, for the great unwashed, regard
less of politics, there was deposited
six miles north of New Castle, Wyo.,
on top of the ground hunk of soap
about the size of the Colorado state
house. Just how much is underground
is yet to be determined, but E. A. Hill
man, Of IS Sherman avenue, tram
way mOtorman of the Eleventh aven-
ue line, has acquired title to 100 acres
on portion of which is this big cake
of soap. Through the Denver cham
Der of commerce three of the largest
soap manufacturers in the country
nave been interested, and Mr.. Hillman
Will awake some morning to find that
he has suddenly become a millionaire.
His little 20 cents an hour job already
looks like cancelled stamp as COM
pared to what's coming.
There is no doubt about the purity
of this SOAP" said l.. ]. Griffin, who
came out to investigate the find for
Armour & Co. 1--WE have found the
deposite as represented, and succeed
ed IN locating great deposits beneath
the surface. By means Of pole drill
ing rig, which had been used in an oil
well two miles away, we found a STRAIT
UNI of this soap % feet thick at a
depth of $50 feet and extending 800
yards across from north to south, but,
going downward toward the east at a
drop of two inches to the yard.
Strange to say, the same depth had to
be penetrated so feet from the edge
of the exposed hogsback before reach
ing the stratum. Fifteen-foot holes
around the sides Of the exposed part
showed it's contour almost vertical.
"The deposit is six miles north of
Newcastle and about 200 yards from
the Billings branch of the Burlington
The hogback contains 500 carloads
above the grass roots. We have test
ed 1t in soap, having sent 13 cars, all
told, to Chicago and Minneapolis.
1.-THE material is an excellent filler
for soaps and for paper. 1t is also
good article for horses hoofs, cleans
ing them and preventing decay. Our
chemists are finding other uses for
it,"
The samples on exhibition at the
chamber of commerce include several
pieces of raw material, which is moth
ing more than a new variety of soft
soapstone. Mr.. Hillman crushed a
piece the size of a goose egg with
hammer and put it in a cup of water.
Immediately it formed thick paste,
which, he says, will hold its consis-
tency indefinitely, and this paste has
for two days been used as a toilet
soap by attaches of the chamber. 1t
has no grit, does not lather, but cleans
and beauties the skin as no manu-
featured soap ever did. No chemical
analysis is available, but the secre-
tary of the chamber declares it at
least SO 44-100 pure.-Denver Post.