Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-01-26
STATE HOUSE.
To Advertise Names Great
Mineral Wealth.
Capt. J. R. Mitchell, Artillery Corps, to
lnspects Maine Guard.
sentation-corporatio


the st. Louis Exposition. Mr.. Dyer is
the gentleman who for several years
has urged the State Board of Trade, at
its annual meetings, to use it's infiu-
ence in the matter of legislative ap-
preparation for the re-survey of our
State, mineralogicaIly and geologically.
which survey had not previously been
made for over 40 years. The Legisla-
ture wisely made an appropriation for
this re-survey and the State commits
sion appointed by the Governor con-
sists of Hon. William EIngel of Bangor.
Hon. Charles S. Hichborn of Augusta
and Professor l.. A. Lee of Bowdoin
college.
Mr.. Dyer feels that Names granite.
fellspar, slate, limestone and mica also
its minerals. such as tourmaline. beryl.
aqua marines, amethyst. pearls. etc,
should surely be brought before the
thousands of visitors at the st. Louis
Fair. Very recently our State has
proven to the world something of its
mineral wealth, in the fact that in OK
ford county the largest known deposit
Of r.ica in the world has been un-
carthed. and is today being mined ana
operated very successfully by Ohio par
ties. 1t is hoped that at the coming
semi annual meeting of the State
Board of Trade in March next, each To-
cal i:oard of Trade in the State will
subs ribe its propOrtionnte amount to-
wards the small fund, that Will prOba-
il% hot exceed Il total Of $1,000 to de-
fray the EXPENSES Tor the proper and
bu%i"esSlikc exhibit Of our States min
eral wealth at st. Louis.
Said Mr.. Dyer to the Journal repre-
sentative: THE United States gov
eminent ranks Maine as second in the
Union in this matter, North Carolina
being first, fact of which probably
few people are aware. While Names
granite. slate and lime has long been a
profitable subject of export, the precious
stones and gems in which there is al
most untold wealth have been almost
wholly neglected. and when anything
is done in the way of developing these
resources. it is usually by outside par
ties, and Maine profits very little.
'.hara are three or four men from out
side the State who are putting in all
thei:. time in collecting Maine pearls,
ana they are doing Il handsome bust
ness. The fcldspar mine at TopShanl.
which produces as good feldspar as is
found in the world. has been operated
for over 50 years by New Jersey CAPT
taliGts. who have made money out Of
| it, and the only benefit which it has
been To Maine. has been the employ
nent of a few men and the money re
ceivcl by thc railroads; for freight.
:eccntly they haze opened a better
mine near Auburn. Maine capitalists
ought to put more money into develop
! ing our mineral resources.
! A year or two ago. a farmer in the
town of Stoncham found a beautiful
J great amet hySt crystal. He thought it
1 was a pretty piece OF rock, and Kept il
4 time as a curiosity. Finally lie sold
, it for SIS, ana thought it was a great
! bargain. The man who bought it sold
| it for $3.50 and Il little later J. PierpOnt
Morgan paid $500 for it, presenting it
to the Natural History Museum of New
| York city. whore it is now on exhibition.
| ana is regarded as one of the finest
/ things of its Kind eyer found.
George K. Howe of Norway has one
OF tn, hes: collections Of Maine miner
/ ais and il is hoped that he can be in
Il du,pd to tar this collection to st. Louis.
HI .fG. MOVE Is a. '7''ii ''A''i - ~ ~
: tist. and is Il very close student of ma
turc. and has made a careful and thor
h ou3h research into the insect. animal
and floral lif" of Maine, as we'll as in its
! lnineralugy. He goes ut il for the love
1 Of science ana not in any commercial
spirit, ana probably could not be in
I Iuc"d to sell any Of the rich and valu-
l able specimens which he has
Mr. Dyer is Il most enthusiastic be-
Il lever in Names mineral wealth, anu
| cannot understand why the people have
| not been awake to the facts these man!
/ gears instead or sending 50 much mon
II NJ and 50 many men into the far West
t-pon his hand he wears Il ring con
tanning n beautiful tourmalne. WhIci
came from Maine soil, and declare.
that none like it are found iii the
world except In Brazil. lie showed
tile Journal representative little boz
of placer gold, which workman nea
II Elmford Falls washed out of the dir
\ in a stream near there. 1t was all s."
cured in one day, ana represented il
II value over $500
IF this had been found in some o
III the Pacific coast states" said Mr.. Dyel
the news would have been telegraphe
all over the country, and there Woui
have been i rush to stake out claim
l along the streams in that section. W
I are too slow and conservative in thes
matters here in Maine. Some day til
people o. the State will wake to tn
realization of the vast mineral wealt
which is to be found in almost ever
section of it. No Maine farmer shou
4 sell his farm without reserving fl
himself or his heirs, at least 10 p
cent. equity in whatever mineral veal
may be afterward developed there
Miss Eva L. Shorey expects to clio:
- today. her six years of service as ste
ographer to the Governor and t
executive department. and will leaN
n today or tomorrow, for n few days. VII
h at her home in Bridgton, before stan
u ing for Washington as private seer
tary 20 Congressman Burleigh. AS o
evidence of the place Miss Shor
holds in the hearts of all at the Cal