Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1905-10-07
Production OF Lithium Minerals.

DR., Herman Reinbold of Omaha, on
his recent visit here looking after his
various interests, left this office a copy
of the government report of the produc-
ton Of lithium mineral for the year
1904, which is published below. Mr..
Reinbold was the means of introducing
that industry in the southern Hills a
few years ago, and for time large guam
titles were shipped from near Keystone
but, as explained in this report, the de-
mand being limited accounts for this in
dustry being rather quiet at present.
Following is the government report:
There are three different minerals
that are mined at the present time for
their lithium contents--lepidolit and
spodumens, both lithium silicates, and
amblygonite, lithium phosphate. OF
these three the last contains the highest
percentage of lithia, but thus far has not
been found as abundantly as the other
two. The only locality at which the
amblygonite has been found in guam
tity is in the vicinity of Pala, San Diego
county, Cal This deposit of ambIygo.
mite was discovered in 1902, but there
was no production of the mineral until
1904.
"All Of the lepidoite that is produced
in the United States for commercial pur-
poses is obtained from San Diego coun.
ty, Cal, principally from the vicinity of
Paa. There are two localities in this
county at which lepidolite has been
found in some considerable quantity
one being near Banner and the other 7
miles east of Julian. No lopidolite was
mined at either Of these localities dur
ing 1904, and the only necessary assess.
ment work was done
"All of the spodumene was obtained
from Pennington county, S. OAK, prin-
cipally from the Eta mine.
The greater part Of the lepidoite that
has been mined in this country has been
exported, while nearly all Of the spodu-
meme has been utilized by home chem
iCal manufacturers From information
obtained from the various chemical com.
panies in this country that manufacture
lithium compounds it is learned that
there is an overproduction of these min
erals for domestic consumption, and that
unless some new technical uses can be
found for the lithium salts, as, for in
stance, their use on a considerable scale
for pyrotechnical purposes, there must
be considerable decrease in the demand
and the price for them. The mistaken
impression has been prevalent that there
vas large demand for lithium minerals
but with their use restricted principally
to the manufacture of lithium carbonate
the demand is bound to be limited
IAN of the lithium minerals that are
mined are shipped to New York, where
part is exported and the remainder is
reduced by chemical companies.
The quantity of lithium minerals pro-
duced in the United States during 1904
amounted to 577 short tons, valued at
S., 1856. This is decrease of 57S short
tons in quantity and of SlS,270 in value,
as compared with the production Of
l,l52 short tons, valued at $23,425 in
1908. OF this 1904 production the great,
er part was spodumene from South Da-
kota.
"In 1904 there were imported into the
United States, 10 pounds oflithium salts,
valued at $40, as compared with $500
pounds, valued at $1,000 in 1908. In
1902 the imports were $3.50 pounds of
lithium carbonate, valued at S8,03S, and
1855 pounds of other lithium salts val
ued at $l4,913."