Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-10-28

There is Il mineral belt in the State of
Maine. wherein is TO be tounc al man
nor of semi-prcciouS stones and this Se:-
ton is within the belt. This strip is L
or twenty miles wide and extends from
Ncwry, Andover and Byron. down Ia
Cascn Bay. This has been calico III"
lithia MICA, rs il is sometimes called. j.
always associated with tourmailneS,
which are the chief gems IVnteu for.
TourmalneS have been found in Maine
for the past 80 years. The muSt noted
deposit OF them is at Mt. Mica. Paris.
been taken out. THESE gems lave also
been found in the towns Of NewrN, And
over, Rockland. Byron. Hebron. Norway,
Peru, Greenwood Auburn, MinOt and PD-
land The colors of these stones are pink,
hite, green, blue and yellow thc latter
are very rarcI. The blue sometimes re-
s"mblcs the sapphire. and the green VA
ries in shades from very light to almost
black.
Quartz is almost always associate
with tourmalincs and many times max,
fine GEMS especially if colored. Smoky
quartz makes ar attractive gem It i.
smoky-tor2z and in Scotland the cairn-
Gorm stone. An enormous pocket OF
this WAS found 1T Hatch's Ledge II fcA
years ago.
One OF the most valuable stones TO DC
found in this vicinity is the aqua marine
Il beryl This stone is harder than the
tourmalinc-in short is only degrees
softer than the diamond-and sell fol
about 81 per carat. one found At Ston"
ham cut 1l3 carats ard sold for $1,000
These stones vary in color from whit. Il
blue green. Golden hcryl are rare stones
but are found occasionally in Brunswick
Green and white berylS are found at Mt
Aratite in the eoec Of Auburn.
In fact, Mt. Apatit" is 4 famous De
post of minerals, as well as the locality
all around. 1t received its name from
the presence of the pink, green md blue
stones found there. Apatite is not a
gem stone as il is too SOFT but its rIrit\
gives it value. 1000 loose crystals Of royI
Purple apatite were found in one pocket
on the Pitt PulSIfer place near by. This
collection was bought by Harvard Col
leGe. which has issued a 20 page pamphlet
on the find. All these mines are being
worked for tourmalines.
Across the little AndroscoGsin River
from Mt. Apatite in the town Of Poland
found pink. green and blue tourmalneS
also a rare mineral found nowhere els
IN Maine-lapis lazuli 4 pretty blue ston"
In connection with this mineral Is alS'
found rhOdoChrOStite, of a yellOWiSh pink
| color. Specimens of all these can BE- serl
IN the collection of minerals at tn
Maine building Poland Springs.
This Berry ~, mine is run primarily re-
ture of china ware. Most of this pro
| duct goes to Cincinnati, hut there IS Il
mill where it is ground to powder ut Lit
tletield's. in Auburn. Mr. Berry lns =
at this mill per year. He is getting ont
about tons daily. This frldspar business
is getting to be quite 4 large business in
this section. Besides that being mined
At the Berry ledge about 10 tons is be
Ing taken out daily at Mt Apatit". 1t
seems probable that the business is nos
AZ its height for there are tons of fcldSpar
in the near vicinity Of Mechanic Falls
Mnot. oxford and Hebron. to @-Iy moth
ing Of that further up the lines Of the two
railroads. It is not among the Impossible
things Of the near future that there may
he dish factory in this vicinity.
GaTnetS are quite common. but few ar"
found suitable for cutting. They ar" 'tCr
brittle. These are -four q in several places
~ Minot. In that toHn also there is Il
ledge full of cinnamon garuetS.
few fine amethyst crystals have been
found on the Ellis farm. White Oak Hill
Poland, Amcthysts of very rich color arc
found in Stoneham.
While this particular vicinity sccms IN
be chosen the home Of choice minerals
there is one thing not vet found here.
ard that is a turquoise. 1t has however
been found in one place in the STATE and
that is tiOuldSbGro