Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-11-16
HOME PRODUCT
IS NEGLECTED
MAGMESlTE AB0UNDS ABOUT
LOS ANGELES
INFERIOR FOREIGN ARTICLE
SUPPLIES MARKET
Labor at Forty Cents a Day Abroad
Kills One of CALIFORNIA; Greatest
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Mineral
Is Best

The only deposits of magnesite of
known commercial importance found
in the United States are those in Cali
fornia, which are scattered along the
Coast Range from Mendocino county,
and possibly farther north, TO a point
south of Los Angeles and along the
western slope of the Sierra Nevada
from Placer county to Kern county.
Small veins of magnesite of mineral
ogic interest have been noted IN
Pennsylvania, Maryland and Massa-
chusetts. and veins of unknown ex-
tent are reported to exist in Nevada
and Arizona. The Maryland and Penn
sylvania deposits were at one time
worked in a small way, the product
being used for making EPSON salts
magnesium sulphate) and other
chemicals. but magnesite from Austria
Greece and South Africa can now be
imported so cheaply that it no longer
pays to operate these deposits.
In the fall of 1906 and during the
winter of 1867, F. L. Hess of the
United States geological survey made
an investigation of the California de-
posits. and his report has just been
issued by the survey as bulletin 300. AS
little has heretofore been published on
the California magnesite aside from
paragraphs and short general articles
appearing from time to time in cur
rent periodicals, it is believed that
ha 1yar service
able. He describes In detail the va
rious deposits of the material its
composition, properties and uses, and
discusses briefly the foreign deposits
that now form the source of supply
for the great consuming centers, Ior
Californias commercial isolation from
the eastern portion of the Cnlteu
States. caused by long railroad hauls
precludes railroad shipment OF PROD
ucts as cheap as magnesite
Killed by Cheap Labor
Moreover" says Mr.. Hess, the
California deposits are also handl-
capped in the competition with foreign
deposits by the much higher scale Oh
wages paid in this country Day IA
borers in California receive $3.50 to 81
for a ten-hour day, and if miners are
hired for the work $500 TO So must pc
paid. mac
In Hungary the wages paid in 1915
at the works of the Magnesite COM
pany Cimited) were 40 cents per
fen-hour day for common labor and so
cents for foremen. Besides these
drawbacks none of the California
veins compare well in size with the
reported width of the Hungarian VEINS
In quality. however, the comparison
with the foreign material is favorable;
IN fact the California article is Ordl-
narily better
"Magnesite from Portersville now
costs about $3.50 per short ton laid
down at San Francisco; probably that
from the Gillian creek (Sonoma eoun-
ty) deposits can be delivered Tor
somewhat less. Production at the
Kings river deposits will cost about
the same as at PortersVille. Magne-
site from Sonoma and Napa counties
can probably be calcined and delV-
cred in San Francisco at $50 per snort
ton. Imported magnesite was quoted
in New Z York city in April, 19OS, at
S725 to IS per long ton, equal 10 So'5o
to S70S per short ton; calcined mag
nestle was quoted at S16.75 to $25, and
when comparatively free from lime
ground, sells in small lots at the latter
price. With this difference in price
for calcined magnesite of about 50 to
Sc between San Francisco and New
York. it seems possible that this prod
uct could sometimes be shipped at a
Droht to the eastern coast of the
United States on vessels that would
otherwise sail without a full cargo
and would for this reason be willing
10 carry the material at low rates.
Ignores Home Product
an spite of the fact that California
nagnesite is ordinarily purer and
cheaper. calcined Grecian magnesite is
shipped into Los Angeles as white
cement for use in oxychloride ce-
ment."
Considerable amounts of liquid car
hon dioxide are manufactured in oak
land from California magnesite and
shipped throughout the Pacific coast
and southwestern states for use III
refrigeration and in making soda
water and other carbonated waters
The magnesite left as residue is
shipped 10 paper mills in oregon
where it is used, after being changed
To sulphite, in the digestion ano
whitening of wood pulp for paper
This is the chief use to which the
California magnesite Is put, and al
most the entire output of the Porters-
vile deposits eventually finds its way
to these mills.
Mr.. Hess describes also other uses
Of magnesite, notably in the manu-
factIre of magnesite bricks, shapes
md crucibles, oxychloride cement. sin
tered magnesite tubing for chemlca
IL IN 4 1ratN q