The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-10-10
Recent Deal Involving Famous Mines Gives illustration of Sub stantial Progress Made by South in Mineral Wealth.

R. H. McNeill of this city, recent ly returned from Statesville, N. C.. where he was instrumental In closing one of the largest real estate deals effected in that part of the country for many years. says The Washington Herald
 The deal involves the famous mica mines of Mitchell and Yancey coun- ties. twenty in number. and about B. 900 acres of farming and timber land. which in former years the owners of the mining property had acquired. The mines and the land were sold to Northern capitalists. and may be con- sidered as an illustration of the sub stantial progres of the South. now go- ing forward as never before in it's hiss tory.
 The transaction consisted of the purchase by Mrs. Virginia P. cibotti. of Philadelphia. and Mrs Ella Clapp Thompson. of Washington. of the en- tire property known as tho Heap and 'Clapp mica mines. located in Mitchell and Yancey counties. comprising the cream of the mica industry. and valu- able timber lands. Besides the mica, various other minerals are found. such as garnets. emeralds. aauamarines. tourmaline. kyanite. and feldspar. the decomposed part of the latter mineral forming an industry that is fast be- coming one of the most important in the South--that of making porcelain ware.
 Sale Settles Litigation.
 The transaction is the outgrowth of damage suit filed in the United States Circuit Court at Statesville. in which Mrs. Virginia P. Cicbotti was the complainant. and Patrick H. Ab- hA AaRh A. ant This suit was filed by McNeill and MeNeill as Mrs. Cibotti's attor- neys. and during the prosecution of the suit for damages in the sum of $50. 900, the negotiations for sale and settlement of the suit, as a part of the consideration for the Abernathy Inter- ests in the mica mines and real es- tate, arose and progressed until few days ago when a final adjustment of the entire matter. including the suit for accounting. was agreed upon. and all the interests in the property. out side of her own. and her associates. were bought by Mrs. Cibotu and Mrs Thompson.
 An article that appeared in The Scientific American in the early res was strangely prophetic. Part Of 1t will be interesting in this conneo- ton.
 Among the most interesting relics of the mysterious race Of mount builders, who occupied the Mississippi Valley previous to the advent or inc more barbarous Indians. are numer- ous ornaments of mica Like the weapons of hammered copper from Lake Superior the shells from the Gulf of Mexico, the implements of Mexican stone, and of Missouri iron, these plates, of a mineral not found in the great valley, give a plain hint of the extensive commercial relations of these prehistoric people.
 "The mica was evidently mined in Western North Carolina. where their long abandoned workings have lately been reopened. and made the scene or modern enterprise. Seven years or so ago a prominent citizen of North Car olina set some laborers to work in one of the ancient mines In search of sii- yer. supposing that metal to have been the one sought for by the original miners. A considerable quantity of mica was thrown out. but It's value was not recognized until sample. which had been sent to Knoxville as a curiosity, was seen by MT. Ciapp. who followed up the clew and leased the mine for its mica and revived an industry which has added immensely to the wealth of the region"
 Compare the above with this' which appeared in The Chicago Daily Inter Ocean more than twenty years later:
 Mica is now as essential to the va rious uses of electricity as this great force is necessary to human progress In all appliances for electrical light inp and power the most important re- ciprocal agent entering into their me- chanism is mica. All armatures are built up with It's insulation. whether for dynamos, motors. generators. or transformers. Without it's use as an insulation the core of the armature would burn out with flash' but py placInr sheets of mica between the tbIn sheets of iron, which are secured to the shaft that runs through the drum of the armature. insulation be- comes perfect,
 Unique Properties of Mica'
 "The cleavage of mica Is so perfect tt is estimated that 1t can be split or divided into leaves 25O,000 to an inch. Much of its commercial value depends upon this wonderful property or lam- nation. The largest plates or mica with such foliaceous structure are op tainei from the Siberian mines. and the,, aometimes attain a diameter of five and seven feet. Crystals over two feet fin diameter have been found in Pennsylyania, eighteen to twenty-four inches in New Mexico. and fourteen inches in North Carolina. Blocks or crystals weighing over 100 pounds are frequently mined.
 "rrhe North Carolina mines are sup posed to be very ancient. Mica plates found in them when first discoVereo were trimmed to peculiar shapes' anu 1t Is supposed they were used TOT wln-
 
 number of the minues and the masnl- rude of these ancient operations excite wonder Some of the mines are tun- neIed to A considerable length. and distinctlv show marks of chtsel-shaped tools Mica in some form exists all over the earth, but not Tn quahtities of any commercial value. It can be found in granite and quartz ruoelite, green tourmaline. feldspar. iepidoiite' anI other minerals, also in granular limestone, gneiss. and slate. U va ries in color from "hlte 'htousn green vellowish and brownish shades tn Mack Its chemical composition Is silicate of alumina and potash. with {, srna1l amount of iron, magnesla, ana soda. and about per cent. water.
 And now. sixteen years after this ar ticle apneared in The Inter Ocean. mil ca Is indispensable in all of the arts and manufactures enumerated. and all so in the manufacture of wall paper. In these progressive days of the twen- tieth century not an ounce of mica Is wasted. Even the smallest pieces. too tiny for pattern mica, are. by the won derful punching machine invented by a MT. Mccarthy. of Boston, made avail. able for insulators of various sizes. and the scraps" are ground into the nn. ss