The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1910-03-10
DEPOSITS
TO Be UTILIZED AS
BR|QUE7S FOR FUEL
Former immigration Commits
sioner Evolves Plan to Save
Consumers Millions.
BY A

Pierre, S. D.. March 9.-The recent
official statement from the federal
geological survey, approximating the
Ignite supply of this state, lying in
the measures of the northwestern
counties, at 10000. 600, 900 tons. has
made South Dakotans prick up their
ears, and some have turned their at
tention to a study of he means for
the commercial utilization of this
great resource.
Among those who have given atten-
ton to the problem is Colonel Pattison
Il. Mcclure, former immigration COM
missioner and now president of the
Pierre National bank. who has gone
into the subject with characteristic
thoroughness and has secured samples
of Ignite ana of briquets. both of Ger
man and American production, and all
available information pertaining to
Ignite and briquetting.
While h Ignite, now accessible,
over the new railroads and to be made
more accessible by the constructions
Of this year., is a wonderful gas pro-
Queer, and in the producer engines
generates power equivalent to the best
anthracite, ton for ton. it is for domes-
tic fuel that it is at present most need
ed, and it is to that use that Colonel
Mcclure has given most attention. He
believes it must be briqueted and tina.
at present the German process is most
feasible.
For many years scientific men have
been experimenting to find a cheap
and practicable binder for Ignite bril-
quets, and the use of material has been
much hindered by lack of such a bind
er, but the Germans have provided a
process by which the necessity for an
artificial binder is eliminated. They
grind IN tho 1jonito ny,o ,o 70 tIn clota
and non-combustible matter, mix it
and heat it and cast it into briquets in
a powerful press which. by exclusion
of the moisture, reduces three tons of
raw Ignite to one ton of briquets,
equal in value to the best anthracite.
of these German briquets. They are
and 2 inches thick. They burn like
hard coal, heating red hot. become a
glowing ember and turn into a clean
white ash.
a German briquetting machine costs
$50. q and will work un $50 tons "a
t~dasSeorssssnet SO Observation-Disclosures
with Ignite at 60 cents a ton at, the
mine will be worth IS a ton in bril-
quets.
There is the proposition and the
prospects which are open to our peo-
pie. The equivalent of the best hard
coal at IS per ton within the state
where the matter of transportation is
wholly within the hands of our own
people. and where the vexed questions
of interstate IN and long and
short haul cannot come into consider
alton.
Colonel Mcclure is prepared to in
vest capital in the enterprise and no
doubt many others in these times of
overlooking bank accounts will be glad
to join with him.
These considerations suggest the
negligence Of South Dakotans in fail
ing to secure full knowledge of our
mineral resources. Outside of the
Black Hills we know next to nothing
of what we possess in the way of geo.
logical riches. In this we are sorely
behind u neighbors of NORTH Dakota,
who have for many years pursued a
painstaking examination Of her eco
nomic geology. Here we have in some
years supplied the state g%eologist with
$3.50. in others, with nothing at all,
and in years Of great liberality have
placed $1,000 in his hands to exploit
our mineral riches. Whatever else we
do, we certainly should at the first
moment begin a careful and compre-
hensive survey.