The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-11-14
Rich American Potash Find
FIVE THOUSAND ACRES UNDERLAID WITH VEINS OF ORE IN
HALLOEIEID, MARYLAND MINES.
washington Post,)

washington Post.)
Investigation of the potash deposits
at Hollofield. Md. now being develop
ed by a $4,000. 900 corporation hack
ed ny capitalists of Pittsburg. Balti-
more. Cincinnati and Washington, dis
closed the apparent richness OF the
mineral.
Those who followed tho recent pot
ash dispute" between this country and
Germany arc surprised that the pro-
duct. for which the United States has
been paying Germany annually $15.-
000, 900, has been found in such album
dant quantities in this country.
From examination of the mines in
Maryland there appears tn be no doubt
as to the correctness Of the claims Of
minerals taken from the deposits.
Those directly interested aver. cnthu-
s%iastically. that they have discovered
a gold mine" and Secretary of Agri-
culture Wilson is inclined to the same
belief.
LII the meantime actual development
Of the Holloticld deposits. which was
begun i'll July. continues. and the cN-
pcrts have declared that specimens
The work now going OH is for the pur-
pose of determining the size of the
deposits.
Taking Out Rich Samples.
A vein cropping out at tho base Of
Iiollotield railroad station has been
uncovered. and Il shaft twenty feet
deep sunk. which is said to show that
n entire mountain IS formed of the
mineral. Rich specimens of the ore.
which in snow white crystal-
like formation. are being taken out
In large quantities, along with Il rich
feldspar orc that carries. under Chem
ical analysis. Is per cent OF potash.
cr openings have been made in vari-
GUS parts of the valley bordering on
tho Patapsco river. which flows along
the entire length OF the tract. In
every instance both feldspar and pot.
ash occur in large quantities.
The potash deposits are found i'll Il
rugged. mountainous country. in
which the hills are piled one upon an
other without the usual geological ar
through which the Patapsco river
flows forming the main water gap in
to which smaller valleys and gulches
open every few hundred yards.
On both faces of these small val
leys, and along the entire face of the
principal range Of foothills on the
P~atapsco river are to be seen massive
outcroppings Of the gray weather.
beaten crystal rocks bearing the de-
posts of potash.
In Smaller Valleys Also.
In n or two of the smaller valleys
both walls of the p%recipitous cliffs are
a solid mass of this outcropping. At
points OF vantage where the outcrop-
ninRS Sann1 most ornppiSiN0 tho fara nf
the rocks has been cut away and the
pure white crystals exposed. The min
ing experts on the property. conduct
ing the experimental developments.
say 1t is remarkable that the veins of
rich crystals show such width and
depth. Just how deep the veins go has
not been determined.
The principal development near
Hollof1eld was begun in July as a field
spar mine by the Donaldson Mining
company. composed Of Joseph Donald
son OF Baltimore, a practical miner,
and John S. Knapp, a practical miner,
engineer. and chemist, who is we'll
posted in geology. also Of Baltimore.
1t was through this feldspar mine. OPP
Grated in a small way with an output
of something like ten cars a week, that
the potash deposits were discovered.
The Donaldson Mining company were
SsAAPt'Aio SACh OAAHuS AAS1A liS lAliIlC
near Hollofied to a pottery manufac-
turing concern at Brandywine, Sum-
nit, Pa. which used the feldspar in
the manufacture of crockery. Field
SPAR. to be of commercial value in
the manufacture Of crockery. in which
1T is largely used. must contain a GER
tain percentage of potash.
The Donaldson Mining company,
not knowing that the white crystal
Ike 1onoSifS tYort,ort1H, noossNre~1 lo
the vein of feldspar was potash, threw
all that product of their mine on the
dump as waste material. Occasional
~ a specimen Of the potash crystals
would get in the fedspar ore and vas
shipped to the Pennsylvania pottery
concern. An expert in mineralogy at
that plant n day found a rich speci-
men of the potash crystal in a ship
ment and made an examination. in
usual richness.
Following the discovery Of the pot
ash crystals in the Pennsylvania ship
ment, ]. NJ. Conner went to the Hol-
lofield mine, where he at once saw the
richness Of the deposit. He took i'm
mediate steps to acquire control Of the
property through the members Of the
Donaldson Mining company.
Made a Secret Survey.
In less than a week biologists made
a secret survey Of the properties adj
jacent to Iiollofeld, approximately
5000 acres. which are now controlled
by the Conner interest. of which the
recently formed Farmers T'ertilizing
company of America is a part
The report of tho %geologists was sc
assuring as to h vastness and un-
usual richness of the ore. hat options
on the property were closed as fast as
1 tvonI. f.nNSIl In SNSoln T., %hts ~v,~~N
Messrs. Donaldson and Knapp of the
Donaldson Mining company, were the
principal agents. SO quietly was the
work of the g%eologist and the taking
OF the options secured hat many OF
the m of the lands under the
Conner options do not know today the
value Of the mineral rights they have
practically assigned. and in some in.
stances those giving the options have
- 49, $500.