Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1912-02-28
VERMONT ASBESTOS
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE


CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE
otile and some is amphiboIe Mass
fibre is anthophyllite. all owing to
chemical composition ard resulting
characteristics, which decides the val
ue, no matter what type or form.
The meaning wish to convey is.
that the terms anthophyllite group,
amphibole group (Which includes five
varieties) and the serpentine group
(Which includes several varieties).
all refer to character. not to form,
and the terms cross fibre, slip fibre
and mass fibre refer to form and not
to character. therefore amphihole and
slip fibre can have no common mean.
ing, one refers to character, the other
to form. Many slip fibre veins were
Originally cross fibre veins, movement
of the rock changing their form.
Some of the best mines in Quebec
yield nearly all slip fibre and produce
nc crude which is only produced by
mines having large veins of cross fibre
and while the crude is worth (aver-
age) say SITS per ton it may take $50
to 200 tons of rock to yield one ton of
fibre while slip fibre rock may yield
ten to Is tons of fibre from the same
quantity of rock. worth $500 to $400
(about $28 to $50 per ton). What is
called mill fibre and paper stock is
produced from slip fibre and fine
veins of cross fibre (both chrysotile.)
Like almost all mines the first prod
uct and profit comes from large bodies
of CLOVER grade
The Quebec mines in 1909 produced:
3074 tons of "crude". value 1915, $40
average $187.22 per ton
6O275 tons of mill fibre and
paper stock 1,7O9, OF
average $28.35 per ton ----
$2.284. 587
Some serpentine which to the naked
eve, appears to contain no fibre will.
when properly crushed and worked,
yield ss much as 10 per cent fibre.
Most of us know very little about as
bestos and in the foregoing have not
given my own opinions but quote u.
S. government reports by Diller and
others and Can adian reports by Fritz
Cirkel. the greatest living authority
on asbestos.
The second statement to which
refer is-''1hat veins of ehrysotile
asbestos are to be found here and
there throughout the region of Lowell
mercial value' and according to the
report of the state geological depart
ment the only place where this ashes.
tos is to be found in paying quantities
| is on the property of the Lowell Lum-
Der & Asbestos company at Lowell"
Now someone must have been to
much trouble and expense to ascertain
this fact-if such it be-as the region
of Lowell is quite extensive. But on
pages 6 and advance chapter from
contributions to economic geology by
Diller and others printed at Washing
ton in 1911 it reads, "There are four
important localities of asbestos in
Vermont connected with the serpen-
tine in the Lowell region, one about
two miles northeast from Lowell viii
lage-one northwest from Lowell viii
lage in the region of Round mountain
and two southwest from Lowell viii
lage. Three of these have been ex-
amined by the writer (Diller.) The
one northeast from Lowell village
contains numerous small veins OF
cross fibre and some slip fibre in ser.
pentine. G. H. Richardson of the
Geological survey of Vermont anc
professor of mineralogy and consult
ing geologist of Syracuse University
who examined this locality recently
: regards it as sufficiently encouraging
to warrant the erection of a mill an(
the development of the property
. The second location is described by
Richardson as situated on the north
east side of Round Mountain, area il
, Lowell and Westfield. The belt i
several miles in length and a mile il
, width, locally it contains a considera
BILE quantity of slip fibre and eros
fibre asbestos which in certain speci
, mems amounts to as much as Is pc
cent Of the mass. I think thes
, statements Of u. S. Government geol
! ogists good evidence that there ar
veins of asbestos to be found here an
there in Lowell which are of com
mercial value. I could mentio
!, others equally good but that woul
only be my s'say So
Now while l believe the Lowe]
, Lumber and Asbestos company has
, very valuable property and one whic
, will yield fortunes to the owners an
that the company deserves grea
credit and much praise from tn
people of Vermont for what it ha
done and is doing. yet do not thin
that property is the "only pebble o
the beach," Lowell has a great as
q bestos field and the time is comm
= when the people will see a great as
. bestos industry in that section and
n railway through Missisquoi valley
| The talk of w. G. Gallager-as quot
= ed in the article to which I refer
j has the right ring and if Lowell ha
q a few more such men and if the NOR
/ led men of Northern Vermont woul
$ wake up and grasp the opportunit
v they could reap a rich harvest an
! build up great industry for Vel
= mont. the Missisquoi Valley woul
: soon echo the whistle of the LOGON,
, tive and the rumbling of railwa
:. trains would be heard and the Who'll