The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-10-27
VERMONT SECOND IN TALc,
New York State Stands at Head in
United States.

New York State Stands at Head in
United States.
The people of the United States are
using more tale than ever, not alone for
toilet powder, for that is but compar-
at:vely unimportant use to which the
mineral is put, but in the arts and in
dustries. The marketed production of
tale and soapstone in the United States
in 1912, according to an advance chapter
on the production of tale and soapstone
in 1912 by j. S. DiIler, just issued by the
United States geological survey, was
1920 short tons, valued at sl,706,9G3,
against 1851 short tons, valued at 81
646,0ls, in 1911. The production in 1912
was the largest in the history of the in
dustry
With the exception of a small produc.
tion in California the entire output OF
tale and soapstone in the United States
comes from a comparatively narrow belt
of ancient crystalline rocks running
through the Atlantic states from Yer
mont to Georgia. The three leading pro-
ducing states are New York, Vermont,
and Virginia, followed by Georgia,
Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey,
North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode
Island and California. More than az
per cent of the total output of the
United States in 1912 came from New
York.
The total marketed production Of tale
for 1912 was l332S9 short tons, valued
at 81 ,097 ,4s3, a decided increase COM
pared with the production of 1911; the
output of soapstone in 1912 was 25,9ol
short tons, valued at $609,4s0, gain
both in quantity and in value compared
with the production of 1911,
By far the most important use OF tale
is in the manufacture of paper, but there
is large demand for it in the manufae-
ture of rubber. Tale is not only mixed
in the rubber throughout its body but is
used on the surface to free the rubber
from the molds. Another important use
of tale is in sizing and bleaching cotton
cloth. On account of its high insulating
qualities with reference to both electric
ity and heat tale is employed in the
manufacture of many forms of in
sulators, among which is the covering o;
electric wires and switchboards, and the
flooring for electric switchboards, and
the flooring for electric stations. 1t is
also used largely in the manufacture OF
toilet powders and of paints, particular
ly waterproof paints, as well as for
foundry facing in casting iron. The
tale for which there is perhaps the great
est demand in the United States is the
compact variety used for pencils, gas
tips, and high grade insulstors,
Soapstone is used most extensively in
the manufacture of laundry tubs. The
larger slabs are used for table tops and
for acid tanks in chemical, biologic, pho.
tographie, and many other laboratories,
as well as for switehboards, flooring, and
panels in electric stations. In some
parts OF the country hearthstones and
stoves are made of it; it has still wild
err application in stove and furnace lin
ing, and when ground it is useful for
furnace facing. Foot warmers and grid
dies are made of it, and an increasing
use is found in the manufacture of fire.
less cookers.
A copy of the report may be obtained
free on application to the director of the
United States geological survey, Wash
ington, d. G.