The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1914-05-28
REPORTS ANOTHER
ALUM DEPOSIT IN
NEW MEXICO
DR.. Daniel M. Grosh Philadel-
phia Chemist, Tells "The
Earth" of States Resources
In Rare Mineral,

Earth, descriptive OF Me mountain OF
alum in Grant countt New McNt'o'
and the vast beds ~ Ignite sur
rounding II. on both sides Of the 1ihA
river. attracted such widespread at
tcntion. writes that b. has heard ot
,nothor deposit OF alum Ia the same
state. However. the hnd rs hearsay
only and for the present he VIII not
say whore Il Is.
Dr. Grosh says that he continues
10 receive letters asking Tor more IN
formation OF the Grant county deposit
81 alum. and OF the origin and uses
OF the mineral. These letters come
TO him from all d9arters oi the f.oD,
Few men, even the most Intelligent
! outside Of the scientific world, pos
sess any knowledge whatever OF TINS
mineral and its great value, ana
! since from the letters he receives ne
finds tina II IL "A subject OF popular
| Interest. Or. Grosh contributes anoth-
| er letter on the subject 10 The Earth.
He says:
The majority al readers perhaps
are unfamiliar with the nature and
utility of his very important sub
! stance. so a short description will be
| given. Alum Is sulphatc of alumina
it Is alumina, or aluminium oxide, the
base OF clayS united with %sulphurie
| acid Instead OF silicic acid as In clay,
4 AANNNNA'H wv ~ - |a
X acid makes Il in a soluble form IN
| order to be used In the rlnny indus
Itrics requiring IL, and rarely rs found
to AIRY extent In this form.
IT always has been made by a
| complicated and expensive chemical
process In several ways. but all with
the same object Ia view. That OF max
ing alumina in "A soluble form In
this form u has the singular capacity
Ia unite nNedly with organic matter,
especially fiber. and with coloring
matter. starch, sizing. etc. and Is used
in enormous quantities. IN paper MAX
ing. dyeing. tanning, calico printing.
paint making nrcproofinR many
other iduatries. No substitute ever
has been found, nor does science,
know OF any substance To- take ius
place. The demand constantly Is in
creasing and a ready market always
IL assured.
The manufacture and use OF alum
II Of great antiquity, and for centuries
his chemical has been used also for
Wnter publication and Qualification.
The filtration and water publication
plants. and owage disposal plants
use enormous quantities. at prices
varying from $l7 TO $50 per ton. The
cost u production b. The chemical
process h about sra per ton. Here
in this great deposit are millions OF
| ANtlh AAltNuA NNDlaANN - nNAhA't
waiting for men OF Brain and energy
10 garne Il. Las year about $4,000
uOn worth was used In the United
States In this form alone. every
pound OF which was made by chem
ical process,
Nature in her process OF %produc-
ton sends sulphuuc acid percoiating
through the rock from unknown
depths and sources, and dissolving
and uniting with the alumina which,
when reaching tho surface. forms like
masses Of ice or hugc iCiclCs. These
inrrustatiOns have been forming foi
ages and are IRE" rom impurities
and for most commercial purposes
can be used as found They form 81
rapidly that the tunnel in Illustration
almost completely fills In a shofi
period. The deeper one penetrate
into the rock the o. ler the quantity
of alumina appears, and since the sur
face has only been scratched. n NJ
similar deposit exists for comparison
many astounding discoveries may he
looked for. The deposit nils VIVA
once was an enormous volcanic era
ter. and expert gculogists declare t1Sl
the aspects are most promising tul
other discoveries. This, however hai
little bearing on its present %
utilities which markedly are Of grea'
value at the present time.
aluminium metal always has beer
produced from bHuNite by a likewis'
complicated and expensive process
for the simple reason That the pro
ducers own or control the bauNitc de
posts aud naturally wish To consuil'
their own material. BauXito costs y
per ton at the mines. and contain
many Impurities expensive To eliml
nate. n cost Of which the consume
5 ultimately pays fot In the hnisho'
product. These impurities cause uten
siIs of his metal a. axidize anu 81"
~terlorate Here lies a chance Tor al
J Industry 10 compete successfully -
having cheap. pure ana rich raw ma
. terial in unlimited Quantities u IN
cheapest power AVAILABLE. beside
many other ADVANTAGES IA their com
maud Seventeen million dolihr'
y worth OF aluminium was produced la
a year la this country or about o9.svV'
n 000 pounds.
y "6no wonders how long a progros
siyc. scientific country az German!
Il for example. would permit an Oppoi
unity of such magnitude To- RENAL
70 undeVeloped and unproductiVe, VIM
The consumers We're held at the mere
. OF a thrOttiing Trust Here, also ne
an opportunity for producing su'
phuric acid cheaper Than by any oths
process. by a method outlined by IN
writer Ia "A forthcoming cheulci
journal. Germunls control of th
worlds chemical business is due I
? her cheap production Of this acid :
many industries cUlld use this tm'
terial Of the alum mountain 60 the
decided financial aud scientific al
vantage, but it would be far heyon
the scope OF this articlo "a take thei
I up.
"As a nation Ne are Tar behind &c
many in chemical Industries, n as
4 have permitted the BENEFITS Of maj
Of our most promising natural resou
ces 10 pass out Of our eontroi, an
We can build Ourselves up only by
campaign of education, For eNampl
We export phosphate rock to q
! amount OF a million dollars annual
. which 20 the next senerntion viii
worth a thousand lines Qiat amou
n 90 our exhausted soil. we are buyii
fuilers' earth abroad ~ the shipioa
when We have sufficient for our meet
and the worlds also In our ~ Ian
We spend millions FOR essential ol
y and have every facility for their 81
. ductiOn In our MI land. This IN q
generation OF opportunities, not In q
old alipshod. haphazard way, but "a
der the intelligent supervision Of mo
ern science.
he The day Of The proapeetor vi
ar pick aud pan H. past, and the sun