The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1915-11-04
BIG ASBESTOS DEPOSIT
IS NEAR GRANGEV|LLE
PART ON STATE LAND AND MUCH
is OPEN TO LOCATION uN-
DER MINING LAWS.
(Lewiston Tribune)


b. Murphin, who is down from the
Salmon river country, believes he has
one of the greatest openings for the
development of new industry that
has ever been uncovered in the north
west This takes the form of an i'm
mense deposit of asbestos that he has
located on the divide between the wa
ters of Slate creek and the White
bird, which flow into Salmon river,
and a stream flowing into the South
Fork of the Clearwater. The claims
are located about II miles south and
a little east of Grangeville, in re-
gion which has been mined extensive
ly in the years long past,
Mr.. Murphin's attention was at
tracted to this through the activity
that has been in progress for several
years in what are called the Kamiah
deposits, but which are really on Mag
gle creek and probably 16 or II miles
from Kamiah. These last deposits,
which are said to be extensive and
valuable, it is understood are at least
in part located on lands belonging to
the state. and hence can not be secur-
ed for the present except by sale or
lease. If leased, it is evident that any
value added by development and the
creation of a market for the material
would rebound more certainly to the
benefit of the state than of the com
pany which attempted development
and exploitation.
Held for the State.
1t is understood that the land board,
having some knowledge of the ashes
tos deposits, does not feel like selling
them at this time, fearing that by so
doing a valuable asset of the state
schools will be parted with at very
much less than its ultimate value if
like patience is exercised. With the
deposits controlled by Mr.. Murphin
and his associates a different condition
exists. The lands are said to be open
to mineral entry and development, and
patent can be secured if sufficient
WORK is zone.
The deposit is what is called am
phibole, or mass asbestos and Is of
enormous extent, there being practic-
ally a mountain of the stuff. Exactly
what is necessary in taking this raw
material and working it up into
finished and valuable product is not
well known here, although it is known
that neither expensive machinery nor
particularly skilful manipulation is
required to fit the asbestos ore for
some of the commoner uses Mr. Muir
phin states that he has been in cor
respondence with some of the princi-
pal users of this material in the Unit
ed States, and from one of these has
received decided encouragement.
Uses Of Asbestos.
However, both Murphin and his
associates feel that the opportunity
exists for the development of this
property Independent of all existing
agencies for its use. The present as
bestos supply of the United States
comes in large part from mines in the
province of Ontario. The uses OF TINS
strange material are manifold. 1t is
used in the sciences and arts, and of
recent years has gone into very gem
eral use as a building material. In
Portland at the present time there are
many handsome homes where asbestos
shingles or siding is used as an outer
wall and roof material, while the
ground asbestos is used as a paint
pigment.
It's most valued use naturally is In
electric transmission and insulation,
and also in the insulation of material
from both heat and cold For ordin-
airy uses 1t is generally greatly adul-
terated without lessening its value
materially With what might be call
ed the Grangevile deposit, the COM
moner uses are what the locators have
in mind, the making of vessels Tor re-
sisting heat and cold, for fire-proof1ng
materials, and for molding into shin
giles The asbestos used for electric
purposes and in the sciences and arts
must be refined to a degree that would
require more extensive works ana
much more expensive handling.