The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1916-02-19
POTASA-AlUM
SAVE RAILROAD
POTASH AND ALUM HUNTERS
IN BLAIR DISTRICT PROM
ISE RESULTS

doned by the Pittsburg Silver Peak
company. This line extends from
Blair Junction, where it connects
with the Tonopah & Goldfeid rail-
road to Blai vhere the big
stamp mill is being Gismantied. For
twenty years various claimants
wrangled in the courts for posses
sion of the Silver Peak mine, until
finally title was vested in the in
terests represented by Senator
Flynn of Pittsburg. The investment
represented about $4,000 and the
stockholders received back in divi-
dends $4,000 and still own two
mines in California which promise
to yield further dividends. With
the elimination of the Silver Peak
mine the order had been issued to
teal up the tracks as o as the
mill had been removed, but i'm
portant potash and barytes develop
ments promise to furnish enough
traffic to keep the road going.
Victor Brandt, the famous potash
authority, informs the Tribune that
plans are being pushed for the in
stallation of a calcining plant lear
Silver Peak to produce sulphate of
potash from a mountain OF alum
which, in parts, yields a "hemically
pure product that may be used TO
relieve the famine in alum which is
beginning to be felt throughout the
country. Alum is used extensively
in the arts, and chemists are puz-
zled how to replenish stocks depict
ed by the embargo against Germany
and Austria. The pure product is
worth from 5000 to $500 a ton.
This, however, may be regarded as a
side issue, as tne chief product will
be potash fertilizer salts. The
mountain at Silver Peak represents
the dying throes of the last active
volcano of the desert group, which
rears it's conical shape from the
edge of the great marsh in this "
cinity. The alum mine vas locate:
in 1906, and six shafts ranging
from so to 100 feet in depth serve
to prove up the property. NJ
James Pike, superintendent of tn
Tonopah Jim Butler mine, ca
amined the property this week lo
advise a plan of Development wh!cl
will be undertaken forthwith. This
will pave the way for the construc
ton of a calcining furnace costing
$4,000. A further sum of $50 900
will be provided for development
as the company expects to make a
short and aggressive campaign to
capture the potash market while
prices remain at the present aonor-
NAL height. By the first of May
it is expected that production vii!
begin and after that extension:
may follow according to the tonnage
of alum exposed in the mine. Alum
contains a large percentage of pot
ash salts
The investment by the Barndt
people will furnish a market fol
alum brought in from Columbus
= llCaI NV oitS VI
prehistoric lake that had been ex-
plotted for potash by the U. 6
geological survey. A number OF
Goldfeld peopie are interested N u
company chat has been drilling IL
the marsh for potash, and it is stat
ed that several strong lodges OF
alum have been tapped, thus bring
ing about a realization of dreams
hat have been nursed for two
years.
Profits from the manufacture Of
any grade of potash are enormous,
and with the prospect of European
hostilities being protracted there is
every incentive to embark in the
business where the slightest ell
couragement is found. The Ar
mour company, which installed a
35-ton plant at M~arysville. Utah, for
the extraction of potash from alum
lite, is credited with netting $780,
900 a month, and, when the plant
is doubled next month, the net
profits are estimated at 100000 a
month. The total Marysville pro-
duction to May /, 1916, has been
sole for 5000 a ton and additional
contracts will be placed for future
delivery, which will command a
higher figure.
Muriate of potash sells for 5000
a ton and none is to be had. Be-
lore the war the price was 500 a
ton. The sulphate used for fertilizer
has sold for SIS a ton. Within the
past year all prices were raised
five to seven times the quotations
previous to the war and, in a few
instances, as the one of potassium
rermanganate, prices advanced II
to Is times over the normal.
A private dispatch from Wash
IN N i nm