The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-02-07
Evening Chat

ard which should not be unmtxad
with interest, only requires that the
dFilier shall watch the drill cuttings
and salt waters brought up by his
outft and thus cooperate with The
Government In its search for potash.
The advance in pricefof potash salts
from tho normal rate otHabout $40 70
ever $500 q ton since the outbreak OF
fheSWarsmakes still more evident than
before the difficulty as well as the
ditYof finding this Indispensable COM
modify somewhere within our own
vast domain while the country waits
fThe United States Geological Survey
hassdeyoted part OF its energies 70
fhastiiyestigation OF rocks and miner.
ais containing large percentages %
potash to the search by the drill for
beds q potash salts that have been
buried during different geologic p"!-
fodsEInfEthe evaporation pans OF ce:;
tatnsdrfeG-up ancient inland seas and
lakes: Tho work, done has included
ffiegtesting' OF brines and bftterns from
NAM places. especially from saltpfe.
drctng fields, and the examination III
drill cuttings from wells.
It rs practically certain that beds
etspotashssalt II they exist in basins
nsthe United States, other than Scar
les Lake. Cal, were laid down IN gs2.
logic formations that include beds q
common salt, gypsum, anhydFite. aNl
like Va! llerals iust az they were ~
Gefn;Iny and Spain, though the 6eds
magnet be SO thick The tornatioas
laid down in those ancient seas ana
lakes. which by their evaporation TO-
25nosited thick beds OF salt and other
minerals, therefore probably afford Sho
best promise OF yielding salts rich III
potash.
Beds OF rock salt and gypsum occur
in 1arEe areas in the United STATES:
5yThey arc, found in the Salina rocks 81
New, York and Pennsylvania ana III
other formations Of about the same
age. laid down in Michigan aud ONO
during periods OF great arldity. n
southeastern Michigan bed OF rock
salt 900 feet thick Is said to have been
= founfl by drill holes. Dense brtnes or
* salt deposits are found in Carbonit2T'
* S3us ntrata in West Virginia and other
sEaster1 States, In the "red beds" ~
+ the Southwest and the Rocky Noun.
Gains, in the Cretaceous deposits 81
several OF the Western States. ana
IN the Tertiary strata Of the far South
west IN many OF these regions the:e
may have been areas where the eVap'
grafton of the water bodies preclplta'
ted potash salts as well as common
salt, though In most OF these areas,
as in most Of the more recent WeSt.
stractad and jealousy secreted py tne
= claws o; the muddy waters, ana so
deposited in the shales. In some OF
= these salt.depositing areas however,
q fine conditions were no doubt at some
time favorable for the laying down al
fshIankets or potash salts that were Ia
TER hurled beneath other formations.
n N Ina 1Inf easonable' to believe that IN
Il eeyeryIene a. OF these evaporation pans
fl,e notash was diftused, and that no
SpsSvliere throughout the widespread ana
,diyarsitied salt beds of different geol'
sogic rert6ds in this country was pot
SasL thrown down in beds comparable
81 size to those in the Old World. Il
The treasury office at Vienna has
announced that Iron Currency will be
coined and circulated in Autsria as 1t
now is In Germany,
The reversion to iron currency re-
calls the invention Of coinage by the
siIsygian king Gyges about the seventh
Fenth century B. G. Gyges had ms
name stamped on pieces Of electron to
standardize them and guarantee their
value.
4 metal long before this but this is the
frstg authentic record OF the metal be.
ia coined. Pheidon of Argos intro
duced the art OF coming to the
cracks. The Spartans and Laecadem'
onians used iron for their coins as
they considered the possession OF gold
ar silver to be etfeminate and un.
democratic.
The wise Scion Of Athens was the
irstEnlan TO 1meddle with the finances
80 enc country. His people we're SO
deeply In debt that he was driven to
do axpedient OF regulating all debts
and starting over again with new
coinage. So he had all the existing
coins turned In and issued a new So
Hes IN which q man that had hVe
dfachmae received ten drachmae OF
{hessame value as currency but OF half
Sfhat actual weight. This Is he made
two coins where one had been betoTe
md by, his authority made them pass
as double value.
As long as the supply OF iron holds
out the Austrian Government ought
no.; to lack for money.
THE distinguished Professor r. 3.
scliizonycetes, who is widely known
authority on bacteriology and has
done some original research work that
has made his name known all over the
ciYilized world, was a visitor In Fair
mont Saturday.
The Professor was on his way to
the University Of Morgantown to de-
liver lecture and missed his train,
This caused wait OF several hours
here and the Professor utilized the
time In Visiting the show places Of
heSc city. The Professor has an odd
view point on many matters as IS
shown by the following interview
WtthSa West virginian reporter.
Reporter-"What do you think Of
6urSlittle mountain town, Professor?"
PROT. It Is an ideal little city, well
paved and drained but the sunlight
reaches every street and makes It hard
forgstruggling germs, however"
Reporter What do you think is the
most noticeable feature?"
fPfof.-"I was impressed with your