Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-09-29
MANGANESE FOUND
IN T|NT|C DISTRICT
Metal Vastly Important in Max
ing Alloys, Glass and
Batteries.
FOUR COMMERCIAL SOURCES
Geological Experts Convinced
Ore Can Be Found
in Utah.
FOUR COMMERCIAL SOURCES

Department OF the Interior. have been
making systematic examinations OF
areas believed TO contain deposits OF
manganese and manganlferous ores in
the United states and West Indies, in
order TO appraise the available re
sources of manganese. and To assist IN
stimulating its production and use.
Manganese. it may be explained. is
a metal resembling iron. Ii is used
principally IN making alloys with iron
III the manufacture Of steel, but it is
used also in glassmaking. in many
chemical industries. and In the manu-
facturc of electric batteries There
are four commercial sources of Manga
neSe-manSancse ores, manganiferous
iron ores. manEanifcrous silver ores
and manEaniferous residuum from
roasting zinc from an containing
zinc. iron and manganese minerals. Be-
fore the war the worlds supply OF
manganese ore came mainly frdm
OF the arrangement of oceanic trans
portation and of the foreign manga
ncsc industry only the deposits of Bra
I'll are now available 10 the United
States. and these can not be drawn
upon freely because of the scarcity OF
ships.
public "a statement referring to man
ganese ores in Utah. Manganiferous
deposits are rather generally though
somewhat sparngly distributed over
Utah. Most of the deposits now known
are in the Green River and Tintic
Districts. but reports indicate that
many other deposits occur elsewhere.
most of them at places rather remote
from railroads The available informa-
ton suggests that line drawn diago-
nally southwcstward through the cen
tor OF the State would separate areas
That contain deposits of two distinctly
different types. Practically all tho
known deposits west OF this line are
derived from quartz lodcs OF deem
seated origin. The ore is highly sill
ccous. and most OF il needs some de-
gree Of concentration or bencticiatiou
10 make II marketable. Most of tho
deposits east of the line are OF sedi-
mcn'ary origin, lie fiat, very near tho
surface. or even upon It, and generally
need only careful mining to yield a
very high grade OF ore.
MANY UNDEVELOPED
HOLDINGS PROMISING:
Manganese ores occur in several
places in the area that extends from
miles or more and that embraces parts
or Utah. Tooele and Juab Counties.
Most OF the development work has
area in the Tintic and West Tintic or
Erickson mining districts. The de-
posits elsewhere are reported to be
very shallow workings y rcconnais-
sancc OF the Tintic and West Tin,ic
(Erickson) Districts. including the en-
animation OF four or five partly de-
Ncloneh mines, was made by j. t Par
dee. OF the United States GeoloEical
survey: Department of the Interior. in
y.
Several manganese deposits are
partly explored by workings made dur
ing the last forty years in search of
silver and lead ores. Small amounts
or manganese ores and ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
IRON ores have annually been produced
in the Tinlic region for use as nux
IN lead and silver smcltcrs. Among
inc Older mines in which manganese
ore has been explored are the Tip Ton
tunnel at llomansvillc. and the Black
Jack group. in the West Tintic dis
trict Both are now producing high
grade manganese ore. Other mines I'm
which considerable bodies OF manga
nese orc are found are the Baby Ele-
phant group Queen Mary, Indian Boy.
May Farmer and Eutonia. Undevclon-
Cd outcrops of manEaniferous material
similar To that composing outcrops OF
developed ore bodies are numerous.
The exploration of the lodes for man
EancSc ores began only last October. at
tho Tip Top Tunnel and even more re-
Gently IN the other parts of the gem
cial area here considered. Up To the
end of June. 1918. about LOO tons Of
manganese ore had been shipped Most
Of this ore contained from 81 To 80 per
cent or more OF metallic manganese
ore contains only TO 3 per cont of
iron. but that from the Tip Top Tun-
mel is rather high in phosphorus. some
shipments having contained nearly
shipments from this deposit. however.
show only one-fourth of per cent Of
phosphorus. and those from the West
Tintic district show less than one
twentieth of l per cent.
TIP Tor TUNNEL. NINE
PRODUCES MANY ToNS
Two mines: the Tip Top Tunnel aud
mine working the Black Jack
group. are now producing altogether
about 40 tons month The produce
ton IN the West Tintic district could
probably to several times that amount
II reasonably cheap transportation to
the railroad could be had. ore is now
being hauled twcnty-eieht miles bv
team from the Black Jack Mine to Luz
GENE. on branch OF the Los Angeles
&. salt Lake Railway, at a cost Of 1915
a short ton. Ore from other deposits
nearby would have 10 be hauled ono
TO live miles farther. and few OF them
are reached by good roads. It Is said
that the railroad company and Others
branch line from the Los Angelic \
Salt Lake Railway northwestward
through the West Tintic district.
Ores of different grades are more or
less intimately mixed in most OF the
deposits and II is uncertain whether
the grades can be readily separated
either by selective mining or by some
easy method OF concentration.
Estimates based in part upon exam.
nations made by Mr., Pardee and in
part on reports that are believed 10 DO
trustworthy indicate that there are in
sight more than 500 tons of ore carry
ing more than 40 per cent OF manga
ncse and between ) and II per cent of
silica. and probably in reserve more
than 5000 tons of ore OF this grade
The reserve of carrying - to 40
per cent manganese and high silica
probably will exceed 10000 tons.
Practically all the mining has been
done by lessees. who pay the owners
royalties of 20 per cent on the net re-
turns at one mine and $3.50 ton at
another. Wages ara s4.75 to So a day,
and labor for the smaller mines mas
not been difficult to obtain
ORE nODIES GENERALITY
FORM IRREGULAR BRANCHES,
The ore bodies In general form very
irregular branching pods, lenses. o,
pipes that lie along the upper parts OF
jaspery quartz lodes In limestone.
uuartzite. or shale. Most OF them ex,
tend nearly to the surface and tho
lower limit OF two or three of them, ia
about 100 feet. The largest bodies yet
developed are at least 100 feet long
and Is TO 90 feet In diameter In their
(continuedl on Seventh Pagey 80