New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1919-10-29
CLAYS AND SHALES OF MINNESO-
ia.


in the building trades gives interest
ito all deposits Of clay or shale that
promise to yield material which can
be made into bricks, tiles, sewer pipe,
or draintile, and this interest is made
greater by the increasing cost OF lurn-
Der and by the obvious necessity OF
reducing our enormous fire loss by con-
structing freproof buildings.
Deposits Of clay, shale, and slate are
abundant and widespread, and many
communities are paying transportation
charges on large quantities of them and
of their products, which are brought
from afar while deposits that will yield
products equally good lie close at hand.
Only detailed examinations and tests
can make known the quantity and
quality of the material Of these deposits,
and such examinations should form a
part Of a country wide detailed survey
made to determine the location, guam
tity, and value Of our unutilized mineral
wealth.
Such survey for clays and shales
has been made of the State OF Mime
sofa, and it's results are given In full
in a report just published by the United
States Geological Survey, Department
Of the Interior, as Bulletin 678, which
is entitled "Clays and Shales Of Mime
sota.': The work was done by Frank
F. Grout, the author Of the report, and
by other members Of the Minnesota
Geological Survey, in cooperation with
the Federal Geological Survey. The
bulletin describes the distribution, orr
gin, properties, and adaptability of the
cfays and shales of the State, Classics
them by uses, origin, and properties,
and gives the results of chemical analyses
and physical tests. Attempts were made
| to test ali the more extensive deposits
Efficiently to show the purpose to which
| they are best adapted. The geologic
| formations Of the State and their clay
deposits are briefly, described, the gen
eral distribution of the several types of
clay is shown, and the detailed dis
tribution of the clays Of the State is
described by counties.
/ The specific objects Of the work done
were to determine the supply of brick
clay available for every town Of a thous-
and or more inhabitants in the State
and for every county, to ascertain the
extent of certain deposits that are now
utilized at only few places, to find
new deposits, and to determine the
qualities of the clays in the deposits and
of certain mixtures in order to find
whether it is possible to make from them
refractory wares, pottery, paving brick,
and other high-grade products.
i The broader problems of ceramics
!. are considered only incidentally, but
some of the conclusions of the Ameri-
can Ceramic Society, Of the United
. States Bureau Of Standards, and OF
certain State geological surveys are
briefly reviewed in order that they may
s be more readily available for technical
and commercial use.
The bulletin contains a map Of Min
s nesota showing the distribution Of clays,
a general geologic section Of the State,
!. and numerous county maps, views,
s: diagrams, and local graphic sections.
q A notable feature of the bulletin is a
section on the technology of clay by
i p. r. Soper, describing the methods
used in prospecting for clay, the loca-
ton and operation Of clay plants, the
preparation Of the clay for burning
and the hlns and fuels used. The
bulletin can be- obtained free Of charge
by applying to the Director Of the
!! United States Geological Survey al
Washington, D. G.