Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-02-16
BY II. w.
Assistant State GeoIogist

oSNNO ASOAO9t
New Jersey possesses mineral re.
sources of greater variety, impor-
lance and value than is generally
understood to be the case even by
its W citizens. 1t ranks among the
states in mineral production is
quite creditable. II is twenty-sec-
ond on the basis of total value of
products, while on the basis of value
OF production per square mile it is
third. The total value OF the
states output in 1920 was s82,134.-
s33, according to figures collected
Jointly by the United States Geolog-
ical Survey and the New Jersey De-
partnlent of Conservation and De-
velopment. This department fur
nishea Information regarding min
oral reseurces. continues the work
Of the. cid New jersey Geological
Survey in the investigation of min
eral deposits. and helps in their fur
Their development in every possible
way.
CIass
Ciays constitute one of natures
greatest gifts to New Jersey. For
TWO centuries these ciays have been
exploited ana yet there Is apparently
plenty left for a long time to come.
For years New Jersey has held a
st4&At tohA dIttOH8 blS bLaLSS AE ~
nF0ducer OF clays anG clay products.
For q long tine the value of the
nales Of crude or raw" clay. mined
ana sold az such, exceeded that of
any other state. The sales of raw
clay In 1896 were 254.613 short tons
valued at $~1.e56,s67; while thou
sands of tons additional, never Of
Hered fer sale, went directly into the
making of various clay products.
It 10 probable that the New Jer-
sey clay industry goes back to very
early colonial times. Some authors
ties say that the remains of an old
kiln fire hole found a mile or two
below South Amboy were most prob
ably built by the Dutch to make
stew pans and pots. DR.. Daniel
Ccxe. q former governor OF West
New Jersey, was probably the first
70 make whitewars in the Colonies,
Cor in leas he made an offer of sale
In which he said: II have erected
. pottery at Burlington for white
and chiney ware q create quantity to
re value of 1900 Il have already been
made and vended in ye Country,
neighher Colonies, and We Islands
OF Barbados and Jamaica, where
they are in great request. ] have two
houses and kills with all necessary
implements. diverse workmen. and-
other servants. Have expended there
on about 1000 pounds sterling" IL.
A. Barber, POTTERY and Porcelain
of the United States."o
Common brick are known to have
been made near Trenton as early
as 1885, stoneware was made about
1900 at Old Bridge. from clay OBJ
tanned near South Anhoy: while fire.
brick were made in Boston In 1915
from fire clay shipped from Weed
bridge. By 1856 enough clay was
being taken annually from the pits
at Perth Amboy, Woodbridge, and
South Amboy for the manufacture of
50.00o.00o firebrick. In 1852 one
small pottery was in operation at
Trenton; in 1879 there were nineteen
potteries there; while by 1903 this
great pottery center had grown to
forty pottefies. with $50 kilns. pro-
dueing over s~s,o00,o0o worth of pot
terry annually.
Clay for common brick is widely
distributed in New Jersey, and is uti-
lized at present by about thirty man..
nfacturers. The plants are usually
located to supply some large town.
For example,: A brickyard at Bak-
efsyille supplies Atlantic City; a yard
at Bordentown supplements Tren-
tons local yards, Delair and Maple
Shade supply most of Camden's
needs; South River supplies New
Brunswick; Whippany takes eare Of
Merristowni Eatentown of Red Bank
Howell of Freehold: while Bridge
ton and Pennington have local yards
of their own. A group of makers OF
common brick S a great deposit of
glacial clay neal Hackensack and
Little Ferry: and supply the many
surrounding places within motor
truck distance. This Hackensaek
clay Is exceptional in being composed
of the fine product of glacial grind
Ing. deposited in an ancient bay or
lake by a steam issuing from the