Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1929-12-19
Is Gathering
InfOrmation0l
NOn-Metal1iCS
Montana and the West Have
Mineral Resources That
Need Advertising.
MUCH DATA NOW
BEING ASSEMBLED

Many western mineral deposits now
undeveloped and little known may be-
come a source of wealth if western
manufacturers now using mineral
products obtained in the eastern
United States and in foreign countries
could be prevailed upon to use equally
suitable material from western states.
according to Mr.. Edwin Bates of the
U. S. Department of Commerce, in
recent convocation address at the
Montana School of Mines Mr.. Bates,
who is in charge of the Pacific North
west Commercial Survey, has been
carrying on rather extensive study
during the past two years of the
manufacturing industries of the west
ern United States and particularly
Of the Pacific coast, and also has
been studying the raw mineral prod
ucts available throughout the west
ern part of the country
This general survey of the west has
been divided into two parts, one in
volving California and the southern
Rockies, and another covering the
Pacific Northwest and the Northern
Rockies. Mr.. Bates has prepared a
bulletin, which will be published in
the near future, dealing with the man
ufacturing in California, the needs in
the way of raw material and the
sources Of raw material in that gem
eral region. He is now gathering in
! formation for report ON the north
ern portion, and it is in this connec-
ton that he has spent the fall Of
1929 in Montana investigating natural
resources. Although Montana is best
noted for its metallic minerals such
as copper, zinc and silver, it is the
non-metallic deposits such as paint
material or china clay that particu-
larly interest Mr.. Bates, because these
kinds of deposits have been least
exploited in Montana, and where
/ found they often offer very profit
able field Of endeavor While in Butte
Mr.. Bates spent part of his time
in the office and laboratories Of the
Montana State Bureau of Mines and
Geology, and on December gave an
! address to the general assembly of
the Montana School of Mines. Follow
ing is a part of Mr.. Bates address.
Often the development of indus
! try is unbalanced, said Mr.. Bates
j Thus it is as important for the miner
to consider the market as it is for
I him to mine ore cheaply. This fac
I tor has been we'll taken care of by the
Anaconda Copper Mining Company
which not only mines its ore econom-
ically but has also taken long strides
toward creating market for copper
by manufacturing finished copper
/ wire, by making brass, and by other
methods. On the other hand, although
1 the lumber industries have devoted
! their activities intensely to produc-
tion of lumber, in many cases sales
have not brought profit.
The changing of markets from time
to time is another very important
feature in sae of mineral products,
according to Mr.. Bates. Thus the
burning Of California fuel oil by ships
has killed an excellent market for
Utah coal, just as the introduction
Of the cyanidation process for silver
and gold recovery i'll the nineties prac-
tically ruined the mercury market.
The development Of fotation of sui
phide ores created a lively market
for pine oils from the southern states.
New methods in electroplating have
influenced the chrome market. Silver
in 1890 was largely used as coin, but
at present one Of the chief uses of
silver IL for the manufacture of mo-
ton picture film in which silver COM
pounds are an important ingredient.
One long embrace in movie film may
consume several ounces of silver.
The westward movement Of the GEN.
tiers Of industry is another point
brought out by Mr.. Bates. This is
H demonstrated by the purchase by the
United States Steel Corporation of
the Columbia Steel Company with its
steel plants, lands, iron mines and
coal mines One reason for this partic-
uar move is because II per cent of
the rail mileage Of the United States
IS in the western states. The large
tire companies, the Illinois Plate
, Glass Company, the Aluminium Com
pany of America, and many other
prominent industries are either erect
,, ing or contemplating plants ON the
,, Pacific Coast. Many of these indus
: tries do or could use local materials
This westward movement Of industry
has resulted in the development of
many of the abundant and wide va
rety of non-matallic mineral deposits
in California. A most notable example
is the paper industry which uses
large quantities of clay, limo, and dol
omite. Tale is becoming very import
ant also in paper manufacturing. Pc
troleum refining has developed Cali
fornia bentonite and fullers earth
deposits.
Much raw material is, however, still
shipped into California from distant
sources, partly because manufacturers
are reluctant to abandon a satisfactory
and long-used product, in favor of a
similar product unproven in its quail
ity and quantity. Thus glass sand
is shipped to California from Bel
GUM, and soda ash is shipped from
Michigan. Ocher, umber and sienna