92 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



same as in the previous year, or about $8.50 a ton; the prevailing 

 quotations for paper stock were between $8 and $9, with a slight 

 reduction for the coarser or inferior grades used for other purposes. 



Some interesting developments have taken place in the district 

 during the year. The most important, perhaps, was the entrance of 

 the Uniform Fibrous Talc Co. into the field of commercial opera- 

 tions. This company had been engaged for the last two years in 

 the opening of a mine near Talcville and the erection of a mill and 

 hydro-electric power plant ; it began active production in January 

 191 1. The body of talc that has been developed was long neglected 

 on account of the unpromising appearance of the outcrop, but the 

 explorations in depth have demonstrated the existence of a good 

 grade of mineral over a width of 30 feet or more as shown by some 

 of the stopes. Both fibrous and foliated varieties are found, with 

 sufficient of the former to give the mill product the desired quality 

 for the usual commercial applications of the Gouverneur talc. 



The present mill, a fire-proof concrete and steel structure, is only 

 partly equipped, being, about one-half the capacity that can be 

 obtained when the full complement of machinery is in place. The 

 process of grinding differs somewhat from that employed in the 

 other mills of the district and will be described elsewhere in this 

 article. The power plant that generates the electricity by which both 

 mine and mill are operated is situated on the west branch of the 

 Oswegatchie river, about a mile distant. The dam and power house 

 are built of reinforced concrete. A twin turbine direct connected 

 to a 75 -K.W. alternator supplies the present requirement of power, 

 but a second unit of similar capacity can be added if needed. 



The Ontario Talc Co. continued to operate the Potter mine which 

 is now in shape to supply a steady output. The mine is opened on 

 two levels for a horizontal distance of 300 feet, and the shaft is 

 being sunk in preparation for another level. The thickness of the 

 body ranges from 15 to 25 feet or more, with very little waste rock 

 exposed in the workings. It yields a white and very uniform 

 product in which there is a large proportion of fiber. A feature of 

 the mine is the occurrence of considerable masses of the long fiber 

 variety that much resembles asbestos. The mill of the Ontario Talc 

 Co. is about a mile south of the mine near Fullerville, on the west 

 branch of the Oswegatchie. It is operated by a local water power 

 which will probably be supplemented by other supply in the near 

 future, as the company intends to enlarge the milling capacity. 

 Improvements to that end are now under way. 



The other producer in the district, the International Pulp Co., 



