82 - Phosphate Rocks of South Carolina, 
Carolina, passed March Ist, 1870, this Company has 
the sole right to excavate those phosphatic deposits 
which underlie the navigable waters of the State. 
Before commencing active operations, the Company 
employed Professor Charles U. Shepard, Jr., of the 
Medical College of South Carolina, to ascertain the 
quality and quantity of the rock which lay at their 
disposition. In his report he alludes to the alleged 
superiority of land deposits over the marine, and, 
after citing his own analysis in support of his opinion, 
writes : “‘ These comparisons may serve to show that, 
given a good or poor deposit, the mere exposure to 
water, for even great length of time, does not affect 
it materially. There are very poor marine and river 
deposits, but one would zo¢ have to search very far or 
zz vain, 1 am sorry to say, for corresponding land beds. 
There are very rich land deposits, du¢ as rich marine. 
No large deposit is entirely uniform in character, but 
the difference between one deposit and another has 
little to do with the present physical geography.” 
Having command of vast and practically inex- 
haustible beds, the Company has decided to work 
only those of the highest grade. At present, opera- 
tions are carried on in the Wando, Stono, Edisto, 
Beaufort, Bull River, and other points, concerning 
whose quality Professor Shepard has given the follow- 
ing opinions. Of the Wando, he writes: “ Carefully 
cleaned the rock will analyze 58 to 62 per cent. Bone 
Phosphate of Lime.” Of the Stono deposit: “ I have 
subjected several samples to the chemical analysis, 
and am happy to state that the vock zs of high grade. 
