PART II. 



DESCRIPTION OF MINES. 



INTRODUCTION. 



MICA, in more or less clear sheets, and to some extent 

 of merchantable quality, has been found in every 

 county lying within the crystalline area of Alabama. 



Comparatively little actual mining worthy of the name 

 has however as yet been attempted, taking into consider- 

 ation the possible extent and value of the indicated de- 

 posits, such recoveries as have been attempted being 

 largely inexperienced, with limited knowledge therefore 

 of the ordinary peculiarities and characteristics govern- 

 ing mica occurrences ; handicapped by insufficient equip- 

 ment, crude as to methods employed, and quite universal- 

 ly abandoned at water level. 



Although the output of some of these mines has been 

 large, and continuously satisfactory, with few exceptions 

 there has been no competent effort made to grade and 

 prepare the accumulated mica stocks recovered in such 

 form as to realize or in fact approximate their actual 

 market value if prepared in accordance with ruling mar- 

 ket conditions and specifications. Generally speaking, 

 these stocks have in consequence been disposed of on the 

 run-of-mine basis at low and unprofitable prices. 



With practically no scrap or by-product utilization ; 

 the earnings of the mines most of them wholly basing 

 in consequence upon some three to ten, or at most, fifteen 

 per cent, of their actual gross tonnage output, and under 

 the crude and unnecessarily costly methods of recovery 

 used, the frequently unprofitable character of the mica 

 industry in Alabama up to the present time is quite eas- 

 ily understandable, and to a very considerable extent, is 

 clearly remediable. 



The future successful operation of these mines upon 

 any permanent basis will in large measure depend, (as 

 has been found to be the case elsewhere) , upon the proper 



