ALABAMA MICA DEPOSITS 73 



was first opened up by a shaft, from which a favorable 

 recovery of large crystals of weathered and clay stained 

 surface mica was made. 



From the bottom of this shaft, at a depth of 10 feet, a 

 slope has been driven down following the dip of the peg- 

 matite immediately under the hanging wall, at a slope 

 angle of 30-35, due S. in direction, for a length 

 of 62 feet. At the slope head, a quartz horse was blocked 

 out, and left standing for roof support. 



The pegmatite body followed is very irregularly lentic- 

 ular, with frequent intrusions of the peculiar red mica 

 gneiss walling, represented by exhibit sample, serial No. 

 117. The foot wall is apparently at no point reached 

 along the floor of the slope, kaolin showing in this floor. 

 The thickness of the dyke is therefore not determined, but 

 as far as proven is in excess of eight feet. The apparent 

 narrowing or pinching out at the bottom of the slope may 

 fte intrusive, or a roll in the foot wall. 



The special characteristics of the pegmatite, are a 

 coarse aggregate, the feldspar largely kaolinized, and a 

 dissemination of kaolin in small streaks through the mica 

 gneiss intrusions as shown by exhibit sample, serial No. 

 118. 



About 5 tons of mica, a large proportion of which was 

 flat sheet of fair sizes, some of it of very high grade, 

 was recovered in sinking this shaft and slope, most of 

 it being taken from the hanging wall contact, where a 

 number of fine crystals were still in place at the time of 

 the examination. 



Exhibit sample, serial No. 119, was taken from the roof 

 contact midway of the slope, and represents the grade of 

 mica recovery. It is an amber muscovite, in flat sheet, 

 carrying few imperfections and is free splitting, of very 

 satisfactory grade, indicating an expectancy of high grade 

 mica from this mine when carried down to the lower 

 levels, and fully developed. 



Occurrences of kaolin are in small streaks and beds 

 intermixed with granular quartz distributed uniformly 

 through the pegmatites. 



