70 UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI STUDIES 



Areal distribution.— The areal distribution of the barite de- 

 posits in the Washington County district is the same as that of 

 the Potosi and Proctor outcrops. Not all outcrops are overlain 

 by barite deposits, however, for little barite is found in the lower 

 part of the Potosi, except as noted above. The lower part of 

 the Potosi formation found east of the Iron Mountain Railroad 

 is nearly barren of any deposits. 



The most productive areas are as follows: (1) around Po- 

 tosi and in the area to the northwest of the town; (2) from the 

 Potosi branch of the Iron Mountain Railroad north along the 

 western and eastern sides of the railroad to Big River; (3) 

 around Shibboleth, Old Mines, and Racila; (4) on the Amaux 

 branch of Mineral Fork; (5) around Kingston and up the Min- 

 eral Fork for two or three miles above the village; (6) to the 

 east and northeast of Richwoods; (4) around Fletcher on the 

 Calico; and (8) on Hazel Creek, about 20 miles southwest of the 

 barite district proper. 



Some of these areas have been worked since the beginning 

 of the barite industry in this district, about 1870, and are still 

 producing considerable quantities of barite. In the main they 

 are the areas which are near the railroad. With the present high 

 price of barite many of the old diggings are being reworked. Six 

 or eight miles from the railroad the diggings are worked only 

 when the price of barite is high, unless good roads for winter 

 hauling are available. Such districts are Old Mines and Kings- 

 ton. These areas still produce much good barite. The Rich- 

 woods district, the Wilson Creek diggings northwest of Potosi, 

 and the Hazel Creek district are as yet but slightly developed. 

 They contain some excellent deposits which are unfavorably lo- 

 cated for transportation. 



In the Central district, the mines on Gravois Creek south- 

 east of Versailles are the most important. A small sporadic pro- 

 duction comes from around Brouses in Miller County. Another 

 area is to the northwest, west, and southwest of Henley. 



CONCENTRATION OF THE BARITE BY WEATHERING 



The present workable deposits of barite owe their origin to 

 the ordinary processes of chemical weathering, aided to a certain 



