THE BARITE DEPOSITS OF MISSOURI 101 



1916, the price for crude barite reached a maximum of $6.20 a 

 ton at the shipping points. It dropped to about $5.20 in June and 

 is steady at about that price. As a result, Missouri's production 

 will probably be larger than at any time in her history. Old dis- 

 tricts are producing much more barite than normally and many 

 new areas are making important productions for the first time. 

 It is generally believed that this new stimulus will be lasting, es- 

 peciaHy in view of the large demand for crude barite created by 

 the new barium chemical industry. 



The barite is prepared either at the Point Milling and Manu- 

 facturing Company's plant at Mineral Point, Missouri, in the 

 midst of the producing area, or at the factories of Nielson, Klein 

 and Co., Krausse Mfg. Co., or Finck Mining and Milling Co., all 

 of St. Louis, Missouri. 



Mining. — The major part of the barite is obtained at an 

 average depth of about four or five feet. Holes more than 10 

 or 12 feet deep are rare, altho a few go down as far as 18 or 20 

 feet. According to the miners, artificial ventilation is necessary 

 in these deeper holes. 



The predominating method of mining is to sink a small pit, 

 about 3 feet, 6 inches to 4 feet across, until the barite is reached, 

 and then to widen out the bottom until the sides are undercut 

 from 3 to 5 feet (PI. X.). If the barite is uniformly distributed, 

 this width is carried to the bottom of the clay; if not, only the 

 important parts are mined. As a rule, all the material associated 

 with the barite is thrown out of the pits, altho some miners do 

 not remove more than is absolutely necessary. The miner always 

 tries to remove the barite in the area between the pits, and, thus, 

 he finally succeeds in getting all there is on his lot, which is 

 usually 60 feet square. Occasionally the undercutting or drift- 

 ing is carried as much as 8 to 10 feet from the pit, especially 

 when the pit is of windlass depth or greater. (PI. IX, B) In 

 such cases drifting is easier than sinking another shaft. These 

 underground drifts frequently connect with adjacent shafts, 

 thereby making possible the development of a good circulation of 

 air. A fire or some heated stones are sometimes placed in the 

 bottom of one shaft to produce an "up-cast", while the working 

 pit becomes the "down-cast." Where the barite is at the surface, 



