THE MINING AND QUARRY INDUSTRY IQO/ 27 



FELDSPAR 



The output of this mineral is won from occurrences of pegmatite 

 that are found in the Adirondacks and in the southeastern section 

 of the State. The quarries near Bedford, Westchester co., have 

 suppHed in recent years most of the feldspar suitable for pottery 

 uses, while the Adirondack quarries have furnished material for 

 roofing purposes, poultry grit and to a limited extent for pottery. 

 Quartz is always associated with the feldspar and it is sometimes 

 utilized as well. 



The combined production of feldspar and quartz in 1907 

 amounted to 8723 long tons valued at $36,230. The total compares 

 with 13,660 long tons valued at $44,350 in the preceding year. The 

 value of the feldspar sold to pottery makers ranges from about $3 

 per ton for the crude to $7 per ton for the ground product, at the 

 quarries or mills. The quantity sold for other purposes has net 

 been included in the totals. 



The quarries near Bedford, lowned by P. H. Kinkel's Sons, have 

 been the most important producers of pottery feldspar. A part of 

 their output is ground before shipment. The quartz is sold to the 

 Bridgeport Wood Finishing Co. for manufacture into wood filler. 

 The Hobby quarry, in the town of Northcastle, opened by Otto 

 Buresch, was also worked in 1907 by P. H. Kinkel's Sons. The 

 feldspar occurs here in very large massive crystals, with little tend- 

 ency toward the usual intergrowth with quartz, a feature of con- 

 siderable importance in quarry work. 



In the Adirondack region, the Claspka Mining Co. and the Inter- 

 national Mineral Co. have been active during the past year. The 

 quarry owned by the former company is situated near Batcheller- 

 ville, Saratoga co., and the output is shipped to potteries. The 

 International Mineral Co. has a quarry and mill near Rock pond. 

 Essex CO., west of Ticonderoga. The pegmatite is crushed and 

 shipped unsorted for roofing material, for which purpose it takes 

 the place of common gravel, but is considered superior to the latter 

 owing to the fact that the feldspar with its smooth cleavage planes 

 has greater adhesive properties when applied to tarred surfaces. 

 The smaller sizes made in crushing the pegmatite are sold for 

 poultry grit. 



A new enterprise that began production in the early part of the 

 l)rescnt year is the Crown Point Spar Co., with a quarry near 

 Crown Point, Essex co. The pegmatite occurs in the midst of 

 gneissoid granite and apparently is a coarse j)hasc of the granitic 



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