74 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



i^ miles below Fullerville, from which 15 tons of talc a day were 

 taken. The company is planning the construction of a new mill 

 to be located at Gouverneur. 



A talc deposit in the vicinity of Natural Bridge, Lewis co., has 

 attracted some attention recently, though nothing more than a 

 little exploration has been done thus far at the locality. Speci- 

 mens of the mineral show an earthy or amorphous texture resem- 

 bling rather the talc from the southern states than that from 

 St Lawrence county. 



The fibrous and foliated talc is marketed mostly among paper 

 nianufacturers. The former variety is particularly adapted for 

 filling book and writing papers in which a smooth finish is de- 

 sirable, and for that purpose is considered superior to kaolin in 

 that it is more readily incorporated with the paper stock and at 

 the same time makes a stronger tissue. The St Lawrence county 

 talc has become a staple article in both the domestic and foreign 

 paper trades. Large quantities are exported to Germany, where 

 it competes with the best German clays. It is also shipped to 

 Austria, Italy, France, Great Britain and other countries. The 

 foliated talc is prepared separately and finds special employment 

 in wall paper manufacture for giving a lustrous finish to the sur- 

 face, such as was formerly produced by the use of ground mica. 



ZINC AND LEAD 



The deposits of zinc blende near Edwards and Fowler, St Law- 

 rence CO., described in preceding issues of this report, remained 

 idle throughout the past year and as yet no shipments have been 

 made from either locality. Their development so far has given 

 very promising results which will lead, no doubt, to a resumption 

 of operations as soon as the present legal difficulties are removed. 



The old lead mines in the towns of Rossie and Macombj 

 St Lawrence co., have received some attention during the year. 

 The mine near Pierces Corners has been under exploration by 

 O. J. David of Gouverneur. The formation of a company under 

 the title of the St Lawrence Lead Mining & Developing Co. was 

 effected for the purpose of carrying on exploration and mining 

 work in this section. 



The mine near Otisville, Orange co., once owned by the Wash- 

 ington Mining Co., has been under development by the Phoenix 

 Lead Co. of Paterson, N. J. The vein is reported to be 6 feet 

 wide. It carries galena and zinc blende. No ore was shipped 

 during 1907. 



