﻿THE 
  MINING 
  AND 
  QUARRY 
  INDUSTRY 
  I908 
  87 
  

  

  United 
  States 
  Talc 
  Co. 
  and 
  the 
  several 
  properties 
  of 
  the 
  Interna- 
  

   tional 
  Pulp 
  Co., 
  the 
  largest 
  producer 
  in 
  the 
  district. 
  A 
  new 
  com- 
  

   pany, 
  the 
  Uniform 
  Fiber 
  Talc 
  Co., 
  is 
  at 
  present 
  opening 
  a 
  mine 
  

   just 
  west 
  of 
  Talcville. 
  

  

  Mining 
  is 
  all 
  underground. 
  The 
  general 
  practice 
  in 
  the 
  district 
  

   does 
  not 
  differ 
  materially 
  from 
  the 
  method 
  employed 
  in 
  working 
  

   other 
  deposits 
  which 
  are 
  similarly 
  situated, 
  though 
  of 
  course 
  the 
  

   soft 
  and 
  slippery 
  nature 
  of 
  the 
  material 
  necessitates 
  that 
  the 
  pillars 
  

   left 
  for 
  roof 
  support 
  should 
  be 
  of 
  large 
  size. 
  The 
  workings 
  are 
  

   reached 
  through 
  inclines 
  carried 
  down 
  on 
  the 
  footwall. 
  In 
  case 
  

   the 
  bed 
  is 
  not 
  over 
  15 
  feet 
  or 
  so 
  in 
  thickness 
  a 
  single 
  drift 
  is 
  run 
  

   from 
  either 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  incline 
  at 
  intervals 
  of 
  about 
  50 
  feet. 
  The 
  

   drift 
  is 
  carried 
  nearly 
  the 
  full 
  width 
  of 
  the 
  bed 
  and 
  connected 
  with 
  

   the 
  level 
  above 
  at 
  short 
  intervals 
  by 
  upraises, 
  after 
  which 
  the 
  talc 
  

   is 
  removed 
  between 
  the 
  levels, 
  leaving 
  pillars 
  25 
  feet 
  square 
  or 
  more 
  

   to 
  support 
  the 
  roof. 
  With 
  a 
  bed 
  of 
  greater 
  thickness 
  two 
  drifts 
  

   may 
  be 
  run 
  on 
  the 
  same 
  level, 
  leaving 
  a 
  wall 
  of 
  talc 
  between 
  to 
  

   assist 
  in 
  supporting 
  .the 
  roof. 
  

  

  Both 
  machine 
  drills 
  of 
  the 
  percussion 
  type 
  and 
  hand 
  drills 
  are 
  

   employed 
  in 
  the 
  mines. 
  The 
  talc 
  is 
  easily 
  penetrated, 
  though 
  the 
  

   holes 
  must 
  be 
  cleaned 
  at 
  frequent 
  intervals 
  to 
  prevent 
  binding 
  of 
  

   the 
  drills, 
  and 
  on 
  that 
  account 
  the 
  machines 
  have 
  not 
  the 
  usual 
  

   advantage 
  over 
  hand 
  work 
  as 
  regards 
  economy. 
  The 
  rock 
  is 
  

   blasted 
  by 
  dynamite. 
  It 
  splits 
  readily 
  along 
  the 
  bedding 
  or 
  cleav- 
  

   age 
  planes. 
  The 
  large 
  blocks 
  or 
  slabs 
  from 
  blasting 
  are 
  reduced 
  

   by 
  sledges 
  to 
  a 
  size 
  convenient 
  for 
  handling. 
  From 
  the 
  stopes 
  the 
  

   talc 
  is 
  loaded 
  into 
  cars 
  and 
  run 
  out 
  to 
  the 
  incline 
  where 
  it 
  is 
  

   dumped 
  into 
  skips 
  for 
  hoisting 
  to 
  the 
  surface. 
  It 
  is 
  aimed 
  to 
  leave 
  

   the 
  gritty 
  and 
  impure 
  talc 
  in 
  the 
  walls 
  and 
  pillars 
  and 
  to 
  send 
  only 
  

   the 
  milling 
  grade 
  to 
  the 
  surface. 
  

  

  Preparation 
  for 
  the 
  market. 
  The 
  processes 
  in 
  use 
  for 
  grinding 
  

   and 
  preparing 
  the 
  talc 
  have 
  been 
  gradually 
  evolved 
  out 
  of 
  long- 
  

   continued 
  experimentation. 
  It 
  is 
  said 
  that 
  the 
  first 
  prepared 
  talc 
  

   sent 
  from 
  the 
  district 
  was 
  ground 
  in 
  a 
  gristmill. 
  With 
  the 
  dis- 
  

   covery 
  of 
  the 
  value 
  of 
  the 
  fibrous 
  variety 
  as 
  a 
  paper 
  filler 
  attention 
  

   was 
  given 
  to 
  the 
  methods 
  of 
  treatment 
  which 
  have 
  been 
  perfected 
  

   until 
  the 
  various 
  grades 
  now 
  marketed 
  arc 
  recognized 
  as 
  standard 
  

   and 
  find 
  general 
  favor 
  in 
  the 
  paper 
  trade. 
  The 
  development 
  of 
  the 
  

   industry 
  began 
  to 
  take 
  on 
  a 
  permanent 
  character 
  about 
  1880 
  and 
  

   in 
  the 
  next 
  decade 
  attained 
  nearly 
  its 
  present 
  importance. 
  

  

  