﻿8a 
  

  

  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  The 
  mills, 
  all 
  of 
  which 
  are 
  run 
  in 
  connection 
  with 
  the 
  mines, 
  

   number 
  seven 
  or 
  eight 
  in 
  all. 
  They 
  have 
  a 
  combined 
  capacity 
  of 
  

   about 
  100,000 
  tons 
  of 
  prepared 
  talc 
  a 
  year. 
  With 
  one 
  or 
  two 
  ex- 
  

   ceptions 
  they 
  are 
  situated 
  along 
  the 
  Oswegatchie 
  river 
  in 
  the 
  

   stretch 
  between 
  Edwards 
  and 
  Gouverneur, 
  the 
  sites 
  being 
  selected 
  

   with 
  reference 
  to 
  water 
  power 
  facilities. 
  

  

  The 
  reduction 
  of 
  the 
  talc 
  is 
  accomplished 
  in 
  several 
  stages. 
  The 
  

   lump 
  talc, 
  as 
  mined, 
  is 
  first 
  broken 
  in 
  a 
  jaw 
  crusher 
  of 
  the 
  Blake 
  

   type. 
  The 
  broken 
  product 
  is 
  then 
  run 
  through 
  a 
  cone 
  grinder 
  or 
  

   through 
  rolls 
  where 
  it 
  is 
  reduced 
  to 
  i 
  inch 
  size 
  or 
  less. 
  In 
  the 
  

   third 
  stage 
  the 
  crushed 
  product 
  may 
  be 
  ground 
  between 
  burstones 
  

   of 
  special 
  manufacture 
  or 
  in 
  a 
  centrifugal 
  grinder 
  of 
  which 
  the 
  

   Griffin 
  mill 
  is 
  the 
  common 
  type. 
  After 
  this 
  grinding 
  the 
  finest 
  

   material 
  may 
  be 
  removed 
  by 
  screening 
  or 
  by 
  fans 
  which 
  blow 
  it 
  

   into 
  settling 
  chambers 
  and 
  forms 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  grades 
  for 
  the 
  market. 
  

   The 
  remainder 
  undergoes 
  a 
  final 
  reduction 
  in 
  pebble 
  mills. 
  Alsing 
  

   cylinders 
  are 
  generally 
  employed 
  for 
  the 
  last 
  stage. 
  They 
  are 
  8 
  

   or 
  10 
  feet 
  long 
  and 
  6 
  feet 
  in 
  diameter 
  and 
  are- 
  lined 
  with 
  porcelain 
  

   brick. 
  They 
  make 
  from 
  20 
  to 
  25 
  revolutions 
  a 
  minute. 
  Their 
  

   charge 
  consists 
  of 
  about 
  i 
  ton 
  of 
  talc 
  and 
  3 
  tons 
  of 
  flint 
  pebbles. 
  

   The 
  grinding 
  of 
  a 
  single 
  charge 
  takes 
  from 
  2 
  to 
  5 
  hours 
  depending 
  

   upon 
  the 
  grade 
  of 
  product 
  that 
  is 
  desired. 
  The 
  fibrous 
  character 
  

   of 
  the 
  talc 
  is 
  maintained 
  throughout 
  the 
  grinding 
  to 
  the 
  end 
  

   product 
  so 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  difficult 
  to 
  size 
  the 
  ground 
  talc 
  by 
  screening; 
  

   consequently 
  the 
  grades 
  of 
  fiber 
  are 
  generally 
  regulated 
  by 
  the 
  

   duration 
  of 
  the 
  final 
  grinding 
  process. 
  

  

  The 
  foliated 
  talc 
  undergoes 
  essentially 
  the 
  same 
  treatment. 
  The 
  

   coarser 
  grades 
  as 
  finished 
  have 
  a 
  scaly 
  appearance 
  much 
  like 
  

   ground 
  mica 
  and 
  can 
  be 
  used 
  as 
  a 
  substitute 
  in 
  some 
  of 
  its 
  appli- 
  

   cations. 
  This 
  variety 
  is 
  ground 
  also 
  to 
  an 
  impalpable 
  powder 
  and 
  

   employed 
  for 
  the 
  same 
  purposes 
  as 
  massive 
  talc. 
  The 
  milling 
  of 
  

   either 
  variety 
  represents 
  the 
  greater 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  expense 
  of 
  produc- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  the 
  talc 
  for 
  the 
  market. 
  

  

  The 
  finished 
  product 
  is 
  shipped 
  in 
  sacks 
  holding 
  50 
  pounds 
  each. 
  

   Quotations 
  are 
  made 
  from 
  Gouverneur 
  as 
  shipping 
  point, 
  though 
  

   the 
  mills 
  along 
  the 
  Oswegatchie 
  river 
  are 
  near 
  the 
  line 
  of 
  the 
  Gou- 
  

   verneur 
  & 
  Oswegatchie 
  railroad 
  and 
  their 
  output 
  is 
  loaded 
  directly 
  

   into 
  cars. 
  The 
  product 
  of 
  the 
  mills 
  ofif 
  the 
  line 
  of 
  this 
  railroad 
  is 
  

   hauled 
  by 
  teams 
  to 
  Gouverneur. 
  

  

  Uses. 
  The 
  talc 
  from 
  this 
  district, 
  as 
  already 
  stated, 
  is 
  mainly 
  

   used 
  in 
  the 
  paper 
  trade. 
  The 
  fibrous 
  product 
  goes 
  into 
  book 
  and 
  

  

  