670 



Report of the State Geologist. 



The following analyses suffice to indicate the composition of the talc : 



III. IV. V. 



52.42 61.28 62.10 





I. 



II. 



Si0 2 . . . 



. . . 60.59 



59.92 



A1A ... 



. . . 0.13 | 







50 



Fe 3 3 . . . 



) 



FeO ... 



. . . 0.21 





MnO . . . 



. . . 1.16 



0.76 



MgO . . . 



. . . 34.72 



31.37 



CaO . . . 





0.57 



Na^O . . . 





0.48 



H 2 ... 



. . . 3.77 



6.25 



1.30 



2.15 



36.24 26.58 32.40 



2.05 



Total, . . . 100.58 99.85 88.66 87.86 100.00 



All of these are analyses of fibrous talc, except III, which is the foliated 

 variety. I and II are from Dana's System of Mineralogy, page 679; III and 

 IV from "The Mineral Industry," Volume I, page 425; and V is communi- 

 cated by Mr. A. J. McDonald, Superintendent of the International Pulp 

 Company, to whom the writer is indebted for much information used in the 

 preparation of this report. 



The figures shown in I, II and V agree quite well with the theoretical 

 composition of talc, and present some features which seem difficult to 

 reconcile with the hypothesis oifered to account for the formation of the 

 deposits, notably the small amount of lime and alumina. Bat it is probable 

 that these analyses are made on selected samples, and that the average com- 

 position of the product of the mines would show more of these impurities. 

 Moreover, the thickness of the deposits makes it possible to mine only the 

 best and most completely altered material, thus tending to keep the average 

 composition fairly close to the theoretical percentages. That there are, how - 

 ever, wide variations, is shown by the incomplete analyses, III and IV, which 

 probably represent the ground product. 



During the past year the industry has been in a fairly active state, though 

 not so flourishing as formerly. The output for the year is estimated, by a 

 competent authority, to be about forty thousand tons. The selling price of 

 the finished product ranges from seven to twelve dollars, depending upon the 

 quality. 



The great bulk of the product is used as a filler and weigh ter in the 

 manufacture of the medium grades of paper. Its value here is a result of its 



