RECONNAISSANCE OF THE BORAX DEPOSITS OF DEATH 
VALLEY AND MOHAVE DESERT. 
Bv Marius R. Campbell. 
INTRODUCTION. 
The occurrence of deposits of borax in the United States, so far as 
known, is limited to the States of California, Nevada, and Oregon. 
The industry has passed through several stages of development since 
its inception in this country. Originally borax was obtained by 
evaporating the waters of Clear Lake, about 80 miles north of San 
Francisco, where it was first produced on a commercial scale in 1864. 
Subsequently the lake water was enriched by the addition of crystal- 
line biborate of soda, which was collected from the alkaline marsh 
surrounding the lake. The industry flourished at this and other lakes 
in California until, in the early seventies, borax in large quantity and 
in a very pure condition was discovered on many of the alkaline 
marshes of western Nevada and eastern California. Refining plant- 
were established in the vicinity of Columbus, New. and at several 
points in California, the most important of the latter being in San 
Bernardino County, at Searles's marsh, west of the Slate Range; in 
Inyo County, near Resting Spring; and at the mouth of Furnace 
Creek in Death Valley. These plants flourished for a time, even 
though the finished product in many cases had to be transported by 
teams to the railroad, a hundred miles distant; but the increased pro- 
duction of borax in this country, together with the importation of 
large amounts from Italy, so reduced the price that in a tew years 
most of the plants were abandoned. 
About 1890 it was found that the borax crust on most of the marshes 
is a secondary deposit, being derived from the leaching of beds of 
borate of lime in the -Tertiary lake sediments that abound in the 
region. This discovery revolutionized the borax industry, for the 
bedded deposits are much more extensive, are more easily accessible, 
and are in a purer condition than the marsh crusts. The marshes 
were abandoned and a mine was established on a bedded deposit at 
