fisher.]  BENTONITE    DEPOSITS    OF    WYOMING.  563 
The  Benton  group  is  well  developed  in  the  Bighorn  basin,  being 
represented  by  1,200  to  1,500  feet  of  beds.  At  many  localities  in  the 
north  half  of  the  basin  bentonite  deposits  were  observed,  usually 
occurring  in  the  shales  about  100  feet  below  the  Mowrie  1mm Is. 
The  mining  of  bentonite  has  been  carried  on  in  Wyoming  since 
1888,  although  the  output  has  at  no  time  been  large.  Prior  to  1896 
Mr.  William  Taylor  had  shipped  5,400  tons  from  his  quarry  near 
Rock  Creek  station.  This  material  was  sold  at  $25  per  ton,  making  a 
total  value  of  $13,500.  In  1897  Doctor  Linscott  opened  a  new  bank 
of  clay,  apparently  identical  with  the  Taylor  product,  G  miles  south 
of  Rock  Creek,  on  the  south  slope  of  the  Spring  Creek  anticline. 
The  beds  in  this  vicinity  are  said  to  extend  for  several  miles.  Later 
in  the  season  Messrs.  P^dgar  and  Thole  began  operations  on  the 
deposits  near  Newcastle,  Wyo.  The  production  of  the  Linscott 
quarry  for  1897  amounted  to  150  tons  and  that  of  Edgar  and  Thole  to 
20  tons.  The  extent  of  the  clay  in  Weston  County  is  considerable, 
the  formation  extending  north  and  west  from  Newcastle,  apparently 
nearly  to  Moorcroft.  The  railroad  passes  along  this  exposure,  mak- 
ing it  possible  to  operate  banks  at  several  stations  between  these 
points.  The  material  at  present  has  a  market  value  of  about  $5  a 
ton.  This  industry  is  of  but  little  importance  at  present,  but  it  is 
believed  that  a  thorough  investigation  of  the  clay  with  a  view  to 
ascertaining  its  utility  might  prove  profitable. 
