Newspapers / The Pilot (Southern Pines, … / Sept. 10, 1954, edition 1 / Page 11
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FRIDAY. SEPTEMBER 10. 1954 THE PILOT. Southern Pines. North Carolina PAGE NINE Stale Produces 90% National Output Moore County Has Statens Richest Deposits Of Mineral, Pyrophyltite Has Been Mined For 125 Years; Used To Be Called Soapstone By WADE LUCAS Although North Carolina is now producing more than 90 per cent of all the pyrophyUite mined commercially in the nation, this mineral with a name somewhat difficult to spell is said to he the least known and understood of all the minerals found in the State. In fact, pyrophyUite is mined comtaercially in only five of the State’s 100 counties. These coun ties are Randolph, Moore, Ala mance, Orange and Granville, and they are currently producing about 100,000 tons of pyrophilhte annually. Its estimated annual value is about $1,000,000. Moore County’s deposits of the mineral are the largest in the state and among the largest in the nation. Only one other State is said to have a sufficient quantity of this mineral to mine it commercially. This state is California. What is pyrophyUite and what are its principal uses? Dr. J. L. Stuckey, State geolo gist arid head of the Department of Conservation and Develop ment’s division of mineral re sources, supplies the answer. It is a non-metalUc mineral that bears a close resemblance to talc, an other North Carolina mineral product. PyrophyUite is a soft, greasy tfeeling mineral usually white cream or gray in color and occurs as crystals or in somewhat massive forms. ChemicaUy it is a hydrous siU- cate of aluminum, containing the oretically 66.7 percent of silica, 28.3 percent of alumina, and 5 percent water. PyrophyUite, which derives its name from the Greek words Pyr, meaning fire, and PhylUte, mean Telephone 2-6161 Powell Funeral Home D. A. BLUE. Jr. Soulhern Pines 24-Hour Ambulance Service ing stone, is an important indus trial mineral with a wire variety of uses in the ceramic and refrac tory trades, in the filler and paint industries, and in the prepara tion of insecticides and other compounds. Mined For 125 Years PyrophyUite has been mined in North CaroUna for more than 125 years. Dr. Stuckey says. Dur ing the early days of mining it was caUed talc or soapstone. It was not until 1862 that a scientist by the name of G. J. Brush correctly identified the strange mineral by the name it is now known. One of the first deposits mined for pyrophyUite was found on the Womble property about one and one-half miles north of the village of Glendon in Moore County. That pyrophyUite was used for tombstones before its industrial uses were discovered is seen in the number of old gravestones made of the mineral and found in the Glendon area. Some of the stones carry dates between 1840 and 1845. Geologists believe these stones were taken from the Glen don deposits. PyrophyUite was discovered about 1888 in an area about two and one-half miles southwest of Robbins in this county. The Rob bins mine is now the largest py rophyUite mining operation in North Carolina. New Deposits Formed During the 1930s new deposits were opened near Staley in Ran dolph county, and near Snow Camp in Alamance county. These mines are the chief sources of the so-called massive type pyro phyUite ore, which is used in re fractory and ceramic industries. Within the past several years additional deposits of pyrophyl- lite ore have been discovered and are being opened for production. These mines are located at HiUs- boro and on Bowlings Mountain, which is about three miles north west of Stem in Granville coun ty. All of the mines are of the quarry type except the one at Robbins, which is an under ground operation. Processing plants for handling of pyrophyl- lite are located at Robbins, Glen don, Staley and Greensboro. At these plants the ore is mixed or blended with ores from other mines and ground to very fine sizes before it is shipped to con sumers. At the Greensboro plant, however, the ground ore is used directly in the manufacture of refractory products. Geologists have long been in terested in the quite limited oc currence of this unique mineral and the rather complex way in which it is formed, according to CARTHAGE NEWS Sam Broadhurst, assistemt State geologist. In Ancient Rocks In North*Carolina, Broadhurst said, pyrophyUite deposits are found* only in a group of ancient volcanic rocks. These rocks are known to geologists as the Vol canic-Slate series. This series crosses the State in a northeast- southwest direction along the eastern section of the Piedmont region. How Formed Geologists say these rocks were formed by a series of long fissure type volcanos, which existed mil lions of years ago. Many of the rocks were thought to have been blown into the air as fragments and dust settling in water which! supposedly covered much of the area at that time. Some of the rocks are said to have been caus ed by ancient lava flows. After the formation O’f these rocks, they were badly mashed and folded by tremendous earth movements, possibly associated with the for mation of the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains. In certain parts of the volcan ic rock formations, where shear ing had been quite intense, hot solutions pushed up from below and reacted with the rocks, changing them to pyrophyUite. The process is known as replace ment and works in the same way that a tree becomes petrified. In many instances geologists and miners have found the original structures in the volcanic rocks are still preserved in the pyro phyUite rocks. Formation of pyrophyUite in these ancient volcanic rocks was not as simple as might first be imagined. Geologists believe it was accomplished in a series of stages which in s^me cases con sisted of a replacement of the vol canic rocks by quartz or silica, other members of the minerals family, and the subsequent re placement of these by the mineral known as pyrophyUite. In fact, most of these complex stages in the development of py rophyUite in North Carolina, geologists say, were determined by Dr. Stuckey, who made the first detailed study of the deposits cf this unique mineral. Within the past few years sev eral important minerals have been found closely associated with pyrophyUite in some of the deposits. Recently completed studies by Broadhurst and R. J. Councill, another gecligist with the C&D Department’s Division of Mineral Resources, reveal these minerals include andalusite, topaz, kyanite and diaspora, all of which are high in alumina and highly desirable for the manu facture of refractory products. By MRS. ALONZO BLUE Infants Baptized Mr. and Mrs. Neill McKeithen Clegg presented their infant son, Charles Cox, and Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Leroy Shoenfelt, Jr., of Shruboak, N. Y., presented their son, Oscar Leroy III, for the rite of baptism Sunday morning at the 11 o’clock worship service in the Carthage Presbyterian Church. The Rev. W. S. Golden officiated. Personals Miss Rebecca McDonald left Monday for East CaroUna CoUege in Greenville to begin her college course. Miss Traude SorreU of Ft. Bragg was the Sunday guest of Dr. and Mrs. Charles T. Grier. Henry Alexander is vacation ing with friends at Ocean Drive Beach this week. Mrs. Ruth MacLeod and sons, Curtis and Charles, were Sunday night dinner guests of Mr. and Mrs. M. B. Pleasants in Aber deen. Mr. and Mrs. Oscair Leroy Shoenfelt and little son, Oscar Leroy III, of Shruboak, N. Y., are visiting Mrs. Shoenfelt’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur H. Currie. Steve Arledge of Altavista, Va., was here over the weekend to visit Mrs. Arledge. Miss Ruth Tyson left last week to resume her position with the music faculty in the Raleigh City schools. Dr. and Mrs. Ernest Larkin of Washington, N. C., spent the weekend with Mr. and Mrs. R. G^ Wallace and Mrs. Alice Watson. Mrs. M. J. McPhail returned Sunday from a visit to relatives in Alabama and Florida. Mrs. Graheim CaldweU is spending 10 days in Washington, D. C., with relatives. Mrs. Curtis M. Muse left Sun day to spend two months with her son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. E. T. Weathersbee, in San Francisco, Calif. Mrs. Weath ersbee is the former Miss Martha Muse of Carthage. Mr. and Mrs. John Webb are staying with Mrs. M. J. McPhail during the tobacco sales. Mrs. S. H. Miller is visiting rel atives in Hickory. The Rev. and Mrs. Charles W. Worth and children, Lucy and Julia, of Whitevi\le visited Mrs. Worth’s mother, Mrs, Alonzo Blue Wednesday. Mr. and Mrs. Holt McNeill re turned Sunday night from, Wash ington, D. C., where they attend ed the Legion Convention and visited relatives. En route home they stopped over in Richmond, Va., and Henderson toi visit. Mrs. U. L. Barrett had as her guests Sunday Mr. and Mrs. James Craven and daughter, Nell, of Wilmington. Mr. and Mrs. Jimmie Clawson and children of Jacksonville were weekend guests of Mrs. W. R. Clegg. Maj. and Mrs. J. A. Lang, -Jr., and children of Washington, D. C., were weekend guests of Mr. and Mrs. Howard Gardner. Major Lang attended the Democratic rally'in Southern Pines Saturday night. Mrs. J. J. Flinchum continues ill and is a patient at Memorial Hospital, Chapel Hill. Mrs. W. L. McLean returned home Saturday from visits to her daughter, Mrs. E. W. Brofford, in Elon and son, H. G. McLean, at Haw River, Rt. 1. Mr. and Mrs. Harry Byrd of Branchville, S. C., and Mrs. E. C. Hines of Sanford were guests of Mrs. L. R. Sugg last Thursday. Worth McDonald left Tuesday to resume his studies at A. S^ T. C., Boone. Mrs. Neill McKay and sons, Neill III and Orren, of Greens boro spent Sunday with Mrs. Sadie K. WaU. Mr. and Mrs. N. A. McLeod vis ited relatives in Winston-Salem Stmday. Mr. and Mrs. John Kelly and children, Rosemary and Archie, spent last weekend touring the mountains in Western North Car olina. O. U.- Alexander visited coach L. G. Alexander in Boone over the weekend. EEROSii; Straight BouMBOM Whiskey EIGHT JEARS OLD NINETY PROOF years old BST*D.188S Melrose BOURBON « PROOF. STRAIGHT BOURBON WHISKEY. MELROSE DISTILLERS. INC., NEW YORK. H.K, *¥011 can read it in the sales figures—Buick’s the car that’s climbing to a phenomenal public preference. For Buick today is outselling all other cars in Americix—regardless of price class—except two of the so-called “low-price three.” And every month strengthens Buick’s new leadership position. It’s the “hot” car for style, for power, for performance—and, most emphatically, for value. ' S' National Homes Corporation M. A. LYONS & COMPANY Midland Road - Pinehurst. North CaroUna Phone Pinehurst 5112-Southetn Pines 2-4035 04 on' Building in Southern Pines Watch for Open House Announcement Now you may have a smart, comfortable new National home . . - saving you many hundreds of dollars and many months of waiting. There’s a lovely National home to suit every taste, every family income! national homes corporation. LAFAYETTE, IND.. HORSEHEADy. N. Y. Any way you look at it, Buick’s the buy of the year, hands down. For Buick prices start close to the lowest—just a few dollars above those of the “low-price three.” But those few more dollars you pay for a Buick buy you a lot more power, room, comfort, style, ride steadiness. And get this: with our tremendous sales volume right now, we can offer you a really top allowance on your present car. That’s the added bonus you get from our big volume. for from nontr 62® With Buick’s year-ahead beauty today, you’ll be driving a car that’s right up front in the style parade of tomorrow. And when you’re ready to resell your Buick, it will still be fresh and new-looking, wjth the modern features the others will adopt in the coming years. And that means you’re bound to get a higher resale price when you do trade it in. Drop in and see this beautiful buy right now. -WHEN BETTER AUTOMOBILES ARE BUILT BUICK WlU BUILD THEM- MARTIN MOTOR COMPANY SOUTH STREET ABERDEEN. N. Q.
The Pilot (Southern Pines, N.C.)
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Sept. 10, 1954, edition 1
11
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