A KEY
FOR THE READY DETERMINATION OF ALL THE USEFUL
MINERALS WITHIN THE UNITED STATES.
BY JAMES ORTON, A.M.,
Late Professor of Natural History in Vassar College, N. Y.; Cor.
Mem. of the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia,
and of the Lyceum of Natural History, New York;
Author of “The Andes and the Amazon,” etc.
A NEW EDITION WITH ADDITIONS.
———
ILLUSTRATED.
———
PHILADELPHIA:
HENRY CAREY BAIRD & CO.,
INDUSTRIAL PUBLISHERS, BOOKSELLERS AND IMPORTERS,
810 Walnut Street.
1881.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1872, by
WORTHINGTON, DUSTIN & CO.,
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C.
—————
Copyright:
HENRY CAREY BAIRD & CO.
1881.
Table of Contents.
| [CHAPTER I.] | |
|---|---|
| PAGE. | |
| Introduction.—Money in the Rocks—The UndergroundWealth of our Country—Valuable Minerals Disguised—HowGreat Fortunes are Missed—Number of Minerals in theUnited States—Object of this Work and How to Use it—TheBest Mineral Regions | [9] |
| [CHAPTER II.] | |
| Directions for Determining Specimens by the Key.—Howto Test Minerals with the Simplest Means—Prospectingwith a Jack-knife and Common Sense—Use of the Key—Howto Tell Pyrites from Gold, and Quartz from Diamond—All theUseful Minerals Grouped According to Hardness and Color | [15] |
| [CHAPTER III.] | |
| Descriptive List of Useful Minerals.—The Gems—PreciousMetals—Valuable Ores and Useful Minerals of theUnited States from Agate to Zinc—Their DistinguishingCharacters, Uses and Localities—A Mineralogy for Miners—Agate—Alum—Amethyst—Anthracite—AntimonyOre—Asbestus—Asphaltum—Azurite—Baryta—BituminousCoal—Blende—BogIron Ore—Brittle Silver Ore—Brown Coal—Calamine—CannelCoal—Carnelian—Celestine—Cerussite—ChromicIron—Cinnabar—Cobalt Pyrites—Copper—CopperGlance—Copper Nickel—Copper Pyrites—Diamond—Emery—FluorSpar—Franklinite—Galena—Garnet—Gold—Graphite—GrayCopper Ore—Gypsum—Horn Silver—IronPyrites—Jasper—Kaolin—Lenticular Iron Ore—Limonite—MagneticIron Ore—Magnetic Pyrites—Malachite—ManganeseSpar—Marble—Mica—Micaceous Iron Ore—Nitre—Oxydof Manganese—Platinum—Red Copper Ore—RedHematite—Red Silver Ore—Rensselaerite—Rock Crystal—RockSalt—Rutile—Serpentine—Silicate of Copper—Silver—SilverGlance—Smaltine—Smithsonite—Spathic Iron—SpecularIron—Spinel Ruby—Steatite—Strontianite—Sulphur—TinOre—Topaz—Tourmaline—Variegated CopperOre—Wad—Willemite—Zincite | [20] |
| [CHAPTER IV.] | |
| Prospecting for Diamonds, Gold, Silver, Copper, Leadand Iron.—Mineral Riches, how Discovered—Indications—Searchingfor Diamonds, and how to Distinguish them—PayingLocalities of Gold—“Fool’s Gold”—Prospecting for Silverand Copper—Where to Look for Lead and Iron | [81] |
| [CHAPTER V.] | |
| Assay of Ores.—When an Ore will Pay—Washing for Goldand Platinum—How to Assay Gold in the Simplest Way—ToTest any Rock for Gold and Silver—To Find the Purity ofGold—To Detect and Assay Silver Ores—Assay of Copper,Iron, Zinc, Tin and Lead Ores-Ready Method of TestingGraphite | [92] |
| [CHAPTER VI.] | |
| Mineral Springs.—What are Mineral Springs—General Location—GasSprings—Iron Springs—Sulphur Springs—AlumSprings—Epsom Springs—Salt Springs—Warm Springs—ArtesianWells and Oil Wells, and Where to Bore for Them | [105] |
| [CHAPTER VII.] | |
| Artificial Jewelry—How Made and How Detected.—MockDiamonds—“Paris Brilliants”—The Manufacture ofPastes—False Ruby, Topaz, Sapphire, Emerald and Carnelian—Howto Distinguish True and False Gems—ImitationPearl and Coral—Artificial Gold—List of Precious Stones | [114] |
| [CHAPTER VIII.] | |
| Discovery of Gold in California | [127] |
| [CHAPTER IX.] | |
| Discovery of Silver in Nevada, and United StatesGold and Silver Statistics | [134] |
Inscribed
TO
ROSSITER W. RAYMOND, PH. D.,
UNITED STATES
Commissioner of Mining Statistics;
EDITOR OF THE
ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL;
AUTHOR OF
“The Mines of the West,” etc.