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Show Bugway Geodes Provide History, Color For Area Treasure Maps Lead Way To Lost , Buried Wonders Pirates of long agp were notorious for their famous maps that inevitably led them to the spot marked X, the location of their buried treasure. Modern-da- y Dugway pirates do not have to find a deserted island, or pace of 50 steps, or find a rock in the shape of a skull to locate their hidden trea- or even a mixture of all three. The three main digd ging tooLs include a shovel, a pick type ruck hammer, and a short liaiulled pick which has a point on one side and a scoop on the other. Successful safaris to the geixle area may render one to two hundred pounds of geodes in a day; however, more often approximately ten pounds would lx: an average amount. Thus, the Dugway geode pirates must merely set their sails West, follow the map carefully, and listen for familiar the cry, Tliars geodes in them thar hills!!! " short-kandle- sures. Rocks Formed During Volcanic Era Spherical-Shape- d One of the most spectacular sights and souvenirs that a visitor to Utah constantly oohs-- and-- ahhs a over is the geode rock that spherically-shape- d reveals an agate lining and quartz crystals when the speciman is cut in two. Geodes are also sometimes known as nodules. However, the term geodes is more proper if the form has a hollow center. Solid geodes should Ire called nodules. The term thunder-egg is also in common usage begin to appear as the rhyolite shrinks and cracks. These cracks then naturally become ideal reservoirs fur g the channeling of solutions to percolate through the cracks into the hollow center, depositing silica, the constituent of quartz. The silica is in the form of silica dioxide more com- 'riiOnly' known as quartz.-- ' The quartz solutions then flow throughout the cracks seeking a place to deposit silican-liearin- ' the quartz and the inner cavity walls prove to lx: the ideal location. There, the quartz is deposited in layers as agate. This process is not continuous and it varies in intensity and degree of purity of The quartz solution. TIIE DIFFERENT layers of banded agate is ample evidence " of' the Various jiripurjties within the quartz solution and of the inter' ' ruption of the depositing process. Also, many colors in the agate banding results when a slight change of minerals within the solution occurs. A pure solution of quartz could form glass clear quartz crystals upon the agate bands. The rhyolite lava rock is also altered to a slight, degree during this process with the absorption of quartz along the outer facet v of the cavity: This makes the stone stronger than the rhyolite matrix surrounding the geode, and thus makes . , . in the Northwest. ARE GEODES not common to the Dugway area alone. They can be found in different parts of the United States and the world, but they all vary in inside design and composition. For example, the Dugway geode is known for its superb variety of quartz crystals and is considered by many to Ire the most spectacular variety of the more than 200 varieties and forms of quartz known. Brazil is noted for its beautiful amethyst crystal-line- d geodes, Oregon for solid deep blue agate-fille- d nodules, and Iowa for calcite crystal-line- d geodes. been have Oil geodes found in the vicinity of Niota, Illinois, which in addition to crystals have been fotmd to contain up to one quart of viscous bitumen oil. The origin of these geodes is another unsolved mystery of the earths geo-Urgy. The formation of getxles still remaias as one ot nature's most unusual phenomenons surrounding volcanic activity. The Dugway geodes were most likely formed during the middle Terrtiary Period approximately 40 million years ago when lava flows were common in the Utah area. Many of the flows in the area produced acid type lava flows which upon cooling created rhyolite rock. Rhyolite has the greatest silica content of the normally encountered lavas. with ASSOCIATED flows are lava gas many or steam cavities (called from resulting vugs) of water amounts large carlxm dioxide, vapor, and other gases present in the molten rock. With the coolir.g of the lava, cavities remained in the rhyolite. This is the first stage in the geode formation. When the lava liegins the cixiling process, cracks it more resistant to erosion and disintegration. Therefore, the rhyolite which surrounds the geode eventually erodes away and the geode is then heed from its former rhyolite captor. The majority of the geodes discovered at the Dugway location do vary widely from place to place. Some are solid agate (nodules), some are filled with quartz crystal up to one-ha- lf long, some have amethyst crystals, some have bands of agate and crystals, while some even have a solid center composed of a common THE DUGWAY geode searchers need only to follow a simple map to lead them to the location of the famed geode Ixxls which are approximately 30 to 35 miles from Dugway. The digging area is mainly concentrated some five miles northwest of the Dugway Pass and may lie reached from the East by traveling on the Simpson Spriug-Cal-la- o Road (the old Pony Express and Overland Stage route) to Dugway Pass, a landmark in prominent Juab County. Approximately 4.2 miles West from the crest of Dugway Pass, a small jeep trail leads northward from the Simpson Spring-Calla- o Road to the main collecting area. This small trial is then followed alxxit one mile traversing three small washes and one dry stream lied to the main collecting Geodes area occur throughout the entire area. Some very successful collecting trips have resulted when groups have lxigun digging in new locations within this area. A few years ago geodes, which had been brought to the surface through the elements of weathering, could lie found lying upon the surface but now one must lalxrr to find them. The geodes are fr,om-- . six inches, u to six feet deep, and possibly deeper beneath the surface. MOST OF the material surrounding the geodes is usually sand and gravel disintegrated rhyolite, clay. type opal r v l .- "if V V i T i. Viy - U.t - HUGE GEODE Dig deep and the geodes get larger, say sources who should know. A sample is this one, 27 inches in girth, unearthed by SFC Larry Iziwell on a trip to the geode beds. Wine Anyone? Dugway geodes proved to lie an integral part in the design and building of the wine rack build by Col. Charles M. Shadle, DFG Commander. Geodes and other polished rocks were inlayed in plastic for use as end and top decorative panels in the rack. MOST OF the Dugway geodes fluoresce a green and yellow color under the short or long wave ultraviolet light. This is probably due to the calcareous coatings which are found on many geodes, and not the quartz or rhyolite. They vary in size from inch to over about three feet in diameter. The spherical shape has seams or striations on its outer surface somewhat like the stitching on a baseball. The Dugway geode can be cut with a diamond blade saw along the longitudinal axis to obtain two matched halves. The saw marks are then removed, preferably, on a lapidary wheel using 220 mesh abrasive grit. When the saw marks are removed, additional grinding is necessary with finer grits such as 320 lefore polishing with a tin oxide on a felt .. one-ha- lf Center of Attention Geodes plus fine wood plus dexterity and craftsmanship combined to make this coffee table possible. Ixxrated in the home of Dugway ' Commanding Officer, Col. Charles M. Sliadle, the table utilizes geodes inlayed in plastic for its unique and beautiful appearance. Attention Rockhound Personality bold, beguiling . . . ihe maxi bucUher The look of bold, the feel of soft . . . bewitching combination of pilgrim detailing, permissive fit. Wear It with your newest . . . wear it with woolens, longuette with tweeds, with suits... wear itl $14,s e7ooee ftlerc.&a Are yon interested in Rocks? Do you feel like you are the W ell only one you know who is? are there are many you wrong other people at Dugway who think the same way as you do. Who are these people? They are of the Dugway the memlx-r- s Gem and Mineral Socictv. T11E Dl'GWAY Gem and Mineral Society is a group of people who live at Dugway and are interested in ruck hunting and rock formations and just different kinds of rocks. The) get together on the third Wednesday night of each month at the home of their group president. On Wednesday, September 16, the first meeting of the new year was held at the home of Charles Helm, last years president. There was an election of officers and the plans for the next year for the society members and guests. The officers elected were: Charles Helm, President; Wil-for- d Ivie Vice President; Ellen Luke, Secretary; Karl Johnson, Treasurer; George Harris. Field Trip Chairman; and Joy Puhlicitv Chairman. UNIQUE COIL SPRINGS EMBEDDED IN FOAM DUPLICATES THE BOUNCE OF ACTUAL STREET JOGGING . , . YET YOU STAY COMFORTABLY AT HOME! Scientifically built to aiiminate jarring! Mad to last for years! Stores compacttyl Hava you boon promising yourself that tomorrow" was the day you ware going to rite with the tun and start jogging? Yet, everytime "tomorrow" came, you couldn't bear the thought of making a public spectacle of yourself? Now. you can beat that hangup with the Executive Jog gerl It's scientifically built to ghre you all the benefits of rs! actual outdoor Constructed with coil foam and upholstered in springs embedded in rugged golden Naugahyde, it duplicates the bounce of jog ging, rather than the jar of running in place. Your arms wving, your knees bend-a- nd you get all the healthful, trimming benefits without going outside! Absolutely quiet can't disturb those around you. Lightweight and sturdily built for years of good use; easy to store. 40626 Executive Exorcise Jogger. CV jogging-indoo- wheel Each person uses a different technique, however it should not take more than thirty minutes to grind and polish one geode. Once a geode has lx.cn cut and polished, it can lx: used in a numlier of ways including paper weights, bookends, or desk sets. For the imaginative craftsman, some are often inlayed for decoration into table tops or other furniture while some are often mounted on Eastland brass or silver pedestals. INDOORS! Bambo LEAF RAKE Ideal for those packed down shag carpets ONLY 79 Winter is Coming Now Is The Time to Change Furnace Filters Hood Drug Has The Filter to fit your furnace |