Show The Work In Utah Awaiting the Mineralogist Mineralogist gist and the A paper read before the Natural History Society ot of Utah MINERALOGY is the science of minerals and is study of rocks Minerals are inorganic homogeneous substances rocks are composed of one or more minerals and are generally heterogeneous combinations Their position in the field of knowledge is that the material of the inorganic department of the natural sciences As thus defined the scope of the work of the mineralogist is very broad and constitutes a very important part of the subjects structural and economic geology The work awaiting the mineralogist is that of collecting and of diffusing the knowledge he comes into possession of that the world may be made wiser that the progress of science may be more rapid and the material prosperity of the country may be advanced by his labors that those who read and study the subjects subjects subjects sub sub- may be trained in practical knowledge knowledge knowledge knowl knowl- edge of the materials themselves and cultured both intellectually and ethically as the subject indeed as all scientific study is capable ot of doing But you ask how is this thi to be done How is he to collect this knowledge which is to advance the material prosperity prosperity prosperity pros pros- of the State solve scientific problems problems problems lems and develop this three-fold three nature of the mind of man How is this subject subject subject sub sub- able to help do so much Are not these claims extravagant more fanciful 1 than real reaP How are some of these a scientific problems to be solved How is this knowledge to be diffused and among whom To briefly answer these questions is the object of the present paper I. I Knowledge is to be collected by personal investigation and by collecting results of the labors of others The r first is to be obtained by making systematic systematic matic collections of the minerals and andr I r rocks of our own neighborhood and State studying the composition properties properties properties proper proper- ties and uses of each specimen mapping the locality and recording each observation observation observation made II By collecting and recording the results of the work of others In this W way y each person may gather a vast amount of knowledge in these subjects The work is not specially hard and the specimens may generally be had for the trouble of gathering them together Each specimen should be labelled with a acard acard acard card giving its name composition locality and uses Collect enough specimens specimens specimens mens so that you may have some to exchange with others In this way your cabinet will grow and if well kept it will always be a source of joy and satisfaction to you and your friends One of the largest and most famous private collections in the world the W. W W. W collection of Pennsylvania Pennsylva Pennsylva- nia began in 1837 with the first fust specimen a piece of magnetic iron ore It now numbers a great many thousands contains some of the finest specimens in inthe inthe inthe the world and is worth a a a- fortune But how you ask does this advance the material prosperity of a place In Utah there have been reported more than minerals and rocks of different different- kinds and now the list is not complete Of these upwards of belong to the class of minerals used in the arts manufactures etc A few of them are used in our Territory at present but the uses of many of them might be far extended The precious metals are mined at present but in many cases a better knowledge of these metals and their ores would save thousands of dollars to the prospector and mine owner Of the base metals a few like lead copper iron mercury and antimony antimony antimony anti anti- mony are sparingly mined Fuels are here but there are yet many un un- developed coal fields Good clays are found in the territory Kaolin in Utah County and other places But what are clays valuable for The uses of making clay-making materials are generally as follows 1 Domestic For For making utensils porcelain ware earthen ware 2 Structural Brick Brick common front or pressed ornamental hollow glazed tetra teira cotta roofing tile drain tile flooring tile fireplace tile chimney flues and chimney pots 3 Hydraulic structures Water conduits conduits conduits con con- duits reservoir linings sewer pipe 4 Industrial arts China China clay chemists chemists' chemists chemists' chemists chemists' chem chem- crucibles and other apparatus wall and writing paper filling refractory clay lime and cement 5 Ornamental and ana esthetic est uses Tile Tile Tile ornamental pottery terra cotta decorations decorations decorations decora decora- artists' artists clay 6 Food Imitative Food adulterant paint ad adulterant t. t Among the ornamental stones and gems found in Utah are quartz amethyst amethyst amethyst ame ame- agates jasper feldspar feldspar feldspar felds felds- par malachite jet marbles onyx marble marble marble mar mar- ble alabaster and porphyry spinal topaz white yellow and blue varieties garnets tourmaline and opal With location known of all these deposits and the various uses known of these minerals the material prosperity of the country would be vastly increased Millions of dollars in money and labor would be saved in mining in useless places millions more would be produced produced produced pro pro- in developing industries in districts districts districts dis dis- now unworked and establishing manufactories in places where now there are none and our p people ople would be given work When the stage of industry industry industry in in- is reached where the resources are known and developed population increases more rapidly and the demand for the material is increased Says Prof Farr II The West is the great mineral region of the country country and in- in I. I d r deed of the world but its resources are only partly developed Iron coal building building building build build- ing stones petroleum salt gypsum and many minor milOr substances are practically not produced in that section although all of these are abundant And again N Nature seems to have conspired to produce here the proper conditions for forthe forthe forthe the accumulation of a great variety of valuable minerals in great abundance In the United States in 1892 approximately approximately approximately 10 worth of mineral products were taken from the earth In the industry of producing these materials and in those industries which are dependent for existence upon the supplies of mineral products a very considerable p percentage of the population of the United States is employed Indeed Indeed Indeed In In- deed it would be difficult to imagine the condition of the nation if these supplies were not at hand The industrial progress is largely dependent upon the mineral resources III The scientific problems problems- that have been and may may- maybe be solved by the gist are both many and interesting One of these is the makin making of artificial minerals and gems For instance it has been proved by a Frenchman that true diamonds may be artificially made by dissolving carbon in molten iron and then then- plunging the iron into cold water A great many of the minerals have been artificially made Another problem of very much interest around here and in fact to the scientific world is the age of the granites in Little Cottonwood Canyon One class of geologists with C C. King as a leader claim that they are and another who follows Sir Archibald of England that the thea a age e is very much later A very careful study of the micr microscopic and other characters of these rocks may do much to throw light upon the subject Di Diffusion of knowledge This This may be accomplished in several ways By publishing accounts of the work in books and magazines another by giving lectures to audiences another by hav having ing the subjects taught in the schools The knowledge ought to be diffused diffuse among all classes among children from eight years old up But you you ask Can mineralogy and j be taught to children eight years old Is there any educational value in the study Is it not a difficult tas task k for teachers to perform Prof Crosby of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology thus answers these questions questions questions ques ques- Teachers should at the outset free their minds of the idea that mineralogy mineralogy mineralogy minera minera- logy is a vast for although mineralogists recognize more than 1000 species or kinds of minerals most of these are very rare and of little consequence consequence consequence conse conse- quence in ordinary life Not more than twenty minerals are of the first importance import import- ance but these are very abundant t composing composing composing com com- posing at least nine hundred and ninety- ninety one nine-one thousandths of the known crust of the earth These few common minerals are in one sense among the most familiar familiar familiar liar objects of every day life for they are in the fields walls houses and streets and yet how few children or grown people know anything definite about them There is no other direction direction direction tion in science where so little work will make the pupil pupi master of so much ground as in the direction of the elementary elementary elementary elemen elemen- tary study of minerals The educational value of the study study- properly taught may be classed as practical practical practical and cultural which last division may be again divided into the intellectual and ethical values I. I The practical value laINe 1 These studies impart knowledge to the mind and give pupils practical acquaintance with n minerals and rocks 2 They in induce induce induce in- in duce pupils to make collections and thus increase their knowledge steadily and naturally 3 They give culture in the use use of language by imparting new words as names of minerals 4 qualities and properties which become fixed in the memory while the description tion gives practice in writing and talking talking talking talk talk- ing as well as cultivating ting habits of precision and accuracy in the use of language by using words as expressing definite ideas 4 T They ey throw work i into the hands of the pupils such as but few other subjects do II The cultural value is both intellectual intel and ethical 1 The intellectual value consists a cultivating ing the perceptive tive powers the forms qualities properties properties properties proper proper- ties etc of the minerals studied recorded and learned and thus b 5 memory is strengthened c r attention concentrated and the tendency y t to o wandering mind checked Cd d in comparing comparing comparing com com- paring one mineral with another in its various properties we have one of the best exercises for strengthening and developing the judgment Scientific habits of thinking and working are cultivated cultivated cultivated cul cul- by bringing the minds of pupils directly in contact with the facts discovered by personal observation Pupils are thus trained to habits of definite definite definite nite and accurate conceptions 2 The ethical value is found a in leading the pupil to see the truth and b to tell it c leading them to love Nature and d to realize many of the wonders beauties beauties beauties beau beau- ties and perfections in Natures Nature's common common common com com- mon things which by some are looked upon only as fit objects to be spurned cast aside and totally unfit for serious consideration e H leading ading the pupils to see that the common things of Nature have many valuable uses that they are the materials from which are manufactured manufactured manufactured many of the necessaries as as w well as the luxuries of life May the time soon come when the natural sciences may hold the place inthe in inthe inthe the education of the day that that I their importance demands Let the people of Utah cultivate the natural sciences and develop her resources re re- sources The field is rich and broad her hills valleys and mountains beckon and invite to investigation and time will show that the he reward will be so great that her material prosperity and the culture of her people will be her pride W. W D. D Neal ia I Ut |