Mineral Industry, California, 1919
Excerpts from
California Mineral Production for 1919,
Bulletin No. 88
By Walter W. Bradley, California State Mining Bureau, 1920, pp. 9-14.
Marble.
"Bibliography: State Mineralogist Reports XII, XIII, XIV, XV. Bulletin 38. U. S. Bur. of M., Bull. 106.
"Marble is widely distributed in California, and in a considerable variety of colors and grain. During 1918, the production amounted to 25,020 cubic feet, valued at $74,482, from one operator in Inyo County and two in Tuolumne. This shows a small increase both in amount and value from the previous year. This is considerably below what might be considered the normal output of former years, and certainly far below our possibilities. There are many varieties found in California suitable for all purposes of construction and decoration. Among the latter are deposits of onyx marble of beautiful coloring. There is also serpentine marble suitable for electrical switchboard use.
"The decrease in output of marble in recent years is probably due in part to the fact that foreign, eastern and Alaskan marbles are landed here by water cheaper than much of our local stone can be put on the market, on account of our higher labor costs and transportation difficulties, though California has many beautiful and serviceable varieties. It is also due in part to the general curtailment of building activity on account of war conditions.
"Data on annual production since 1887, as compiled by the State Mining Bureau, follows. Previous to 1894 no records of amount were preserved:
Onyx and Travertine.
"Bibliography: State Mineralogist Reports XII, XIII, XIV. Bulletin 38.
"Onyx and travertine are known to exist in a number of places in California, but there has been no production reported since the year 1896, except 1918. Some stone was shipped in 1918 from the Tolenas Springs onyx marble deposit in Solano County, and utilized for decorative purposes. As there was but a single operator, the figures were combined with those of the marble output for that year.
"Production by years was as follows:
Sandstone.
"Bibliography: State Mineralogist Reports XII, XIII, XIV, XV. Bulletin 38. U. S. Bur. of M., Bull. 124.
"An unlimited amount of high-grade sandstone is available in California, but the wide use of concrete in buildings of every character, as well as the popularity of a lighter-colored building stone, has curtailed production in this branch of the mineral industry during recent years, almost to the vanishing point. In 1919 three counties - Amador, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura - turned out 5400 cubic feet, valued at $3,720, which is an increase over 1918, but considerably less than former years. The main feature of the loss since 1914 is the closing of the well-known Colusa quarries, on account of the competition of lighter-colored materials.
"Amount and value, so far as contained in the records of this Bureau, are presented herewith, with total value from 1887 to date:
Serpentine.
"Bibliography: Report XV. Bulletin 38.
"Serpentine has not been produced in California to a very large extent at any time. A single deposit, that on Santa Catalina Island, has yielded the principal output to date. Some material was shipped from there in 1917 and 1918, being the first recorded since 1907. It was used for decorative building purposes and for electrical switchboards. As there was but a single operator, the figures were combined with those of marble output for those years.
"The following table shows the amount and value of serpentine from 1895 as recorded by this Bureau:"
Commercial use of material within this site is strictly prohibited. It is not to be captured, reworked, and placed inside another web site ©. All rights reserved. Peggy B. and George (Pat) Perazzo.