Jasper County Democrat, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 January 1902 — BUILDING MATERIALS OF THE STATE [ARTICLE]

BUILDING MATERIALS OF THE STATE

According to the report of the state geologist on the clay resources of Indiana, the clay deposits rank next In value to coal and building stone among the natural resources of the state. The advance In the price of lumber has caused greater demand for bricks and has attracted large capital to the clay manufacturing industry of the state during recent years, and the value of the clay products of Indiana Is estimated at nearly *5,000,000 a year. Clay deposits of various grades are extensive, especially In the coal regions.

The principal deposits of commercial clays are In the coal measures, in the glacial drift deposits of the northern and east central parts of the state, and In the shales along the eastern edge of ths coal measures. In nearly every county common bricks and drain tiles are manu. factured for the local trade, but at Brazil, Terre Haute, Clinton, Vender burg, Montezuma. Cayuga, Hobart and Porter, In the western part; New Albany, Huntingburg and Evansville, in the southern part, and Martinsville In the central part, there ere large clay working plants which manufacture brick and other clay products on a large scale for the Chicago, Indianapolis, Louisville and other Important markets. The principal clay produet of the state is the common brick, irut preesed brick, fire brick, terracotta, tiles for draining and roofing, and sewer pipes are also manufactured. In Vermillion oounty there are several large deposits of fire clays with but few email plants there manufacturing Are brick. In Lawrence and Martin counties there ere extensive deposits of kaolin, but mostly inaccessible to railway transportation. Near Huron, on the B. & O. railroad, a Pittsburg company has been extracting alum salts from kaolin beds, but outside ot this the kaolin beds of the state have never been worked. The Indian* kaolin Is not suitable for porcelain ware for want of plasticity, but could be used for refractory wares. In the coal measures a good quality of potter’s clay Is found In nearly everv county In the coal field, notably near Huntlngburg, Cannelton, Loogootee, Shoals, Coal Bluff In Vigo county, and Annapolis, Parke county. Except at Huntlngburg and Cannelton these clay deposits have not been extensively worked. Analyses of the samples from the largest Indiana deposits show identical chemical composition with the clays used In the great potteries of Zanesville and Akron, O. Potter’s clays are also used by local plants In Wayne county. The undeveloped clay and shale deposits with coal veins underlying them are very extensive. The shale makes an excellent vitrified brick and near Martinsville It is used for making common brick. In Lake, Porter, Laporte, St. Joseph and other counties In the northwestern part of the state, there are extensive deposits of glacial clays which are being worked into various kinds of brick, terre cotta and other products for the Chicago markets Chicago not only derives Its principal supply of fuel from Indiana, but this state is the ehlbf source of Its building supplies, even to the sand for mortar.