University of Southern Mississippi - Southerner Yearbook (Hattiesburg, MS)

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!lllIi55i5zippi'n Qlnal Zliirlh R. L. THOMPSON ISSISSIPPI is too young geologically to contain true coal. but a large area of lignite is found underlying the Lignite Plateau, and embracing more than twenty counties. Lignite is immature coal, a fuel intermediate between wood and coal in heat- ing capacity. If a peat bog, or reed brake, were sunk and covered with a great thickness of sediment, subjected to great pressure for a geologic age or two, by loss of its gases and the increase of carbon it would become lignite. It may be recognized by Dr. Lowe's description: ,'Lignite is black or brown, often shows distinctly the vegetable tissue, has a dull lustre, is lighter than coal and heavier than wood, cracks into fragments on drying, and burns with yellow flame and abundant smoke and a disagreeable odor. In Lafayette County the lignite shows its woody structure, a log sometimes being found half lignite and half wood or petrified wood: leaves, twigs, and pine needles are found partially lignitized. However, most of the Lafayette lignite ranks very high, this county, Webster, and Calhoun, having beds from three to five feet thick and of the highest quality in the State, according to Dr. Lowe. Though Dr. Brown gives a sample from Choctaw with the highest heating capacity of any found up to 1907. Holmes and Madison Counties have the thickest beds reaching eight feet in some places, and out-cropping frequently. Some of the beds in Holmes County have caught fire and burned for two months giving off an unpleasant odor that could be detected a mile away. Lignite is often found. when boring for wells. thirty or more feet under the surfaceg and one such bed in Calhoun County is reported to be thirty feet thick. Shafts have been sunk in this county and the lignite used for fuel. Dr. Brown says that at Camp Springs, Calhoun County, where a stream runs over an exposed bed of lignite, an electric plant could easily be established for lighting the town, and pumping its water. The same writer says he used a mixture of samples from four different beds in Calhoun County in his own grate and obtained a steady, good fire. They burned up completely. The greatest thing prohibiting the use of lignite as fuel is that the structure of the furnaces or fire places does not prevent the terrible odor it gives off. Good lignite may take the place of wood and coal in stoves both for heating and cooking. Any of the medium lig- nites will give in the forge a heat suflicient for sharpening plows and drawing iron, and the better qualities will give a welding heat. Lignite may be used to an advantage in burning brick, also for the manufacture of illuminating gas, as some of the Mississippi specimens run quite high in volatile matter. Probably the real commercial value of Mississippi lignite lies in its use for the manufacture of producer gas, the demonstration of this use being a de- cided advance in the economical combustion of coal. Comparative analysis of Lignites Cby the United States Geological Survey and Dr. Handl: State Moisture Volatile Matter Fixed Carbon Ash Sulphur B. T. U. N. Dakota 10.03 38.12 39.95 11.90 1.76 9,562 Texas 13.40 42.75 29.00 14.85 1.04 9,358 Miss. Choctaw Co. 11.61 34.61 42.48 11.31 2.66 10,071 Miss. Calhoun Co. 11.46 40.74 37.59 10.21 .78 9,875 Miss. Lafayette Co. 14.61 38.51 39.10 7.78 1.28 9,398 Alabama Coal 2.58 33.15 51.74 12.53 1.02 12,449 The British Thermal Unit KB. T. U.D is the standard for measuring the full value of coal, the amount of heat required to raise one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit, 17

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lgnttrrg Qllagz HE clay working, or ceramic, industry of the United States is of immense economic importance though passed lightly over by the casual observer. Dr. E. N. Lowe, of the Mississippi Geological Survey, states that the clay products of our country exceed in value by nearly 330,000,000 the total amount of the gold and silver mined in the United States, including Alaska, and by 360,000,000 the iron ore products. Mississippi has a supply of clays of good quality, but her people have been slow to work them up at home. Ohio and New Jersey draw liberally on Mississippi clay for their extensive manufacturing. In 1907 Mississippi's pottery production was only 321,121, giving the State twenty-ninth rank, while Ohio's pottery products were worth 313,533,190 The total value of Mississippi's clay products for that year was estimated at 3846,529, of this arnount 318,200is crediuad to drani the, 320,769 to face or front brick, 3865 to red earthenware, 320,256 to stoneware, and the remainder to common brick. The total clay pro- ducts of Ohio for that period were valued at 330, 533,199 According to the State Geologists, the two main formations containing the best working pottery clays are the Tuscaloosa and the Wilcox. The Tuscaloosa formation cor- responds to the Tennessee Hills fpage 115 occurring in six counties in the northeastern part of the State. These superior clays are being used for pottery making near Whitney in Itawamba County, where jugs, jars, crocks, and churns are turned out, about 5,000 gallons annually being produced in one plant, 7,000 to 8,000 in another, while a third produces about 2,000 gallons. A pottery was formerly operated at Whitney producing stoneware and tomb- stones but is closed down at present. Most of the Tuscaloosa clays are of highest quality and can be used for pottery, but only three plants are working. The Wilcox formation corresponds closely to the Northern Lignitic Plateau tpage 11l embracing the counties in the north central part of the State. Some of these clays are being used for pottery making in Marshall, Webster, and Lauderdale Counties. At present there is only one steam pottery in operation within this section and that is at Holly Springs- The Holly Springs Stoneware Company has opened up more than one pit near the town and they manufacture jugs, jars, crocks, churns, pitchers, bowls, and flower pots. They use both a white and a brown glaze, making a very attractive vessel by using the white glaze for the body of the ware and the brown for the rim. This plant has by far the largest capacity of any in the State, turning out 500,000 gallons per year. The Allison Stoneware Company, which has recently been enlarged to a two-kiln plant, is also located at Holly Springs and manufactures a general line of stoneware. The clay in Winston County makes a good quality of stoneware and is used in the Stewart Pottery for making glazed ware. This Company turns out about four thousand gallons per year. The clays from Lauderdale County have been used for stoneware for nearly half a century. A hand pottery was established in Meridian forty years ago and of late years has been changed into a steam pottery, producing ornamental terra cotta, stoneware, and decorative ware. At present most of the Lauderdale clay is shipped to a pottery plant at Cuba.AMbama. In South Mississippi there was, three years ago, a noted art pottery at Biloxi, oper- ated by Mr. George G. Ohr. He obtained his clay near the town and manufactured very thin glazed vases, rose bowls, ornamental jars, and all kinds of unglazed art ware. He used a wide variety of shapes and decorated his articles in an artistic manner. The clay took the different colored paints splendidly and the result was pleasing. His shop had hundreds of out-of-state visitors during the coast season and they learned that Mississippi's pottery clays in the hands of an artist formed a contribution worth while to the natural resources of the nation. 16

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illlliaaiazippi Cfvnvrnuzlg Svupplivh with Artvziun M2115 sinh illiirwral waters BEEDIE E. SMITH HE earnest attention given in late years to sanitation and prevention of disease has led to a thorough investigation of the water supply. Surface and shallow wells are con- demned and river waters are regarded dangerous. An abundant supply of good, pure water from deep wells is Mississippi's most valuable resource. As Dr. Logan says, Upon it depends not only the physical well being of its people but much of its material prosperityfl Mississippi has flowing springs in nearly every section and artesian wells are common, the water bearing strata lying at different depths in different places. The best flowing artesian water in the Tennessee Hills, lpage 115, is found at a depth of 300 to 400 feet, the flow in some places filling a four inch pipe and being highly mineral- ized. In North Tishomingo springs abound. At Iuka there are several mineral springs of wide reputation, 3000 or more guests going there each year in search of health. These waters were awarded the silver medal at the St. Louis World's Fair over 160 others from diierent parts of the world. They are bot- tled and shipped to all sections of the country. T he dairying industry must have pure water to have 1 Arfesian Well at Hattiesburg pure milk, and this resource adds i i much to the value of the Prairie liiell as a dairying region. The thick stratum of sand underlying the Selma limestone is filled with pure water: and there remains on the eastern side only to tap these sands to obtain fiovvxing Wells, while in other parts artesian water will come within easy pumping distance. Over the Plateau are many springs, and Howing artesian wells are possible in most places here as well as in the Delta and Loess I-lllls. Almost every town in the State can have pure artesian water, heavy flows being obtained right on the coast and even on Ship Island, 12 miles out in the Sound. The McNeill Experiment Station, located in the Long Leaf Pine section has a six-inch well 100 feet deep from which can be pumped 1800 gallons per hour. The mineral wells and springs are popular health resorts, and have become a profit- able industry for the owners, a considerable income being obtained from the shipment of the water and from the large number of guests every year, some of whom seek health and others rilest and recreation. Only a few of the oldest and most noted watering places are mentioned ere. At Brown's Wells near Hazlehurst there are seven wells. Many guests were ac- commodated in the hotels and cottages in 1916. Water is shipped to great distances. Before Mississippi was settled by the white people, there v'as an Indian settlement at the present site of the Stafford Mineral Springs, which they called Bogohama, meaning Water of Life. These springs furnished 130,000 gallons of water for medical purposes in 1916, and have a plant with facilities for bottling and shipping two car loads of water per day. The Kolola Springs near Columbus have long been known for the curative properties of the watery Cooper's Wells at Raymond is crowded during the open season: the waters of Robinson's Springs are said to have wonderful healing powers. 18