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OUR  MINERAL  RESERVES.

mineral,  the  remainder  of  the  celestite  zone  appearing  rather  sandy.
The  mineral  presents  a  variety  of  appearances.  The  high  density,
of  course,  characterizes  the  purest  material.  In  general  it  is  rather
light  colored.
In  California  celestite,  together  with  salt,  gypsum,  and  other
important  economic  minerals,  occurs  along  the  northeast  margin  of
the  Avawatz  Mountains,  in  San  Bernardino  County.  The  minerals
are  located  on  land  of  the  Avawatz  Salt  &  Gypsum  Co.,  near  the
south  end  of  Death  Valley.  The  nearest  railroad  is  the  Tonopah
&  Tidewater,  about  10  miles  east  of  the  southeast  end  of  the  claims.
The  celestite  occurs  in  lake  beds  associated  with  salt  and  gypsum.
Above  the  lower  lake  beds  and  below  the  gypsum  occur  the  celestite
beds.  The  celestite  is  exposed  in  the  form  of  resistant  “  hogbacks,”
in  some  places  flanking  the  ridges  and  in  others  cutting  them  and
continuing  across  the  valleys  between  them.  The  thickness  of  the
celestite  zone  may  be  locally  as  much  as  75  or  80  feet,  but  the  exact
thickness  is  difficult  to  ascertain  in  all  places,  owing  to  the  presence
of  wash  and  talus.  It  must  not  be  understood  that  the  entire  thickness ­
  of  the  outcropping  reef  is  pure  celestite.  It  is  more  than  probable ­
  that  the  pure  mineral  will  be  found  in  some  places  in  thin  bands
and  streaks  and  in  others  more  or  less  intimately  mixed  with  gypsum,
sand,  chalcedony,  clay,  and  the  oxides  of  manganese,  iron,  etc.  The
typically  exposed  reefs  of  celestite  are  dark  brown  in  color  and  are
conspicuous  beside  the  light-colored  gypsum.  This  dark-brown  color
may  be  due  to  the  presence  of  manganese  or  iron  oxides,  or  both.
In  the  vicinity  of  Schoharie,  Schoharie  County.  N.  Y.,  celestite  and
strontianite  have  been  found  in  a  rather  impure  limestone.  They
occur  in  pockets  and  thin  seams  and  have  been  found  in  greatest
quantity  on  the  east  side  of  Schoharie  River,  near  quarries  in  limestone ­
  of  the  Ilelderberg  group.  Strontianite  also  occurs  in  rocks
of  the  Clinton  formation  near  Clinton,  Oneida  County,  N.  Y.,  associated ­
  with  celestite  in  geodes.  The  best  examples  of  the  occurrences
were  found  at  the  old  quarries  near  Lairdsville,  2  miles  west  of  Hamilton ­
  College.  Celestite  and  strontianite  have  also  been  found  near
Theresa  and  on  the  shore  of  Chaumont  Bay,  in  Jefferson  County,
N.  Y.  About  2  miles  from  the  village  of  Adams  Center,  in  Jefferson
County,  a  vein  of  celestite  is  known  to  occur  in  the  Trenton  limestone.
An  occurrence  has  also  been  reported  near  Lockport,  Niagara  County.
E.  H.  Kraus  has  reported  celestite  as  disseminated  through  dolomitic
limestone  near  Syracuse.  Other  places  in  New  York  where  celestite
is  said  to  occur  are  at  the  Rossie  lead  mine  and  Stark,  in  St.  Lawrence
County,  and  at  Depauville,  in  Jefferson  County.
One  of  the  most  noted  localities  in  the  United  States  where  strontium ­
  minerals  have  been  found  is  Put-in-Bay,  South  Bass  Island,
Ottawa  County,  Ohio.  Here  celestite  was  found  in  1897  during  the