THE STONE CHIPPER APRIL 2009 VOLUME PAGE 1

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1 PAGE 1 APRIL 2009 VOLUME THE STONE CHIPPER THE 635 TH MEETING OF THE AUSTIN GEM AND MINERAL SOCIETY WILL BE HELD ON THURSDAY, APRIL 23 RD, 2009, 7:30 P.M., AT THE AGMS CLUBHOUSE, 6719 BURNET LANE, AUSTIN, TX. PHONE: (512) The April program will be a presentation by Dallas Dunlap. He will discuss recent geomorphic processes on the seafloor, including a large shelf collapse off of North Africa. AGMS Annual Show Gem Capers 2009 Palmer Events Center October 23 rd - 25 th. THE AUSTIN GEM AND MINERAL SOCIETY, INC. The AGMS is a member in good standing of the South Central Federation of Mineral Societies and the American Federation of Mineral Societies. Its editors are also members of SCRIBE. The club address is 6719 Burnet Lane, Austin, Texas 78757, and phone (512) The AGMS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Visit our website at Contact our webmaster for website updates at DiannH@austingemandmineral.org. PURPOSE The purpose of the AGMS is to promote interest and education in the various Earth Sciences and other related subjects. MEETINGS The Society meets the fourth Thursday of every month except October which is show set up day. There will be a meeting on the THIRD Thursday in November. December is the Invocation of Officers meeting held on a date and at a place determined by the officers. Board meetings are called as needed. All members are welcome to attend. Society Officers are listed on the back page of this publication. Please feel free to contact any of them for information. DUES FOR 2009 Membership dues are: $15.00 annually for an adult $20.00 annually for a couple $4.00 annually for juniors All American Club Awards AFMS Gold & Trophy 2002 AFMS Gold 2003, 2004 SCFMS Gold 2002,2003,2004 THE STONE CHIPPER The Stone Chipper is the official publication of the Austin Gem and Mineral Society. It is published monthly in Austin, Texas. Minutes of Board Meetings are available upon request. Note, clip art images are under Copyright 2009 by the AGMS and its licensors. All rights reserved. Unless otherwise noted, text items in The Stone Chipper may be reproduced in other nonprofit publications as long as proper credit is given to the author and The Stone Chipper. All authors who make submissions to this newsletter are presumed to agree with this policy.

2 APRIL 2009 THE STONE CHIPPER Page 2 March 26, 2009 Meeting Minutes - Josie Middleton, Substitute Secretary & President Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 7:40 p.m. There were technical problems with setting up our speaker, so the meeting was started instead while we waited for the technology issues to be resolved. Refreshments: Josie Middleton said that if you want food to eat at the meeting you need to sign-up and bring it. She then passed around a hospitality sign-up sheet. Education: Joyce Hrapsky, being out ill, asked that we see if there will be anyone interested in taking a class starting on Tuesday, April 14th with instructor James Lopez. Anyone wishing to attend the class would have to pay $35 and also make sure that they had paid their dues tonight in order to be members of AGMS in good standing. Any interested members were then asked either to speak to Josie and/or pay Pauline so that there would be a legal record. Robert Morriss stated that he was in the process of trying to teach a class on saw usage. He will be bringing this up to the Board. Show: The next order of business was a motion with much discussion about hosting the AFMS/SCFMS in The motion passed. Building Chair: Bob Greenway had no comments. Everything is well so far. Mineral Display Cases: Betsy met with Jackie Fisher and had the cases rekeyed. Jackie has keys if anyone wants to utilize the empty shelf that is there for our use. Federation Chair: Paul Good stated he had no comments at this time. Field Trips: Chip Burnette spoke to us about the up and coming field trip and to be on the lookout for more information in the Stone Chipper. Chip will also be taking a head count in the next few weeks to see about the food stores that will be needed then. Ed Gage also got up and spoke about a last minute field trip and gave out instruction sheets on where to meet. An individual has passed away and his sisters are selling many items for a dollar and tigereye and rhodonite slabs would sell for ten dollars. He also posted this on the AGMS List. Anyone wishing to go will meet Ed at Highway 46 and Highway 16 by 10:00 a.m. Saturday, March 28th. Historian: Ed also asked that those who have stories or photos of any of our past activities send them along to him so that he may include them in our award winning history album. Program: Kathleen Howard introduced our speaker for the night, Braden Wright. His presentation was entitled, A Study on Coastal Area Management. Membership: Diann Hill announced that we had 52 members in attendance. There were two door prize winners. The adults won slabs donated by Gene Healy. The one junior who was present, (the speaker s younger sister), received a calcite specimen donated by Alan Cherepon. Diann also thanked the general membership for the countless s, phone calls, and visits from those who stopped by at the hospital to wish Paddy a speedy recovery.

3 Page 3 THE STONE CHIPPER APRIL 2009 She is doing well and is at home recuperating. Parking: Gene Healy let it be known that parking across the street may not be available to us much longer as a bicycle path will be using the space. Also at NO time are we to park in front of the gate between our building and the Taco Shack. The gates must be clear for their vehicles to have access. The President will be making some signs for our use during all meetings held at our clubhouse. Kudos: Karen Travis asked that Gef Fisher be recognized and given a hand for the great job he has done with our workshop keeping up with maintenance, inventory, and general supplies. Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 9:36 p.m. Swap Meet The Austin Gem and Mineral Society will be holding the annual Swap and Sell Meet on Saturday April 18. You may reserve a table by letting Kathleen Howard know. The meet will be open to the public, and will be from 10a.m. to 4 p.m. Set up will start at 7a.m. on Saturday. There will be a pot luck luncheon for the vendors. Sunshine Committee Paddy Covill took a spill recently and had to be hospitalized. She was unconscious for a little while, but thankfully she woke up and is now back at home recuperating. We all are very glad that she is better! Please send news about our membership, both good and bad, to Ron and Jennifer Guzman. A.G.M.S. Calendar List and Change of Address Apr 16 - Show Committee Meeting 7:00 p.m. Apr 18 - Swap Meet Apr 23 - AGMS Club Meeting, 7:30 p.m. Apr 26 - Paleo Club Meeting, 11:30 a.m. AUCTION, held at West Cave Preserve May 05 - Board Meeting 7:00 p.m NOTE: Please send notices of changes of address or to report errors on the mailing list to: Pauline Denson, treasurer. To be signed onto the AGMS list and/or to receive the newsletter via , please send a note to the editors at StoneChipper@austingemandmineral.org. "Our club is growing with new members. If you see a new face, make sure you stop and introduce yourself to them."

4 APRIL 2009 THE STONE CHIPPER Page 4 George Hansen from The Research Institute on Bee Caves will be our Paleo Club News speaker prior to the Auction on April 26th, 11:30 a.m., at the West Cave Preserve. He will speak about his new book, Trilobites of Black Cat Mountain. George Hansen has a PhD in chemical physics from Rice University. His lifetime hobby has been geology and paleontology, collecting fossils and reading both casual and professional literature from these fields. He lives in Texas with his wife and son where he works for an engineering and technical think tank. Here is a link to the book: Directions: North on 12 from Dripping Springs. At T intersection with Hamilton Pool Road (3238, go left. West Cave Preserve is about 7 miles, just after the hairpin curve and one lane bridge over the Pedernales. Contact: , John Ahrns. The May meeting will have a very special speaker, the well known and highly regarded Hugh Downs, brother to J.W. Downs - a member of both the Paleo club and the AGMS. Be sure to look for his biography and topic next month. ~Diann Strout SHOP TIPS Renovate brittle dop wax by adding a piece of bees wax the size of a pea to 1/4 pound of dop wax. Try cementing three pieces of tiger eye together so that the grain is perpendicular to the next. Cabochons and other stones can then be cut with interesting chatoyancy effects. ~From T-Town Rockhound 7/98, via AFMS Newsletter & Telephone City Crystal 2/09, The Calgary Lapidary Journal, 4/09 Line the bottom of your rock saw with a double thickness of burlap sacking. When it is time to clean again, pick up the corners and lay it on the saw vise and carriage to drain overnight. This way you dispose of all the gunk easily and the oil is clean for continued use. ~From T-Town Rockhound 4/01, via AFMS Newsletter & Telephone City Crystal 02/09, The Calgary Lapidary Journal, 4/09 Local Show Announcements April Alpine, TX Chihuahuan Desert Gem & Mineral Club rocklady2002@sbcglobal.net April Waco, TX Waco Gem & Mineral Club (903) May Lubbock, TX Lubbock Gem & Mineral Society asscott3@windstream.net ~

5 Page 5 THE STONE CHIPPER APRIL 2009 A Brief History of Metals and Industrial Minerals Mining in Texas Part I By Alan J. Cherepon AGMS Club Member Texas is not a state one thinks of when the word mining is mentioned. States like Nevada, Colorado, and Arizona are the ones that come to my mind. However, Texas has been one of the top states for the mining or quarrying of certain elements and materials, especially for lignite, cement, sulfur and uranium. Additionally, since exploration and exploitation by the Spanish explorers began in the Southwestern U.S., some of the earliest accounts of mineral exploration and mining occurred in Texas. Texans are well aware of tales of lost gold and silver mines and buried treasures, many told by people like J. Frank Dobie in his 1930 book Coronado s Children, or Carlos Savoy s book, Texas Tales of Lost Mines and Buried Treasures. This brief history of metals and industrial minerals, (leaving out lignite, oil, and gas), mining in Texas will attempt to highlight the important aspects, as well as some of the lesser known mines. Aside from the alibates flint quarries near Lake Meredith in the Panhandle and similar operations along the Bordas Escarpment in South Texas, and maybe some minor use of iron and other metals for pigments for paints by Native Americans, the Spanish brought the first real mining activity to Texas. The earliest records of mining in Texas dates back to 1756 in the Lost Spanish Mine, Los Almagres, San Saba, and Bowie mine at Packsaddle Mtn. and Honey Creek in the Texas Hill Country. The Austin Geological Society included this in their Guidebook 20, 2000, on mines of the Llano region. Various silver and gold prospects were also made, primarily in West Texas. There are even the remains of a reported gold recovery operation by the Spanish in Gonzales County in what was reportedly gold in sandstone deposits of the now called Harwood Mine. Tales of Santa Ana hiding gold throughout his travels in Texas abound, as do reports of lost Spanish mines across the state. Prospecting and mining by Anglo pioneers began about the time leading up to the Texas war for independence which culminated at San Jacinto. The earliest record of mining goes back to the Hagel Mine in This coppersilver deposit is located near Van Horn, Culberson County, and produced untill The Shafter silver mine was discovered near Shafter, Presidio County, just NW of Big Bend NP around 1880, and production began around 1883 or Production at the mine has been erratic over the years, but this was the best silver mine in the state. There were likely small gold (the Solitario mine/prospect near Big Bend), silver, and copper mines throughout the West Texas region in those days. Small amounts of copper were recovered from 1864 from the Old McClellan Mine, near the Pease River in Foard County. Lead-zinc mining is also reported in West Texas from 1885 till 1952 from the Bird Mine, Brewster County, the Presidio Mine, Presidio County, and the Bonanza and Alice Ray Mines in Hudspeth County. Another interesting point about copper production in Texas is that the Asarco smelter in El Paso produced about 30% of the US copper in the 1950s. In summary, West Texas mining was primarily for silver and copper. David Dow testing for radiation on rock at old Badu Pegmatite Near Baringer/Barringer Hill, 6/7/03, Photo by Laura Dow Mining in Central Texas came back into the picture in 1890, with the discovery of the Baringer/Barringer Hill pegmatite mine near Bluffton, on the west side of the Colorado River, presently beneath the water of Lake Buchanan in the Texas Hill Country. Numerous rare-earth-elements (REEs), and several highly radioactive minerals were discovered and mined from this area. Gadolinite is one of the more famous minerals found there, as well

6 APRIL 2009 THE STONE CHIPPER Page 6 as a number of other rare minerals first discovered at this locality. Some of the more common minerals included fluorite, feldspar and quartz. Mining reports indicated the radiation was so great that miners suffered sunburn-like symptoms at the time. The mining ended in 1938 when Buchanan dam was completed and the reservoir filled, inundating not only Baringer Hill mine but also an old silver mine indicated on earlier maps of the area. Magnetite and graphite were also mined in the Hill Country, in the Llano region from 1890 until about 1910, and again from Silver was mined in 1911 at the Goodrich Ranch in the Silver Creek-Beaver Creek area. Around 1902, the focus turned again to West Texas with the discovery and mining of mercury at Terlingua, just outside of what was to become Big Bend National Park. Major mining continued until 1943, followed by a period of locals mining and processing the ore out of their homes, and being poisoned as a result. The last reported mining is for The Terlingua mines are most famous to mineral collectors for the two different colors of fluorescence the calcites exhibit under the long wave and short wave UV lights. Terlingua/Boquillas calcite, first under ordniary light, then under long wave UV light. Photos by Laura Dow There is one brief mention of a diamond discovered in 1911 in Foard County, and some exploration cores taken near Pilot Knob in Travis County for assessing diamond potential, but no further efforts were made to mine diamonds in Texas Look for Part II in the May 2009 Stone Chipper The Power of the Badge A DEA officer stops at a ranch in Montana, and talks with an old rancher. He tells the rancher, I need to inspect your ranch for illegally grown drugs. The old rancher says, Okay, but do not go in that field over there, as he points out the location. The DEA officer verbally explodes saying, Mister, I have the authority of the Federal Government with me. Reaching into his rear pants pocket, he removes his badge and proudly displays it to the farmer. See this badge? This badge means I am allowed to go wherever I wish... on any land. No questions asked or answers given. Have I made myself clear? Do you understand? The old rancher nods politely, apologizes, and goes about his chores. A short time later, the old rancher hears loud screams and sees the DEA officer running for his life chased close

7 Page 7 THE STONE CHIPPER APRIL 2009 behind by the rancher's prize bull. With every step the bull is gaining ground on the officer, and it seems likely that he'll get "horned" before he reaches safety. The officer is clearly terrified. The old rancher throws down his tools, runs to the fence and yells at the top of his lungs... Your badge... Show him your badge! ~submitted by Jamie Young Gem Capers 2009 Show Committee Minutes By Susan Postlethwait March 19, Dealers: Krystal Keepers will not be returning to our show. New dealers will be voted on in June. -Show Flyers: This year we will be giving out free quartz points. Lynn will make changes and send them on to Charlotte to have them printed. -School Letters: Brian will be handling the teachers at the show as Susan will be in Arizona during the show. Susan requested that Diann create a separate just for teacher registration that can be used year after year. -Grand Prize: Brian purchased a piece agatized wood for the Sunday prize. In July we will pick the Saturday grand prize. -Gate Fees: Les brought up that we sell hardly any 3 day passes (14 in 2008) and we should do away with the pass and allow entry for all 3 days for the price of one day admission. It was so motioned, discussed, and approved. It was decided we would stamp body parts on returnees for now. -Show Pin: NEED ENTRIES. We will also have a pin made with just Rocky -Advertising: Lynn has sent banner permits to the city. She also brought up the idea of web banner trading/ swapping. This will be looked into thoroughly. -Show Bulletin: Lynn met with SI Labs and they are sponsoring the kids this year! They will also be sponsoring a DVD, The New Crystal Hunters, for each teacher. She also got artist George Wade Foott to agree to allow AGMS to use his art for our cover! -Food Table: Lynn is real close to closing the deal with Frootz to sponsor the Patillos. -Gem Mine: Andrea will schedule a rock breaking party Saturday the 28th. Field Trips By Chip Burnette Field Trip Co-coordinator There will be a joint field trip for the Tri-City Gem and Mineral Society (Temple, TX) and the Austin Gem and Mineral Society (Austin, TX) to Alpine, TX Memorial Day Weekend, May 23-24, Terri Smith will guide us to different locations each day - the Richie Ranch has been confirmed, and she is working on a new location for the other day. We plan on having a group lunch both days, similar to the Thanksgiving trips. I will coordinate what to bring a couple of weeks in advance. The trips each day will leave from the Antelope Lodge at 9:00 a.m., and be guided to the hunt location.

8 APRIL 2009 THE STONE CHIPPER Page 8 Board Minutes Synopsis - March 3, 2009 By Linda Northcote, Secretary NOTE: These are synopsized minutes. For a full text of board minutes, please contact the club secretary. ~Editors -Club books now correlate within 20 cents of the bank s balance. Most discrepancies were due to un-cashed checks. Checks older than 90 day (or possibly 6 months) will not be cashed by a bank and all the outstanding checks are older than 6 months. -It was moved and passed that we get the same accounting firm that does our taxes to do an audit. -Pauline will change the AGMS application to ask for the spouse s name only if the spouse is to also be a member. -The owner of the Taco Shack offices next door to the Clubhouse has been protesting our blockage of his gate. We have been unable to contact the owners of the property across the street and it is felt that we can park there until somebody protests. -The discussion continues on the James Lopez advanced lapidary class regarding payment for burrs and the use of James equipment. It was moved that James not use his own equipment in the class, and that the students purchase any item that is considered consumable. This motion was then withdrawn. -Another motion was then made in response to James Lopez s request of March 2, 2009 for reimbursement for diamond burrs, that request is denied. The burrs that are required on an ongoing basis and quoted at $1.25 to $4.00 per burr will not be paid for by AGMS but rather should be paid for by each individual student, considered consumable, and owned by the student. No other burrs are to be paid for by AGMS beyond what we already approved. This new motion passed unanimously. -James Lopez needs the information on the advanced lapidary class as soon as possible, since it is supposed to start next Tuesday: do we cancel class? -Kathleen Howard reminded us to sign up for tables at the Swap Meet, to be held on April 18. It was suggested to advertise on Craig s List and the Chronicle. We can also publicize to area clubs. -There has been a complaint registered about information getting out on field trips. If a person was not at the meeting and not on the AGMS List, they would not get current information on field trips, (i.e., the notification did not appear in the newsletter). Tom says there are 3 issues to be discussed here: 1) how do we respond to messages left on the answering machine, 2) how many field trips do we want to have in a year, and 3) how do we communicate information to the group? -A person wanting to get updated information about field trips should be on the AGMS List. There does not need to be a separate group to receive field trip information. We d like to have 4 trips per year, 2 in the spring and 2 in autumn. All trips put on by AGMS are sanctioned by AGMS, but other trips taken with other clubs need to be sanctioned by the Board. -It was moved and passed to buy a new answering machine since the current one is in poor condition. The Secretary is supposed to retrieve the messages and forward them to people best able to answer the questions. Jackie Fisher will buy it by the next meeting. We need to include visit the website on the message. -Gef Fisher is going to contact Fredericksburg to see about scheduling more field trips with other clubs. He is working on a flyer to show to landowners detailing our responsibilities regarding litter, legal issues and so forth to get some of them to open their lands to rockhounds, namely AGMS. -Alan Cherepon wants to finish cleaning the clubhouse floors but he needs more sealer and buffer solutions. -Jackie Fisher wants to update our first aid kit. She is to buy what is required and submit the receipts to Pauline Denson. -We need to send the sign-up for refreshments around at the next meeting or we won t have any.

9 Page 9 THE STONE CHIPPER APRIL 2009 SCFMS News A new club formed in Huntsville, Texas in June We want to welcome them as they have joined the South Central Federation. The club meets on the 4th Wednesday of each month, excect December, at the Carriage Inn, 2805 Lake Road, Huntsville. They have 25 adult and 4 junior members. Check out their web site at www. pwgme.org. Congratulations to Jean Wallace, who was selected as the 2009 South Central Federation Honoree for the AFMS Scholarship Award for her contributrions to earth science education. Along with her late husband, Emmette, Jean has exhibited their collection of fossils and minerals at numerous shows thorughout the United States and Canada. She has generously donated hundreds of fossils to gem club members and others who were involved in displaying specimens for public education in schools, museums, universities, and public libraries. Jean has contributed her skills to the SCFMS in many ways over the years. She became an Endowment Fund Patron in Locally, she was the editor for the newsletter of the Paleontological Society for several years, and editor for Pickin s and Diggin s, newsletter of the Williamson County Gem and Mineral Society from 1946 to the present (over 60 years!) Jean is in the process of selecting two graduate students in our region to receive $2,000 per year from the AFMS. The students and Jean will be honored at our annual meeting in Temple later this year. ~excerpted from SCFMS Newsletter, 3-4/09 AFMS News As you may or may not know, the American Federation has a raffle benefiting the American Federation Endowment Fund. Each of the Federations are asked to donate something to the raffle. The raffle will be at the AFMS Show, which this year is in Billings, Montana. I have taken the position of Representative for the South Central Federation. This means I get to sell tickets and gather donations for the AFMS Endowment Fund and Raffle. At this time, the SCFMS has given three items for the raffle and a fourth item in transit, valued at approximately $125 each. These items can be from an individual or from a club. This is my plea, I will mail you tickets, which sell for $5 each or 5 for $20. You can resell them or give them away or keep them yourself. Our Federation is guaranteed one of the items. The way the drawing will be this year, we will put all the tickets that a Federation sells into a drawing box, shake them up and draw one ticket for that Federation's participation. This will guarantee one prize for each Federation. After the Federation drawing, all the remaining tickets will be put into a tumbler and tickets drawn till all the items are given away. If you would like to help the Endowment Fund, please contact me at: bill@rockfoodtable.com, 619 Wright Street, Robstown, Texas, , phone Thank you and hope to see you at a Gem Show, in the near future. I will also have tickets for sale if you see me. ~Bill Pattillo

10 THE STONE CHIPPER 6719 BURNET LANE AUSTIN TEXAS Address Correction Requested 2008 Officers President: First V.P.: Second V.P.: Secretary: Treasurer: Austin Gem and Mineral Society For membership information write: AGMS, 6719 Burnet Lane, Austin, TX Josie Middleton Jackie Fisher Kathleen Howard Linda Northcote Pauline Denson Board of Directors Ron Carman (1) Robert Morriss (1) David Wenger (1) Tom Bowers (2) Joyce Hrapsky (2) Louis Lee (2) April 2009 Editor Awards st AFMS New Editors, 1st SCFMS th AFMS nd AFMS, 1st SCFMS th AFMS, 2nd SCFMS th AFMS, 1st SCFMS th AFMS, 1st SCFMS 2008 AFMS Editor Hall of Fame Committee Chairpersons Annual Show Brian Wetzig Building Chair Bob Greenway Mineral Display Cases Betsy Gager Education/Classes Joyce Hrapsky Federation/Conservation Paul Good 2 Field Trip Ron Carman Committee: Chip Burnette Historian Ed Gage Hospitality AGMS Members Junior Advisor/Programs Vacant Library Co-Chair Vacant Library Co-Chair Andrea Miller Membership Diann Hill Newsletter Editors David & Laura Dow Program Kathleen Howard Scholarship Jeff Stretch Young School Programs Wing Evans Sunshine Ron Guzman Workshop Gef Fisher