County 
Number 
1966 
 
1967 
—————— 
Value 
 
Short tons Value Number 
 
Short tons 
 
of mines 
 
of mines 
 
 
602 
MINERALS YEARBOOK, 1967 
 
 
Table 5.—Miscellaneous clay sold or used by producers, by counties

 
 
 
 
Catawba 
Chatham 
Davidson 
Guilford 
Halifax 
Lee 
Montgomery 
Rockingham 
Rowan 
Sampson 
Stanly 
Stokes 
Union 
Undistributed 1 
 1 126,000 W 
 3 367,402 $250,038 
 1 70,000 21,000 
 1 W W 
 2 83,140 W 
 3 549,109 377,000 
 1 13,413 9,000 
 2 204,000 W 
 3 280,568 182,900 
 3 - 443,680 287,000 
 1 W W 
 1 182,833 119,000 
 10 1,060,567 995,113 
 w w 
 308,486 $210,000 
 w w 
 80,384 53,000 
 w w 
 477,500 325,600 
 w w 
 w w 
 w w 
 30,540 20,200 
 428,680 284,000 
 193,663 128,000 
 166,612 110,000 
 1,290,796 881,277 
 Total 32 3,380,712 2,241,051 31 2,976,661 2,012,077 
 
 
 W Withheld to avoid disclosing individual company confidential data; included
with "Undistributed." 1 Includes Alamance, Cumberland, Durham, Harnett, Henderson,
Johnston, Moore (1966), and New Hanover Counties, and counties indicated
by symbol W. 
 
within North Carolina, 15 percent to South Carolina, and the remaining 5
percent to other States. Bulk shipments were predominant: 51 percent by truck,
45 percent by railroad, and the remaining 4 percent by water. Sales of portland
cement were to ready-mixed concrete companies (51 percent), highway contractors
(25 percent), concrete product manufacturers (11 percent), and others (13
percent). 
 
 Clay.—The quantity of miscellaneous clay production decreased about
12 percent and value decreased about 10 percent. In 1967 there were 31 companies
in the State mining miscellaneous clay for use in manufacturing lightweight
aggregate, brick, vitrified sewer pipe, and other clay products. 
 Harris Mining Co., Avery County, was again the only producer of kaolin.
Production increased 8 percent in quantity and 13 percent in value. 
 
 Feldspar.—Production of crude feldspar decreased 12 percent while
value decreased 1 percent. Mixed and soda feldspars were the predominant
types mined, but some potash type was also produced. 
 Sales of ground feldspar totaled 308,000 tons, a 9 percent decrease from
1966. Value was $3.1 million, a decrease of 1 percent. Ground feldspar was
used mainly for glass and pottery with a small amount used in paint manufacture.
Shipments of ground feldspar were made to Ohio (16 percent), Illinois (16
percent), Tennessee 
(10 percent), West Virginia (9 percent), Texas (7 percent), Indiana (6 percent),
Pennsylvania (4 percent), Oklahoma (4 percent), and other States and foreign
exports (28 percent). 
 
 Lithium.—The only production of spodumene was from the Kings Mountain
operation of Foote Mineral Co. in Cleveland County. Production increased
14 percent in tonnage, and value increased 25 percent; both production and
value have increased each year since 1962. 
 
 Mica.—Scrap mica production was 70,000 tons, an increase of 10 percent,
however value was $1.8 million, 25 percent less than in 1966. Ten companies
reported output from 13 mines, unchanged from 1966. Cleveland County, with
four mines, accounted for 33 percent of the total value of mica production;
Yancey County, with one mine, accounted for 26 percent; Mitchell County,
with five mines, accounted for 21 percent; Avery and Macon Counties accounted
for 20 percent. Ground mica output decreased 7 percent and value 10 percent.
Eight mica grinders were active in 1967, one less than in 1966. Five of the
operations used dry methods, two used wet methods, and one used both methods.
Uses of the ground mica were roofing (41 percent), paint (15 percent), rubber
(9 percent); the remaining 35 percent was used for wallpaper, plastic, well
drilling, textile coating, and other uses. Production of sheet mica was unchanged
at 4,500 pounds.