THE MINERAL INDUSTRY OF NEVADA 527 
 
quarry, Pershing County, for use in its nearby Gerlach gypsum products plant,
Washoe County. In Clark County, The Flintkote Co. and Fibreboard Corp. mined
crude gypsum and produced gypsum products at Blue Diamond and Apex, respectively.
Fibreboard Corp. shipped crude and calcined gypsum to company plants in California.
At yearend Fibreboard's Lovelock quarry, Pershing County, and Apex quarry
and plant, Clark County, had been sold to Johns-Manville Corp. 
 
 Lime.—Lime output rose 5 percent over that of 1966, this was chiefly
attributable to the new plant of Morrison and Weatherly Chemical Products
Co. near McGill, White Pine County, which supplied Kennecott Copper Corp.
Previously, Kennecott purchased its requirements from outof-State sources.
Shipments for use in the steel, copper, and paper industries rose; demand
for construction use declined. The Flintkote Co. operated three lime plants
in Clark County, producing quicklime at Apex, hydrated lime at Sloan, and
both products at Henderson. Flintkote shipped lime throughout the western
States and exported it to Canada and Mexico. The company planned to install
a new 300-ton-a-day kiln at Apex in 1968. 
 
 Lithium Compounds.—Foote Mineral Co. produced lithium carbonate at
its Silver Peak facility, Esmeralda County, from brines obtained from the
nearby Clayton Valley salt marsh. New evaporation ponds were built in 1967,
and plans were made to double the plant capacity. However, production was
much lower than preliminary estimates indicated, and the output dropped nearly
7 percent below that in 
1966. 
 
 Magnesite and Brucite.—Basic, Inc., operated open pit magnesite and
brucite mines near Gabbs, Nye County. The company upgraded the ore and produced
special products and refractory materials in nearby plants. Although most
of the ore was consumed in the manufacture of these products, some magnesite
and brucite were sold to out-of-State customers. Mine production was down
7 percent for magnesite and up nearly four-fold for brucite, compared with
1966. Combined consumption and shipments of all materials dropped nearly
35 percent, reflecting the generally depressed economic condition of the
refractories industry. 
 Perlite.—Crude perlite sales continued a decline begun in 1958, and
no sales of expanded material were reported. Only two mines were active in
1967. In Lincoln County, Combined Metals Reduction Co. (Hollinger pit) and
Delamar Perlite (Mackie claims) mined and shipped crude perlite to out-of-State
customers. Stockpiled perlite, from the Pearl Hill quarry of United States
Gypsum Co., Pershing County, was expanded and used in the company wallboard
plant, Washoe County. The Hurry Up claims, Esmeralda County, which produced
in 1966, were abandoned by Western Gravel Co., and the property reverted
to the original owner. 
 
 Pumice (Volcanic Cinder) .—The output of pumice, pumicite, scoria,
and volcanic cinder rose nearly 91 percent from 1966, principally because
of an unusual demand for the materials as drain rock, concrete aggregate,
fill, and base material in street construction. Kemway Enterprises mined
pumicite from the Lory Free pit, Lincoln County, and prepared the material
for use as pozzolan. Pumice from the Cooper pit, Mineral County, and Naturalite
group of claims, Storey County, with volcanic cinder from the Cinder Cone
deposit, Nyc County, and the Steamboat property, Washoe County, were used
for concrete aggregate. Savage Construction Co., Ormsby County, and Rilite
Aggregate Co., Washoe County, mined scoria and pumicite, respectively, for
decorative use, drain rock, fill, road base, and roofing granules. Crude
sales rose 71 percent while prepared sales more than doubled compared with
those of 1966. 
 
 Salt.—Crude salt was harvested from the surface of a dry lakebed near
Sand Springs, Churchill County, and sold principally for use in ice control
on roads by State and local agencies in Nevada and Idaho. Smaller quantities
were purchased by meat packers, tanners, and dairies. 
 
 Sand and Gravel.—Sand and gravel production was higher than in 1966
by 1 million tons, but the total value dropped more than $450,000. The chief
reason for this apparent inequity was a 442,000-ton decline in commercial
(high value) output and a 1.5-million-ton increase in Government-and-contractor
(low value) production. Comparatively large amounts of unprepared sand and
gravel were used in grading and subsurface work in the con-