THE 761th MEETING
OF
THE MINERALOGICAL SOCIETY
OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

7:30 p.m., Friday June 8, 2001
Building E, Room 220
Pasadena City College
Pasadena, California

Featuring a Talk
by
Charles Carmona
“Gem Mining in Brazil”

JUNE PROGRAM

Charles Carmona is a professional gemologist/appraiser who last summer led a group of 20 people from the L.A. County Natural History Museum to visit and dig in multiple gem mines in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The various mines were producing topaz, emerald, aquamarine, tourmaline, quartz, kunzite, apatite, feldspars and many rare gemstones. A discussion with slide show will feature the geology, history and culture of the region. Gem rough and mineral specimens from the trip will be passed around.

COLLECTOR’S NOTES
The Pedry Mine

by Walt Margerum

In March of 2000 on my way to the Borate Field Trip, I decided to see what could be found at the Pedry mine located just north of Mount General in San Bernardino County (sections 7, 18, T10 N, R2W, SBM; 4 1/2 airline miles northeast of Hinkley). The Pedry, or Golden Witch as it is also known, was a lead mine with a small output. Since the mines are inaccessible, and there is very little on the smallish dumps, I didn’t expect to find much, and I wasn’t disappointed. After I got home and examined the minerals under the microscope, I discovered some rather unusual orangish brown crystals. They were long and thin, and tapered at both ends. They appeared to belong to the tetragonal system. Bob Housley examined them using the SEM and determined them to be wulfenite. My interest peaked, and I was determined to go to the mines again to see what else could be found. It took more than a year, but on April 8th of this year, Bob Housley, Garth Bricker and I visited the mine. We found more wulfenite, as well as other minerals. To date, galena, cerussite, wulfenite, malachite, chrysocolla, hemimorphite, plumbojarosite, barite, and calcite have been found at the Pedry. None are museum class specimens, but they are nice additions to a micro collection.

The following description of the Pedry was taken from the California Division of Mines Bulletin 165 Geology and Mineral Deposits of the Barstow Quadrangle San Bernardino County, California by Oliver E. Bowen Jr., published in 1954.

“The Pedry vein system crops out continuously for more than a mile, striking N. 23° W. and dipping east from 70° to near vertical. It is conspicuously exposed on a low ridge made up of several types of granite and volcanic rocks. Surface exposures of vein material vary from 2 to 10 feet wide. The lead-zinc mineralization appears, from surface exposures, to be concentrated in the southern half of the vein, with increased quartz, subordinate copper and sparse lead-zinc showings to the north. Wall rocks along the southern half of the vein are chiefly gray quartz monzonite porphyry approaching a quartz latite in texture, but this rock includes pendants of hornblende gneiss and is cut by thin dikes of white felsite. The northern half of the vein is chiefly in slightly gneissic, light gray granodiorite. It is also cut by white felsite dikes and is intruded along its south contact by the quartz monzonite porphyry.

Vein matter is chiefly brecciated quartz mingled with wall rock fragments. Relict primary minerals in the main workings include galena (probably argentiferous), sphalerite and pyrite with chalcopyrite coming in only along the northern half of the vein. The vein has been oxidized for the entire depth penetrated and the principal ore minerals are now cerussite and anglesite. Gangue minerals include barite, calcite and limonite as well as quartz. Vein matter is full of vugs and comb structures and the environment of deposition is clearly epithermal.

Workings consist of a 270-foot inclined shaft near the most southerly exposure of the vein, a partly caved vertical shaft of unknown depth 100 feet north of the main shaft, a third shaft inclined 70° E. situated 3/4 of a mile north of the main shaft (described by Wright (1953) as being 200 feet deep and having short drifts at several levels) and numerous shallow pits and crosscuts. Most of the recent activity is confined to workings connected with the main shaft. This is equipped with a head-frame, ore bin and hoist and is readily accessible by ladder. Its general inclination is 70° E. but this dip changes as much as 10° in some places. There are 5 levels spaced approximately 50 feet apart consisting of short drifts 30 feet long or less. A crosscut was driven west from the main shaft 40 feet to intersect a parallel vein. The shaft is full of   water below the 250-foot level. Insufficient development work has been done to gain much of an idea of tonnage reserve in the mine and the author did not have access to either the lower workings or to the parallel vein underground. The latter is discontinuously exposed at the surface for a hundred feet or more and the gossan outcrops contain high-grade ore. Several feet of high-grade ore were observed at each of several levels and the amount and quality of the ore exposed is notable. Several small shipments were made during the period 1950-53.”

BLM SCHEDULES OPEN HOUSE 
TO DISCUSS OHV ROUTE NETWORK 
FOR PUBLIC LANDS NORTH OF BARSTOW

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is soliciting public participation in the development of a vehicle access network for the public lands north of the City of Barstow, and south of Superior Valley.

An open house will be held on Wednesday, June 27, 2001, from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Barstow Field Office, BLM, located at 2601 Barstow Road in the City of Barstow, CA. BLM staff will be available to discuss the suggested network. The public is invited to "field check" the suggested network and provide their comments to BLM during the 90-days following release of the maps and reports.

BLM has prepared detailed maps and a written report that describes a preliminary access network. The maps and report are now available. Copies are available upon request from the BLM.

Development of a vehicle access network will implement a decision reached by the BLM in 1980 when it completed the California Desert Conservation Area Plan. The plan directed BLM to design and designate such a network on public lands throughout the deserts of southern California. This "route designation process" is now being implemented through the new West Mojave Plan, an interagency wildlife conservation plan currently being developed by a consortium of desert cities, counties and agencies. Based upon the public comments received during the 90-day public review, BLM will develop a modified proposed route network, which will be used as the preferred alternative in the West Mojave Plan.

The Superior area is one of 21 regions into which the western Mojave desert has been subdivided for purposes of developing a network of vehicle access routes. When completed, the network will provide recreational and other access to public lands while at the same time protecting sensitive natural and cultural resources.

Subregion reports are not a decision documents, nor does the route network suggested by this report constitute a formal proposal by the BLM. The written report provides an overview of the subregion, its current uses, natural and cultural resources and management goals. It describes the effectiveness of the suggested network in meeting those goals. It is a preliminary assessment prepared to assist staff and public as they cooperatively develop a formal proposal for a route network.

Once a proposed network is developed, it will be discussed at public meetings to be held during the late summer and fall of 2001. Following publication of a draft environmental impact statement on the West Mojave Plan late in 2001, additional public hearings will be held. This field review, therefore, is but the first of several opportunities for public involvement in the route designation process.

Comments regarding the proposed route network for the Superior region must be received by no later than Wednesday, August 15, 2001. Submit comments Bureau of Land Management, Attn: West Mojave Planning Team, 6221 Box Springs Blvd., Riverside, CA 92507. For more information contact the West Mojave Team at (909) 697-5294.

MINUTES OF THE MAY 2001 MEETING

The meeting was called to order by President Dave Smith at about 7:40 pm on Friday, May 11th in our newly remodeled lecture room at PCC. Since the speakers were still bringing in some displays Dave decided to hold the business portion of the meeting before the program. I started by reminding people about the upcoming California Federation Show at Paso Robles in June. Then I mentioned that anyone who would like to go there and have their expenses paid by MSSC could do so by becoming our Federation Director, which is an easy job and a good way to meet interesting people. The offer is still open to the first member who contacts me.

Dave then again reminded people who had held committee chairs in the past to please write up a description of the duties that could be provided to prospective new chairs.

Carolyn Seitz gave an update on plans for the Memorial Day field trip to the Blanchard Mine in New Mexico and had a topo map of the region listing all the nearby collecting spots for people to look at after the meeting. Chris Sibel had just spent a week there and brought in three flats of beautiful material that provided ample evidence of what might be found. There were numerous pieces covered with nice blue fluorite cubes, but what caught my eye the most were several pieces with brochantite on fluorite and one fist sized piece covered with blue linarite crystals. Carolyn recommended that we come early enough on Friday to see the mineral museum at the University in Soccoro if possible. She also brought literature on a mineral symposium that will be held there November 10 and 11.

Jim Schlegel gave a brief report on his annual trip to Crystal Ridge. He said everyone had a good time and that the wild flowers were outstanding, but that no spectacular pockets were encountered this year.

The business concluded the program started at 8 pm. It began with a ten minute video clip form a television series, I believe, called California Mysteries. The new PCC audio/video equipment worked beautifully so this appeared just as if we were watching a movie. It featured our main speaker, Bob Verish, as well as past speakers Alan Rubin and Dorothy Ettensohn. It showed the circumstances of the finding of the Los Angeles Meteorite, the 14th meteorite known to come from Mars, and briefly illustrated how one goes about looking for meteorites.

Following the video Verish started a box containing two slices of the Los Angeles meteorite around the audience for everyone to get a close look at. He continued to explain the techniques for finding meteorites. Contrary to popular opinion the best places to look are not dry lake beds or sand dunes. Although a lot of meteorites have been found on dry lake beds, because of the alkaline environment and the long periods of exposure to moisture they are generally too weathered to be of much scientific interest Sand dunes tend to bury meteorites as often as they expose them.

The best areas to look at are dry elevated regions where as a result of wind or shower activity there is a net erosion of soil taking place. In North Africa limestone plateaus are currently providing a lot of finds. During the past couple of years Verish has been exploring areas in the Mojave Desert by vehicle, since this way he can cover more ground than by walking. In the small collection of samples he brought one was found in February of this year.

Ron Hartman frequently joined in the discussion. He teaches geology at Mt. SACC and achieved some fame about 30 years ago when he found a number of meteorites on Lucerne Dry Lake. He uses meteorites in his teaching and in addition over the years has assembled an outstanding personal collection which he bought in for us to see and appreciate. All in all it was a very interesting and informative program. After the program Janet Gordon brought out a binocular microscope so that those who were interested could get a better look at some of the samples. Discussions continued until about 10:30.

Respectfully Submitted by Bob Housley, Secretary

MINUTES OF THE APRIL 2001 BOARD MEETING

The April MSSC Board meeting was called to order at 2:30 PM Sunday, April 22, 2001 by our president, Dave Smith, at his home. Present besides Dave were Bill Besse, Janet Gordon, Charlie Freed, Jim Schlegel, and myself.

The first item of business was the treasurer’s report given by Janet Gordon. I am happy to report that the computer incompatibility problems between the system being used by Janet and that used by our outgoing treasurer have recently been resolved. We are solvent with a comfortable operating reserve and no outstanding bills. Janet is still working to resolve some minor questions in time to file our income tax return before May 15th. One of these is to pin down the exact income balance from our 2000 Show. She will now be able to work with Jim Schlegel on this. As of now it appears that we had a net profit of about $2500.

Following the treasurer’s report we got to work on the 2001 budget, which had necessarily been postponed from the previous meeting. After considerable discussion and many revisions we unanimously passed a budget based largely on last years actual expenses modified to reflect any changes that could be reasonable anticipated.

One exception concerned the Van Amringe Fund. Based on the mutually beneficial relationship that now exists with PCC we decided to increase our donations to this fund. We will now have a baseline donation of $250 per year. This is in addition to $50 for each MSSC member who passes away during the year.

We discussed the desirability of changing our meeting dates when the regularly scheduled date conflicts with a three day weekend. While generally agreeing that is would be desirable to make such changes we did not actually arrive at a proposal, noting that there will be another Board meeting before another such incident could occur.

We also discussed field trip policy and reaffirmed our position that each individual is and must be responsible for his or her own safety on our field trips. It is hoped that our trips will be both educational and enjoyable. To this end the leaders only endeavor to take people to places where they may see and collect interesting mineral specimens or see interesting geological features. They have no control over nor responsibility for individual safety. We discussed the possibility of writing a disclaimer along these line for the Bulletin and/or release forms for people going on field trips to sign, but not finalize any specific wording.

We briefly discussed a suggestion received at our e-mail address encouraging us to join a free promotional group called Webring. We decided against it.

We also briefly discussed the possibility, brought to our attention by Dan Krawitz, that Cal Poly at Pomona might want to provide for a science museum in their new science building. We all saw that as desirable and felt that many members would be willing to support such an effort with specimen loans and educational donations. I was authorized to write a letter expressing such support.

Write-ups for committee positions were again mentioned and the idea of having a rotating hospitality committee was brought up.

Finally Jim Schlegel bought us up to date on plans for this years Show. Everything seems to be on schedule and going smoothly. However the rent for the Pasadena Center has gone up $4500 necessitating a $100 increase in dealer booth fees. We discussed awards and felt that our President’s Trophy had become redundant now that we also have the Kristalle Award. We decided not to award a President’s Trophy this year, and to re-institute it next year, possibly as an award for the best educational display.

Respectfully Submitted by Bob Housley, Secretary

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

JUNE

2-3 Glendora, CA Glendora Gems, Goddard Middle School, 859 E. Sierra Madre Hours: Sat. 10 - 5; Sun. 10 - 4. 

2-3 San Diego, CA San Diego Lapidary Society, Inc., Al Bahr Temple; 5440 Kearny Mesa Rd. (Behind the Hampton Inn) Hours: Sat 10-6 Sun 10-4.

22-24 Paso Robles, CA CFMS Show & Convention - Gem, Jewelry, and Mineral Show, San Lucia Rockhounds, California Mid-State Fairgrounds, 2198 Riverside Avenue, Paso Robles.