Bulletin of the Mineralogical Society 
of Southern California

Volume 74  Number 8                                             August 2004

The 798th Meeting of The Mineralogical Society 
of Southern California

Annual Mineral Swap and Picnic!

Sunday, August 15, 2004

from 3 to 7 p.m.

Arcadia Woman's Club

Corner of First Ave. and Diamond

Arcadia

Inside this bulletin: 

Annual Mineral Swap and Picnic
Remembering H. Stanton Hill
Show Off Your Best !
Minutes of the July Meeting
Minutes of the July Board Meeting
Whose Land Are You On?
Calendar of Events

Annual Mineral Swap and Picnic!

When:  Sunday, August 15, 2004 from 3 to 7 p.m.

Where:  Arcadia Woman's Club

What:  Potluck Supper, Mineral Swap, 
             and Kid Rock work party.

Details:

Our annual mineral swap and picnic will be held in the air-conditioned comfort of the Arcadia Woman's Club!  The event begins at 3:00 p.m. and will end at 7:00 p.m. with the potluck dinner beginning at 5:00 p.m.  (We'll have some appetizers out by a little after 3.)  All members who attend are asked to bring some sort of appetizer, main dish, salad, or dessert to share.  Also, bring your own serving utensil and beverages. Alcohol is allowed because of the private club setting.  MSSC will supply ice, cups, utensils, plates, and napkins.  Bring your family and friends!

The mineral swap will be ongoing from 3 to 7, so bring specimens to swap, sell, or give away.  Take a look around --everyone has some minerals that need a new home!  Donations to Kid Rock will be accepted.  You can also have fun catching up on the latest mineral gossip while gluing up a few Kid Rock materials beginning at 3:00.

Jim Kusley would like a few members to volunteer to help him set up tables and chairs at 2:45, take them down again at 7:00, and do any last minute clean up.  Any questions?  Contact Jim at 818.240.7022 or bgbrdpen@earthlink.net.  He looks forward to seeing all of you there for a GREAT afternoon.

Driving Instructions:

The Arcadia Woman's Club is on the northeast corned of Diamond and First in the City of Arcadia.  Take the Huntington Drive exit on Interstate 210.  Go southwest on Huntington until you reach First Avenue.  Turn left (south) on First and travel a short way to Diamond where there is a four-way stop.  The club is on the northeast corner.  Turn left onto Diamond and park on the street.  Enter the building from Diamond.

Remembering H. Stanton Hill

H. Stanton Hill, the last remaining founding member of this Society, passed away on July 9, 2004.  He was 93.

 Stan Hill took his first geology class from Edwin Van Amringe at Pasadena City College in 1928.  By 1930 he was working there as the geology assistant.  In 1931, he was a junior at Pomona College when he joined Van Amringe and others in

founding the Mineralogical Society of Southern California.  He then graduated Summa Cum Laude from Pomona College, received a master's degree from Claremont Graduate School and did additional graduate work at Caltech.

In 1935, Stan joined the PCC faculty as a geology instructor, and it was this same year that the department inaugurated its famous spring vacation field trips.  This first trip was a 2,000-mile journey to points of geological and mineralogical interest in the southwestern United States. 

Mr. Hill, as the students addressed him, was greatly admired and respected.  Among present and past MSSC members, there are many of his former students who still enjoy telling tales of their student days in his mineralogy classes and on field trips.  The students must have also admired his lovely and gracious wife, Mary, who went on many field trips.  In 1937, he helped form the Dana Club at PCC.  Today it is the oldest club on campus, and its continued activity and traditions extend from the foundation that Stan Hill helped to build.  Through the years, Stan actively promoted the special relationship between the Dana Club and the MSSC, particularly at the MSSC's annual shows. After 37 years of teaching, he retired as Professor Emeritus. In 1978, the PCC geology department opened the H. Stanton Hill Geology Museum which features the large mineral collection he helped to assemble.. 

During retirement he spent a number of years as curator of Caltech's mineral collection and helped to identify and sort books of historical interest in their Geology Library.  He also established the H. Stanton Hill and Mary C. Hill Geology Library Fund at Pomona College and made significant contributions of expertise and books to the Pomona collection.

Stan was honored by many professional organizations.  In 1971, he received the Neil A. Miner Award from the National Association of Geology Teachers for exceptional contributions to the promotion of the earth sciences.  He was a Senior Fellow of the Geological Society of America and a Fellow of the Geological Society of London.

In 1995, the MSSC named its annual show award in Stan's honor.  In response, he wrote a letter that included the following:

"One could say that during my career my main interests were three:  students, minerals, and old books on the history of geology.  Now my five thousand mineral specimens are in the Mineral Reference Collection at Caltech.  Most of my old books are in the Pomona College Geology Library, and the sale of some of my books has provided funds for an annual geology award to promising Pomona College students, as well as a fund to support the geology library there....  Thank you all again, not only for the honor, but also for providing for so many years a wonderful education in mineralogy extending beyond the classroom."

It is those of us who had the privileged to know Stan Hill who were truly honored. We extend our sympathy to his son, Roger Hill, and daughter, Catherine S. Hill.  Donations in Stan's memory may be sent to the Donald B. McIntyre--H. Stanton Hill Geology Award Fund, care of David Scott, Director of Stewardship and Memorial Funds, Pomona College, 550 North College Avenue, Claremont, CA 91711 (make checks payable to Pomona College and indicate the name of the fund).

Show off your best!

by Walt Margerum

Have you collected that perfect specimen?  Well, here is your chance to show it off!  As part of this October's Southern California Gem and Mineral Show, we will be giving an award (sorry no cash) for the best self-collected specimen.  The specimen can be from a mine, mine dump, or any other locality, but must have been found without the direct help of a professional.  By that I mean specimens that are the result of a mine operator salting a dump, or mechanically removed by them for collecting are not eligible.  If during normal operations the specimen is revealed and then self collected by hand, or is on the dump as part of the normal mine detritus, it is eligible.  I know this is a fine distinction.  It also has to have been collected within the last five years, and be an unaltered mineral.  Trimming is allowed, but any other alteration is not.  The only exception is for unstable minerals, such as evaporites, which may be preserved by coating to prevent disintegration.  The specimen should be of cabinet size, no micro's, or boulders.  Only amateurs are eligible:  no dealers, no miners.  Only two specimens can be accepted from any collector, and only the actual collector is eligible for the award.

All entries will be displayed during the show, and the awards committee will select the the "Best of Show."  The guidelines for "Best of Show" are that the mineral need not be pretty, but be the "best it can be."  As an example, a great specimen of partzite, a rare mineral not noted for its crystallization, would win over a typical garnet crystal.  Aside from the award, this is a great opportunity to show the public that good specimens can still be collected.  At least I hope they can.

To participate, please contact me by e-mail (wmargerum@earthlink.net), snail-mail (14892 Sutro Ave., Gardena, CA 90249), or by phone (310-324-1976).  You will need to provide the following information:  specimen name, where collected, when collected, how collected, and of course your name.  I will also need to know the specimen size, and any special requirements for preservation or display.  I will provide standardized labels for the cases.  A photograph would be nice, but is not necessary.  All specimens become my personal property.   Just kidding!  They will be returned at the end of the show.  All participants will receive a certificate of appreciation.

Here is that opportunity to show'em what you've got!  Don't let me down.

Minutes of the July Meeting

The 797^th meeting of the Mineralogical Society of Southern California was held on Friday, July 9th in the Geology department at Pasadena City College.  Vice President Jim Kusely brought the meeting to order at 7:36 p.m. 

First on the program were announcements on the upcoming MSSC annual picnic.  The picnic this year will be held at the Arcadia Women’s Club on Sunday, August 15^th.  All members are welcome to enjoy a mineral swap and a delightful potluck style supper.

Show Chair, Justin Butt then made some announcements regarding the 2004 MSSC show.  Justin still needs additional help with demonstrators and any suggestions would be helpful.  Fliers were made available to the members, giving the show’s dates on October 16^th and 17^th as well as the location at the Long Beach Convention and Expo Center.

Our speaker for the evening was Edward Boehm a gemologist.  He gave a sparkling talk on the recent mining activity in Burma, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Madagascar.  During the talk we learned about the gem bearing areas and famous places of mining.  Along with the locations we heard about mining techniques in these countries and how they extract the crystals from the gem bearing gravel.  After the talk Mr. Boehm displayed some lovely faceted gems including tanzanite and gorgeous rubies.

Congratulations to Larry Bruce for winning the July door prize!

At 8:55pm the meeting was brought to a close.

Respectfully Submitted by Ilia Lyles, Secretary

Minutes of the July Board Meeting

The July 2004 board meeting of the Mineralogical Society of Southern California was held on Sunday, July 18^th at the home of Bill Besse.  President Jo Anna Ritchey brought the meeting to order at 1:12pm.  In attendance at the board meeting were the following members; Bill Besse, Jo Anna Ritchey, Justin Butt, Jim Imai, Walter Margerum, Ilia Lyles, Charlie Freed, Janet Gordon, James Kusely, Vicki Bruce and Larry Bruce.  Participants worked on gluing up Kid Rock during the meeting.

First on the agenda was Bill Besse with a suggestion to the board that there be a change in the website server.  A motion was brought to the floor and passed unanimously that the website server be changed for the additional benefits of increased space and more mailboxes.

Walter Margerum discussed the financial health of the society.  He passed out copies of the net worth report to the members, which everyone was satisfied with.  He also talked about investments and outgoing funds.

Janet Gordon then made a request to expand Kid Rock with additional tables and materials ($250-$300).  This was approved by the Show Chair Justin Butt.

Justin Butt then brought up 2004 MSSC show issues.  Advertising methods were discussed along with the idea of more demonstrators and maybe having someone help in the area of getting additional demonstrators.  There were also discussions about security at the show, along with tee-shirts and table prices.  Along with the show, thoughts about the MSSC trailer, its storage and upkeep were shared.

The meeting was brought to a close at 3:07pm.

Respectfully Submitted by Ilia Lyles, Secretary

Who’s Land Are You On?

By Walt Margerum

As you wander aimlessly across the desert in search of that elusive and rare mineral have you ever wondered whose land you’re on?  Until recently the only way to know for sure was to manually search the records.  The Bureau of Land Management now has a web site “Bureau of Land Management Land and Mineral Records LR2000” at www.blm.gov/lr2000 that provides access to records of both patented and non-patented mining claims.  The BLM claims “This website was designed for those who work in the oil and gas industry, title companies, utilities, state and local governments, etc. that require access to BLM land and mineral records.  Previously the only way a person could access this information was to visit one of the BLM Information Access Centers.  This website enables users to access the same information over the Internet.”  I take the etc. in the above statement to mean me, and other mineral collectors interested in whose land they are on!  Like most government databases this one was designed for those familiar with the system.  Therefore as a novice user you have to learn how it is organized, and how to download the data of interest.  It is sometimes complicated and frustrating to navigate these sites.

The LR2000 site is really a portal to several unrelated databases.  The two of most interest are the Federal Land Patent database for records before 1982 and the Mining Claim database.  Unfortunately these two operate differently and are not interconnected. 

To gain access to the Federal Land Patent database from the LR2000 database go to the “What information is not available through this website?” paragraph and click on Federal Land Patent Records.  When the site opens click Search Land Patents.  You will see a page with several tabs.  The front tab is labeled Basic.  The major stumbling block is the Basic page requires that you know the name of the patentee.  Clicking the Standard tab will get you into a page that allows you to search by other criteria, including Township and Range.  One caveat.  You need to select your state in the Basic page prior to going to the Standard page.  I warned you it could be frustrating, and the best is yet to come!

My experience with this database indicates it is a work in progress.  Most of the records say “assigned for automation”, and other than the name of the patentee, issue date of the patent, and a document number there is no other data.  Its main use is general information on when patents were issued.  Other than this shortcoming, it is easy to use.

The Mining Claim database is more interesting, and confusing.  In order to gain access you have to be running either Internet Explorer, or Netscape Navigator.  The BLM claims no other browsers will work.  From the main page click on “Reports” and from the Reports page you will be instructed to download and install a “Brio plugin.”  After you do this you will have access to the data, hopefully.  If you are a MAC OSX user call me, and I will lead you through it.  If you are a Windows user I am told it works fine, right!  If you believe that I have a great mine to sell you!

Before you begin to navigate the database you have to know how it is organized.  To understand the database download the instructions from the “If you have difficulty installing the Brio plugin…” paragraph on the main page.  Then open up a large bottle of your favorite libation and prepare to spend several hours.  After memorizing the instructions, and using up your bottle, you are now fully qualified to download data.  The table above shows a sample of what you can expect.

As you can see there are several ACTIVE as well as CLOSED claims in MER 21 (Mount Diablo) TWP 0140S (T14S) RNG 0360E (R14E) SEC 003, and that the active ones are owned by Missouri Mines Inc.  By further searching the database you can get the address of Missouri Mines Inc.  The exact location of the claims can only be determined by manually searching the county records.  But since all claims need to be marked you should be able to find them the old fashioned way, by aimlessly wandering across the desert.  Have fun!

Oh, by the way! My conversations with the BLM people indicate they are changing the data format for the Claims database this fall.

2004 Calendar of Events

August 7-8, San Francisco Gem and Mineral Society Golden Anniversary Show and Sale, San Francisco Co. Fair Building (Hall of Flowers), 9th Ave. and Lincoln Way, San Francisco, Hours Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5.  Robert Campbell (415) 564-4230. Web site: http://www.sfgms.org.

August 15, MSSC Picnic, Sunday from 3 to 7 p.m., at the Arcadia Women's Club. Contact Jim Kusley bdbrdpen@earthlink.net.

September 25-26, Monterey, Carmel Valley Gem & Mineral Society, Monterey Fairgrounds, 2004 Fairgrounds Rd., Hours: Sat. 10 - 6; Sun. 10 - 5, Sky Paxton (831) 755-7741 / sky@familystones.net

 October 9-10, Antioch, Antioch Lapidary Club, Contra Costa Fairgrounds, 10th and L Streets - in the Flower Bldg , Hours: 10-5 both days, Ramona Bond ibmomobond@yahoo.com

 October 9-10, Grass Valley, Nevada County Gem & Mineral Society, Nevada County Fairgrounds, Main Exhit Hall - 11228 McCourtney Rd, Hours: 10-5 both days, Cliff Swenson (530) 272-3752

October 9-10, Lakeside, El Cajon Valley Gem and Minerals, Lakeside Rodeo Grounds, 12584 Mapleview Road. Hours: 10-5 both days, Peggy Bowery (619) 561-7684 / docsgirl9@aol.com

October 9-10, Trona, Searles Lake Gem & Mineral Society, Searles Lake Gem & Min. Show Bldg., 13337 Main Street, Hours: Sat. 7:30-5; Sun. 7:30-4, Bonnie Fairchild (760) 372-5356

October 16-17, Southern California Gem and Mineral Show, Long Beach Convention Center, presented by the Mineralogical Society of Southern California.  Hours: Sat. & Sun 10-6. Justin Butt, minwreck@hotmail.com.

Oct 22-24, Riverside, Valley Prospectors of San Bernardino, Rancho Jurupa Park; 4800 Crestmore,Hours: Sat. 9-5; Sun. 9-4, Alice Corey (909) 864-8320, Email: ALPENNYMAE@AOL.COM.

November 12-14, West Coast Gem and Mineral Show, Costa Mesa Holiday Inn, 3131 S. Bristol St., Hours Fri. & Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5. mz0955@aol.com, www.mzexpos.com