MICROBITS BULLETIN OF THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA MICRO-MINERALOGISTS

 

PRESIDENT Dan McHugh     VICE PRESIDENT Alan Wilkins     SECRETARY Susan Hansen     TREASURER Bob White     BOARD OF DIRECTORS Juanita Curtis Jack Nieburger Paul Adams Ann Seminaris (Alternate)   FEDERATION DIRECTOR Beverly Moreau     DUES $10 Single, $15 Membership Plus   MEETINGS Third Saturday in even numbered months, 10:00 a.m. till…? Jurupa Mountains Cultural Center 7621 Granite Hill Dr., Riverside   MICROBITS EDITOR Beverly Moreau (see Federation Director) bcmoreau@4dnet.com

President’s Message   Happy Holidays to all!  Trying to ensure that everyone may attend our last meeting of this year, we have changed our meeting date to the second Saturday of the month – the 14th.  We will be meeting in the Board room of the Jurupa Mountain Cultural Center and although it is slightly smaller than our usual room, it should fit everybody comfortably.  Thanks to Jack Neiburger for helping with the new date.  Need I say it?  Bring your red and green minerals to the meeting, and any newly acquired specimens you would like to show our club members. This will be an important meeting.  It is the final opportunity to make plans for our January 2003 Pacific Micromount Conference.  Lets make this conference as great as all of our past ones!  We still need specimens for our auction and for the sales table. Our December meeting is also the traditional time for election of the club’s officers.  I strongly encourage anyone with an interest to seek an office.  This is a great opportunity to help with the administrative matters of our organization. On a personal note, my mineral collecting interests are changing and are moving towards the study of classic, historical localities of the east coast that were producing 150-200 years ago, and in particular, the history of mineral collecting in Pennsylvania.  As some of you know, Pennsylvania is the State that gave birth to micromounting back in the latter part of the 1870’s.                                                                       (Continued page 2) _______________ Change in Meeting Date for December 2002   The meeting date for December has been changed to Sat., 12/14, to avoid possible travel conflicts for our members.  The meeting time is 10:00 a.m.  We will meet in a room at the rear of the Center—just follow the signs.  This is an important meeting, as we will be finalizing plans for the January 31 conference.  Pack up your lunch and scopes, and any red and green specimens you might have.   Directions:  From the 60 freeway (east or west), exit on Pyrite Avenue, go north under the freeway to the first signal (Granite Hill), turn right, and continue east on Granite Hill to the Jurupa Mountains Cultural Center.

Web Site for SCMM:

 

Sunshine Corner

  Word has reached us that Fred DeVito was put on a new chemotherapy treatment that is now FDA approved, and he is better that he has been in years.  He has even been seen out splitting wood again! 

  Juanita Curtis is doing very well these days and will have a follow-up endoscopy to make sure her ulcers are healing.  If results are positive, she may be able to avoid a new series of three antibiotics and chemotherapy treatments. 

  We’ll be praying for continued healing for these members, and all those who need our support.  Please let us have information about others who are in need of a little sunshine. 

 

President’s Message (Cont’d.)

Two Pennsylvanians, George Fisk and the Reverend Rakestraw in Philadelphia and Cornwall were the first gentlemen to collect and mount microscopic minerals on glass slides and in boxes, thereafter commonly referred to as “Rakestraws.”  In researching minerals of the Perkiomen mine in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, I came across an article written in 1904 entitled “Minute Mineralogy” which was published in “The Mineral Collector.”  This is one of the earliest articles on micromounting I have encountered and thought our club members would find it interesting.  Obviously, it extols the virtues of micro-minerals as a hobby.  However, in reading this volume of the Mineral Collector, I was amused by the juxtaposition of this article to the one which followed entitled the “Size of Specimens” by Charles Pennypacker.  As Mr. Penny-packer states, he likes “large, well-developed” specimens that are “noble sized” and which are “calculated to drive strong men to – think.”

Well, these two articles show that the debate over collecting small, perfect specimens versus large, showy ones existed at least one hundred years ago, and will probably go on for sometime in the future.  Hope you all enjoy reading these two articles, and I look forward to seeing you at our meeting on December 14th.

Dan

 

REMINDER RE MINERAL DONATIONS

Pleas get your donations for the Live and Silent auctions and Sales Table to Sugar White asap, in advance of the Conference.   Auction minerals   must be photographed prior to auction.  The winning bidder gets both the specimen and the slide.  Mailings should go to

Sugar White

   

Both auctions and the Sales table are major sources of income for the Club to pay the expenses of the Conference and need your support.

¾ Time is of the essence!  ¾

 

CONFERENCE NOTES

Registration:  Please see the Conference Regis-tration slip on page 5 in this bulletin.  It is a two-page form, with Membership Renewal informa-tion on the reverse.  Only one check for both Registration and Membership is requested.  See the Guidelines on page 7 for details on filling out the two forms.

Dinners Friday and Saturday:  Many thanks to Julie and Carole Steele and Ann Meister for taking care of the food on Friday and Saturday nights. 

On Friday, the Potluck will feature a baked ham which they will donate.  Our attendees will supply the rest of the meal.  Each person or family is asked to bring an appetizer (if veggies, make sure they are fresh and crisp), a salad, a side dish or casserole, or dessert. 

Saturday evening’s dinner will be the familiar Lasagna Buffet (including one meatless Lasagna) with salad, rolls and margarine, and cake.  (Be sure to sign up and pay your $5.00 with the Registration form at the back of this bulletin.)

Julie tells us their Committee was the only one that showed a profit in the 2002 Conference—all 21 cents went back into food budget for 2003.

Saturday Lunch at the Museum:  Once again, lunch on Saturday will be Subway sandwiches, and is included with your Registration fee.  Be sure to make your sandwich selection on the Registration form.

Mineral Donations:  See the article on page 2 about minerals for the auctions or Sales Table.  If you have minerals for the giveaway table, they should be set out on Friday afternoon during the registration and microscope setup time. 

Member Slide Presentations or Short Contrib-uted Talks:  See the Registration form for a space to list your possible contributions in this area.

Field Trip:  At publication time, no details on the field trip were available.  This will be announced at the Conference, or perhaps at the December 14 meeting at Jurupa Cultural Center (see pg. 1).

Rockhound Stickers

  If you didn’t make it to the October meeting, we still have Rockhound stickers available for 50 cents each to put in the window of your vehicle.  This is a way of letting other rockhounds know that you are involved in the hobby.  A great public relations tool!

 

 

 

CFMS Scholarship Committee Names Sugar White as 2003 CFMS Scholarship Honoree

  At its meeting in Visalia in November, the CFMS Scholarship Committee named Sugar White as one of two 2003 CFMS Scholarship Honorees.  As such, she is entitled to name a college or University to receive a $2000 schol-arship for a Junior or Senior student Registered for the Fall 2003 semester.  Sugar chose U. C. Santa Barbara and has enlisted the assistance of Dr. Bill Wise to coordinate the process. 

  Sugar was nominated by Pat LaRue, CFMS Executive Secretary/Treasurer, a former SCMM member and currently a member of Northern California Mineralogical Association.  Sugar’s photographic work on mineral slide presenta-tions and her volunteer work with the San Bernardino County Mineral were cited in the nomination.  Congratulations, Sugar!

 

THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA MICRO-MINERALOGISTS PROUDLY PRESENT

38th PACIFIC MICROMOUNT CONFERENCE

January 31 – February 2, 2003

SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY MUSEUM, 2024 ORANGETREE LANE, REDLANDS, CA

(Exit north on California St. from I-10)

FRIDAY, JANUARY 31, 2003

3:00-6:00 PM             REGISTRATION, greeting friends and microscope time.

6::00-7:00                   Famous POTLUCK BUFFET Dinner.

7:00-10:00 PM           “WHAT’S NEW IN MINERALS” by   Sugar White.  

SHORT CONTRIBUTED TALKS and member slides.

 

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2003

8:00-9:00 AM            DOORS OPEN, REGISTRATION.  Setting up scopes, filling “Give-away” and "Sales" Tables and greeting friends.

10:00 AM                   WELCOME, Introductions and Special Announcements.

10:15 AM                  "VANADIUM MINERALS: PART III - Origin of Vanadium Minerals with Emphasis on the Vanadate Group" by Dr. William Wise, Professor of Geology, Emeritus,  University of California Santa Barbara

NOON                        LUNCH.  Subway sandwiches (pre-selected).   Served at  Museum.  (No cost)

1:30 PM                      VERBAL AUCTION, followed by silent auction of member donated materials.

3:00-4:00 PM             SHORT CONTRIBUTED TALKS.

6:00 PM                      BUFFET DINNER.  Served at Museum. 

7:30-10:00 PM           “NEW FINDS FROM MAJUBA HILL, AND PHOSPHATES FROM THE WILLARD MINE, PERSHING COUNTY, NEVADA” By Paul Adams

                                    SHORT CONTRIBUTED TALKS AND MEMBER SLIDES.

.

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 2, 2003

FIELD TRIP:             To be announced at the Conference.

9:00 – Noon                Microscope time at the Museum.

____________________________

 

Registration Fee is $10.00 before Conference, $15.00 at door. 

Friday night Potluck – Each family, please bring an hors d’oeuvre, salad, hot dish, dessert, etc.

Saturday lunch – Subway sandwiches – pre-selected on Registration slip.  (No cost to attendees.)

Saturday night Buffet dinner is $5.00.  Advance reservations necessary.  (See Registration slip.)

For more information and/or a Registration package contact: Beverly Moreau, – (714) 577-8038, or e-mail at <bcmoreau@4dnet.com>

 

 

 

Advance Registration Slip

PACIFIC MICROMOUNT CONFERENCE

January 31-February 1-2, 2003 (Field Trip on Sunday, Feb. 2)

Registration $10.00 per person by mail, $15.00 at the door

Total No. of people ___                                                  Registrations amount       $_____

Names         _____________________________

                     _____________________________

                     _____________________________

                     _____________________________

Friday Night Potluck Dinner

Bring your appetizer, salad, main dish, or dessert for an old-fashioned Potluck dinner.  Your contribution will assure the success of the Potluck!  (We will have the use of the kitchen facilities.)

Saturday Lunch (No cost to participants)

Subway sandwiches will be ordered based on your advance selection

Turkey (__)   Beef (__)   Ham (__)   Veggie (__)

Saturday Night Lasagna Buffet Dinner

$5.00 per person – number of people attending: ____                      Amount        ______

                              Balance Forward (to other side)                                      $_____

(Notice: write one check only to cover both Registrations and Memberships

 

Field Trip on Sunday

Are You interested in attending the field trip?   Yes ___   No ___

Number of participants ____

(must be paid-up members of SCMM)

Parking –     Do you plan to park your self-contained

RV, trailer or van overnight at the Museum?  Yes __   No __

********************************************************************************************************************

I plan on presenting a short contributed talk  (__)

The topic will be:  _______________________________ Approximate length of time __________

I can present       Friday night __       Saturday afternoon __      Saturday evening __

*****************************************************************************************

********************************************************************************************************

                                 Send to:         Beverly Moreau, Registrar

                                                         Pacific Micromount Conference

                                                       

 

Southern California Micro-Mineralogists

 

Balance forward (from Registration Slip, other side)                                                  $________

 

 

SCMM Membership Dues for 2003   

 

Indicate if Honorary Member or Friend (no dues for either category)  Honorary/Friend

Individual –                                                                                                 H         F

Name              _______________________________   ____/____

                        _______________________________   ____/____

Address:          __________________________________

                        __________________________________

E-Mail:             __________________________________

Total Amount – Individual Memberships                                                         ________

Membership Plus  -

Name:            ___________________________________

                        ___________________________________

                        ___________________________________

                        ___________________________________

Total Amount – Plus Memberships                                                                   _________

 

Grand Total – Memberships and Conference Registrations                      $________

           

Make one check only for both Registrations and Memberships

Check payable to SCMM

 

 

********************************************************************************************************

                                 Send to:         Beverly Moreau, Registrar

                                                        

 

Conference Registration and SCMM Membership Renewal Guidelines

Now is the time for you to make your advance registration for the 2003 Pacific Micromount Conference as well as renewing your membership in the Southern California Micro-Mineralogists. Page 5 and 6 of this MicroBits is a two sided form that lets you do both.  Side one is your advance registration slip and side two is the membership renewal form.

Registration: Please give us the names of all in your party.  We really like to have a name tag waiting for everyone.  In addition to registration fees you will be asked to make reservations for Saturday dinner and pay an extra fee for that.  For those signing up for the Sunday Field Trip, pay extra attention to the need for membership and dues.  This year you carry over conference fees to side two.  We are going to save you postage by requiring only mailing one check.

Membership renewal.  Please indicate with a check mark if you are a Friend, Honorary Member or Regular Member. There are no dues for Friends or Honorary Members so your carryover fees for the Conference is your total.  We keep two rosters.  The Treasurer keeps track of Honorary and Regular Members while the Bulletin Editor adds to that list the Friends.  Friends receive the November-December MicroBits as an invitation to the Pacific Micromount Conference.

A word about plus memberships. The primary member pays $10.00/year.  All other family members at the same address are Plus members and pay $5.00/year. We need the first name of the plus members.  The fee for plus members is needed to pay dues and insurance to the California Federation, which is the source of our Club’s liability insurance. This is the reason that ONLY dues paying members may participate in Field Trips.

Also, we ask that all fill out the form which includes mailing address, phone number and email address.  You move around a lot and area codes change almost every day.  Likewise, you change email addresses, too.  This will give us an update for our rosters. Our rosters are held PRIVATE.  We share a membership list with the Field Trip Chairman so she/he can make sure only current members participate.  Otherwise only the Bulletin Editor and Treasurer have this information.

After you total the carryover fees from side one, add in the Regular Membership and the Plus Membership Fees, then send the form and your check (made out to SCMM) to: Beverly Moreau, .

________________________________________________________________

 

Reprinted from VOL. XI, THE MINERAL COLLECTOR, November 1904, Issue No 9

 

MINUTE MINERALOGY

By Elmer Benge

            Until recently our members have paid but little attention to microscopic minerals, we were well content and happy with our hand cabinet specimens, seeing in them so much of beauty of form and color that it seemed hardly possible that our ideas should in any way be disturbed, but since some of us have taken to investigating with the aid of the microscope, there has been opened a vast field to draw from, we have not only been delighted with what we have seen but have been positively surprised and carried away with the new beauties thus unfolded.

            Under the glass microscopic minerals seem to have all the properties so familiar to us in the cabinet specimens very much intensified; did we admire the color, the angles and faces, the general make-up of a hand specimen?  Then the same mineral under the microscope would possess the same features so much more magnified, sharp and clear, the colors more delicate and intense, that comparison seems difficult to draw to make the mind comprehend thoroughly.

            The examination of a mineral under the microscope gives other pleasures that the hand specimen cannot ; when we take up a cabinet specimen we can only take in that which the human eye is capable of seeing, we can tell all about the specimen in a very few minutes, we describe the different minerals and crystals or other physical properties which the specimen presents, and are   (Continued next page)

MINUTE MINERALOGY  (Continued)

satisfied that we have seen as much of it as any one else may discern. Not so with a microscopic specimen ; here you have a powerful lense to aid your eye and patience is required to thoroughly examine a specimen and take in all the varied forms and colors which, with each slight movement of the specimen are presented to the eye with kaleidoscopic effect, it must be borne in mind that movement or change of position is magnified as well as the object itself ; therefore we may take a quite small piece for examination and apparently travel over a very much greater surface, every movement, be it ever so slight, brings under our eye a new field, new minerals, new forms, new colors and new effects ; one must spend considerable time over a specimen before we can pass it by, feeling that all has been seen, and even then, on taking it up after some time has lapsed, some new feature is most apt to present itself, particularly if the objective be changed to a higher power or an objective having greater penetrative power is used or the light may fall a different way and disclose by reflected light a new fact which had escaped previous observation.  As an instance of this I might mention one case that I recall.

            I had a specimen of malachite from Perkiomen, Pa., which presented a very pretty surface, and had examined it as I thought very carefully, when one time I noticed a number of reflections which I had not observed before and upon using another objective of higher power, what was my surprise and delight to discover that what I had considered only a plain surface of malachite was in reality studded with doubly terminated quartz crystals, and thus what I thought to be an ordinary specimen was by accident much enhanced in value.

            The shapes, angles and facets of crystals are so clear, sharp and well-defined that microscopic observation forms a valuable means of studying crystallography.  One by this agency will find perfect crystals, and when I say perfect, let it be understood that I mean it to be taken literally, for it is very seldom indeed that we see in a cabinet specimen crystals that are so near perfection as to deserve the appellation, while with microscopic minerals we frequently find crystals that may be deservedly so-called, whose angles are symmetrical and proportionate, occupying the same relative positions, where the lines are clean, clear cut and sharp, where the face are without blemish, where the luster is untarnished, here, indeed, we find the perfect crystal to study and feast our eyes upon.

            The selection, preparation and mounting of microscopic minerals is rather tedious and slow,

requiring patience and application; it requires persistent and close observation from field to mount; in the field the hand-glass is a valuable assistant in selection of material in the rough; every little bright speck, every reflecting facet and small cavity must be broken up into small pieces for observation under the microscope, and every piece carefully examined for suitable mounts; the breaking up of field collected material is a matter requiring some attention for you will frequently find a specimen too large for the microscope on which you have observed a fine mount, and the spot you want so small and delicate that how to get it into small enough piece for the box is a problem.  Breaking up with hammer blows most frequently results in the specimen you want being jarred off, or you may crack it, or even should you succeed in breaking up the hand specimen, the actual piece you want is lost; a mineral trimmer seems to best overcome these troubles as its force is crushing not jarring, and the specimen may usually be broken where wanted, while with a hammer—well I guess we all know what usually happens; a blow, specimen gone—vocal fireworks; after the specimen is reduced to suitable size for the box, its proper mounting next demands attention.

            Uneven surfaces are hard to manage under the microscope, as the inequalities require constant changing of focus, therefore, to select the best spot and so mount that the best results may be obtained requires patience and careful manipulation.  I usually place the specimen approximately where wanted, using stiff glue, then under the objective I build or prop it up with small pieces of cork until I have obtained what I consider the best position, after which I lay it aside until the glue sets.

            The determination of unknown minerals by the microscope is indeed a pleasure and requires close observation, as well as knowledge of the physical properties of minerals; (Continued next page)

MINUTE MINERALOGY  (Continued)

for on these you must almost solely depend, and though you may have the most perfect form presented to study from, this very condition may be a barrier, for your experience has not been obtained with specimens of this character, or at least not of such a degree of purity and perfection, and thus you may be led astray; color and luster are better, angles sharper and clearer; hardness may be approximated in many cases by means of a fine needle; acid tests are not to be indulged in, except very cautiously, unless you have a lense you do not care for or a duplicate, for the fumes will dim the surface and eventually spoil it.

            I have used acids to determine whether a mineral effervesced or not, conveying the acid by means of a fine gas tube ; I heated a piece of glass tube and drew it out to a fine capillary point, then by placing the finger over the open end of the tube, after immersion of the fine point in the acid, sufficient acid may be carried to the specimen under the microscope, and by simply removing the finger the acid will flow out over the specimen and its action on the mineral be observed.  Care must be observed not to get the acid on the objective, for the arising fumes will do enough damage, and even if most carefully done, the objective should be wiped off with a piece of old linen or soft rice paper.

            In studying a specimen it is desirable that you have a good strong light focussed on the mount; I use two lenses for this purpose, a large one near the light, which gives a large field of light, and a smaller one for concentrating.  A complexity of movements for the specimen under the glass is essential, so that it may be viewed from all possible positions; for instance, you detect a particularly interesting crystal or spot. An examination from many views will materially assist in its determination and to change the position of the specimen several times, consumes much time in readjusting the focus, and in case the specimen is under high power it may be lost for a considerable period, frequently requiring a change of objective to a low power to find the spot again, and when found, change back to high power only to find that the new position does not satisfy, all of which is unsatisfactory and kills plenty of time; this I overcome by a little appliance placed on the stage by which I can get a lateral movement, a circular movement to and fro front, and a lateral circular movement combined with the other circular movement.  Now by using both hands it is possible to get an almost universal motion of the mount while it is in focus, or at least by careful manipulation it can be kept in sight and the focus changed as required by the new position: by this means you can sometimes examine a crystal from its termination through its prismatic length, its planes be counted and sketches made of its different aspect; its angles approximated, luster, color, striation, and other features observed, and in case of dichroic minerals is of decided assistan