The Bitterroot Conglomerate
Newsletter of the Bitterroot Gem & Mineral Society
Vol. XXVIII issue 10
Presidents Column
Jo has not submitted a lengthy report this month only to say that the Club is planning a Show next year on May 22nd & 23rd.
Jo Farley
Editors Notes
I’m sitting here looking out the window at the snow falling and sticking on the ground. This is not too early for snow but I’m not ready for it. I am also waiting for reports for this newsletter.
I will need reports from the Chairperson of the various Committees during the 1st week of each month so they can be included in the newsletter.
The Editor is not responsible for the accuracy of articles accepted, items for sale, nor are the opinions expressed therein necessarily those of the Club Officers, members and/or the Club Editor.
-- Ralph
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BGMS Minutes September 8, 2009
The meeting was called to order by President, Jo Farley. Following the Pledge of Allegiance, the Treasurer’s Report was given by Wayne Farley. There was no correspondence.
Committee Reports:
Apple Days: Harvey Sharp October 10th at the Ravalli Co. Museum. We will have the Garnet Table and the Children’s Spinning Wheel.
Money Raisers: All
Suggestions from Club Members
A) David-have speakers to present programs for our education.
B) Wayne F.-donate to the School of Mines to purchase the “Smokey Quartz Crystals Cluster”.
C) Need more “written” suggestions.
D) Scholarship Fund.
E) Teaching Classes as the Wire Wrap we had previously. Others?
F) Books of the Library. See Chris Ponder.
Programs:
October 27th-Nola Edgar
November ? – Cliff Siomonson-Self Made Geologist.
Shows:
1) Federation Show ? Can be at First Interstate Bldg. at Fairgrounds. Will need 7 key lead committee heads, etc.. Discussion followed by a motion to Table until next meeting.
2) Missoula’s Hellgate Club Show on September 26th and 27th. All are encouraged to attend.
Misc:
Mildred Soll, one of our Oldest members does not drive at night any more. So members are encouraged to stay in touch with her (363-3335 at night)..
Marianne Scanlon asked if anyone knew a “Rainy Kemp”? She is the lady who won the ring at our State Show. Need to get it to her.
No further business, Steve V. made the motion to close the meeting followed by a 2nd by Wes and passed. Great Refreshments were served.
Respectfully Submitted,
Dianne Ayres, Secretary
BGMS Minutes September 22, 2009
The meeting was called to Order by President, Jo Farley. Following the Pledge of Allegiance, the minutes were approved from the Conglomerate.
PROGRAM: by Nola Egar
A very informative and showy program was given by Nola on copper and the rocks and minerals of the Upper Michigan Area.. She has spent many years gathering from all over and from her “Teaching” days gave a great show and tell complete with diagrams and pictures of the various mines, including the Caledonian and Copper Falls areas. The Quincy Mine runs from 200’ to 9000’. Some were purchased and many were ones she had been lucky to gather herself. The White Pine Mine is one of only a few still being mined. Unique features were the Shot Copper (like bb’s in a conglomerate). Also, was the Amygdule Air (gas bubbles) in lava. A couple of hints she passed on were to put a blob of catsup on the rock to dissolve it to get the copper out. Or, to soak it in Vinegar to also dissolve the host rock.
Another second program may be in the future to continue with her “Treasurers”. Thank You, Nola
After lovely refreshments served by our Hostess, Sharlene Farley, we continued with the meeting.
Treasurer’s Report: Wayne Farley
Correspondence: Missoula’s Newsletter reminding all of their Show this week-end at Ruby’s Inn. 6 pm will be the Montana Council Meeting and Dinner. Delegates are reminded to attend.
Committee Reports: Apple Days-October 10th. No location yet, we have requested a corner, but no guarantees. It will run from 9am to 3pm. Again, the Garnet Table and Spinning Wheel for kids of all ages. Volunteers were signed up with Steve, Mike and Jeanette and Wayne assisting Margaret and Harvey. More needed. They will also pass out membership forms, business cards, and our Club Green Folders with info. Of our BRG& M Club.
OLD BUSINESS: Show – The Federation show is out the window and we will have our own Club Show in 2010. Steve Vieth will Chair it. To be held at the First Interstate Building at the Ravalli County Fairgrounds. Steve requested the following in need of Chairpersons and Helpers:
Advertising: Programs: Sell Ads or get Sponsors? Concessions: There is a full kitchen with the Building. Pot Luck on Friday nite for the Vendors and Dealers and others there to assist in setting up. Treasurer: Margaret Sharp with need of a Co-Chair. Fiend Trips: Show Cases: Admission and Raffles: Also, the same people who were at our show will bring their “Dinosaur” Displays. They are anxious to come back.
Discussion of maybe outside organizations such as the Girl or Boy Scouts, Job Corps, various Church groups could help with the set-up and tearing down of tables, etc.
Field Trips: New – This Saturday, 9-26-09 will be a trip to Eyebrow Hill. to look for Flint or Jasper. Jo brought some pieces found earlier by she and Don for all to see and touch. Anyone interested is to meet at the Skalkaho “Y” at 8am.
Old – Wayne discussed the trip to Calvert Hill past Wisdom. All who went had a good time.
Ideas for the money we have –it was suggested that Nola’s son teaches at the Florence School and maybe we could put together a traveling display case with Gems and Minerals to take as a show and tell to some of the schools. Thus reaching the children with great and inquisitive minds.
There being no further business, Don Tibbs made and Wayne Farley 2nd to adjourn the meeting. The Door Prize was won by Sharlene Farley.
Respectfully Submitted,
Dianne Ayres, Secretary
BGMS August 2009 Field Trips
Hellgate Mineral Society Show 09/26-27
By Wayne Farley
The Missoula rock club held their show on Sept. 26-27; a little later in the month than usual, because they didn’t get their reservation in on time. The show was at Ruby’s Inn, the usual location. Bob Riggs, their president and show chairman, told me they have looked into other sites because they could use more room, but they were too expensive. As a result of the limited space, they have their showcase displays on the second floor, away from the dealer area. I talked to Bob and some of the dealers about attendance this year, and they said it was about average. On the first day attendance really fell by mid afternoon, because the Griz football game, which started at 2:00 pm.
Our club, the Bitterroot Gem and Mineral Society (BGMS), participated in the Missoula show by displaying 3 show cases (Wayne and Daniel Farley), and by a wire-wrapping demonstration (Mylea Ponder). Wayne and Daniel Farley also contributed a 5 gallon bucket of garnet gravel for their show.
I, Wayne Farley, displayed my collection of Quartz Minerals, and my collection of Garnet Family Minerals. Daniel displayed his collection of self polished cabochons. There were 18 display cases at the show, with several put in by show dealers. Display cases were voted on by the public for best display. My Quartz case took first place, and I will be given $25.00 by the Missoula club for winning. My Garnet case took 5th place.
Mylea Ponder did such excellent wire-wrapping that show participants asked Mylea to wire-wrap cabochons for pay that they had purchased at the show. Mylea made a few bucks.
After the first day of the show, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm, the Montana Council of Rock and Mineral Clubs (MT Council) held their annual fall dinner-business meeting next door to Ruby’s, at the Jokers Wild Restaurant. There were only eight people that showed up: 1. MT Council president, Dana Anderson from Kalispell, 2. Vice President and acting secretary, Wayne Farley from Hamilton, 3. Treasurer Kimberly Lordeman from Missoula, 4. Delegate xxx from Kalispell, 5. Delegate Bob Riggs from Missoula, 6. Delegate Jeff Conrad from Missoula, 7. Delegate Don Tibbs from Hamilton, and 8. Delegate Chuck Borland from Bozeman.
The MT Council took care of several items concerning the Council Trailer and Show Cases; and voted for present officers and directors to continue in their positions for another year. A complete report will come out shortly in the Council Newsletter produced by Council Newsletter Editor, Daniel Farley.
Member Field Trip Reports
I guess I could call this an extended field trip.
Penny and I left on Sept 13th to travel to California and visit some of the places we had visited 45+ years ago. Our daughter Linda and son-in-law Don were also there most of the time. We tried to go to a place on Slate Creek that we used to pan gold on and found it is now under claim and we could not play there. We also went to an old Ghost Town called Port Wine and could hardly find it. When we did find it the Forest Service has a sign there saying it is a historical site and you may not pick up any-thing because even the old tin cans are of historical value (so don’t call them trash).
We did go to some other places to do some gold panning and found a small amount of gold.
On our way home we stopped in Winnemucca and used a metal detector to search in the desert for gold nuggets. A friend of ours had found 20 large flakes and nuggets 2 or 3 days before we got there but he didn’t leave much for us. It was a good trip but we didn’t bring home any good rocks.
Ralph L
Mining Committee Report
Nothing new this month. We should think about getting the excavator into our Opal Claim next spring to reclaim some areas and open others. It will be expensive but if we plan to keep and use the Claim it may be worth it.
MT Council Report
MT Council Minutes 09/26/2009
The fall 2009 dinner-business meeting of the Montana Council of Rock and Mineral Clubs (MT Council) took place on 09/26/2009 at the Jokers Wild Restaurant next door to Ruby’s Inn, where the Missoula Hellgate Mineral Society was having their annual Gem & Mineral Show. The dinner was scheduled from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm; and the business meeting from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
The business meeting started at 7:05 with a pledge of allegiance to the US Flag, chaired by MT Council president Dana Anderson. Officers present were:
President: Dana Anderson
Vice President: Wayne Farley
Treasurer: Kimberly Lordeman
Secretary: open (Wayne Farley – acting)
None of the directors were present (Bill Luke, Dick Wendel, John Usher, Norm Coverdale).
The newsletter editor, Daniel Farley, was not present, because he had stomach flu.
Delegates present were:
Don Tibbs – Hamilton
Chuck Borland – Bozeman
Bob Riggs – Missoula
Jeff Conrad – Missoula
Xxxxxxxxx – Kalispell
The meeting opened with a bit of trivia from Wayne Farley. He said that holding his hand over his heart for the pledge reminded him of an article he read in the last couple of days; whereby one out of 10,000 people have their hearts on the right, plus all of their other internal organs are reversed in a mirror image. There is no physical affect from this phenomenon.
Next, Dana mentioned that there were no minutes from the last scheduled MT Council meeting at Butte on June 13, 2009, as the meeting was canceled when only four members showed up for the meeting (Wayne and Daniel Farley, Dana Anderson, and xxxxx.) We were usurped by the open house at the Montana Tech. Museum; setup by Pete Knudsen to introduce the newly revealed huge smoky-quartz crystal cluster, the Reanna-Star, from the Delmo Lake Pegmatite. Pete was drumming up donations to meet the purchase price of $50,000. They are about half way there. I said that our MT Council rock clubs should consider donating to the cause.
The next item on the MT Council meeting was the reading of the treasure’s report by Kimberly Lordeman. He repot was unanimously approved by those present, and is attached at the end of these minutes.
Dana then noted that the editor, Daniel Farley, was not present; thus there would be no Editor’s report. Wayne Farley said that his son Daniel was home sick with stomach flu, and would be getting out a newsletter shortly.
The next subject was the MT Council Trailer and show cases. Kimberly said that she is maintaining the status and scheduling for the trailer. No one, off hand, knew the exact show dates for next year, but Bozeman will have the first 2010 show; probably Mother’s Day weekend as usual, on May 8-9, 2010. Therefore, our next MT Council dinner-business meeting will tentatively be at Bozeman on May 8th, 2010 at 6:00-8:00 pm. Dana asked Kimberly Lordeman to make a reservation at a restaurant for that date and time. Hamilton will probably be the second show in 2010, but they haven’t set their show day yet. Check with Hamilton show chairman Steve Vieth at 406-363-2632 for date.
Dana said that while he had the trailer between the Butte show (June 13-14) and the Kalispell show (25-26) , he had full service performed on the trailer, and a new 7 prong electrical plug installed. Bob Riggs said that when he was towing the trailer from the Billings show (July 29 – August 2) to Missoula for his show (Sept 26-27) he had two flats on the trailer and had to purchase two new tires. Bob said that there was no jack or lug wrench in the trailer, which should have been there, and he had to use his truck jack and lug wrench. Don Tibbs made a motion for the MT Council to buy two more tires for the trailer to have uniform tires all the way around, plus a new jack and lug wrench. The motion was seconded and unanimously approved. Bob Riggs will take care of it. Bob said that there are 8 show cases that need repair or replacement. Dana said he will contact Dick Wendel from the Bozeman club for this work, as Dick has already repaired some of our cases. After the Missoula show (Sept 26-27) the trailer will be going to Bozeman for the Bozeman show in May, 2010. Bob is hoping to get the trailer to Bozeman sometime in Oct., 2009.
Someone at the MT Council meeting asked how old the MT Council trailer was. Don Tibbs said that the present trailer is the 3rd trailer that the Council has owned, and he thought the present trailer was purchased in 1999 for $9000.00 at Billings. The late J. C. “Gil” Gilpatrick from Lewistown constructed the racks for the cases.
Report on MT Council LED Lights:
At the spring MT Council meeting on May 23, 2009, the Council wrote a check for $1000.00 to Wayne Farley to purchase LED lights for the MT Council show cases, and plastic cases to store the lights. So far I have purchased forty-four 5 watt LED flood lights at about $20.00 each, two plastic cases at about $65.00 each, and two LED strip lights at about $100.00 each. The LED lights were first used in the Hamilton May 23-24, 2009, Hamilton show in all of the 13 cases at the show. Everyone was happy with the new lights. At the 2009 Butte Show, only a few members used the LED flood lights, as they thought they were too dim and too blue. In some cases, there is some truth to that matter. The LED flood lights are a little dimmer than the old incandescent floods, thus one must use light colored liners. Black liners should definitely not be used; and blue liners enhance the slight blue of the LED’s and should not be used for certain colored minerals. Only a few people used the LED flood lights at the 2009 Billings show. One competition exhibitor at Billings was really mad about Billings putting LED floods in her case, and thought it degraded her exhibit. The lights were changed. I, Wayne Farley, compared cases with the yellow tint of incandescent floods, and cases with the slight blue tint of LED floods, and thought that the LED’s reflected a truer color rendition of minerals, compared to sunlight. A couple of cases at the Billings show had helical florescent lights.
I introduced the color corrected LED strip lighting in my Garnet Family Minerals case at the Billings case and in comparison with the other lights. I thought the LED strip lighting was head and shoulders over all of the others in matching sun light, for the true color rendition of rocks and minerals.
Dana Anderson said he used the MT Council LED flood lights in all 15 cases at his Kalispell show. All 30 lights used in the 15 cases used only 150 watts of power, thus he was able to use a single standard wall plug to light the cases. His members used light colored linings in their show cases and were completely satisfied with the results.
At the 2009 Missoula show, I exhibited two show cases with the MT Council LED strip lighting; a Quartz minerals case and a garnet minerals case. There were 18 cases in the show, and one case had MT Council LED flood lighting. The public voted on the best display cases; and my Quartz case with LED strip lighting took first place, and my garnet case with LED strip lighting took fifth place.
Although expensive, I’ve been so impressed with the color corrected LED strip lights that I’ve purchased one for myself. I think that they are the perfect light for rock-mineral-fossil displays. I told the MT Council that any further purchases of show case lights that I did for the Council would be the color corrected LED strip lights. I expect that the cost will come down in the future.
Wayne Farley made a report on the Anderson Ranch Rendezvous that took place Aug. 26-30, (as reported in our last newsletter).
Nominations for 2010 Officers:
Since there was no nominating committee for new officers and directors for 2010, a motion was made to keep the same MT Council officers and directors for 2010. The motion was seconded and unanimously approved.
A motion was made to adjourn the meeting at 7:45 pm. The motion was seconded and unanimously approved.
End of Minutes
N. W. Federation Report Nothing to report this month.
Programs
Fossil Evolution Program
By Wayne G. Farley
Fossil Collecting: Fossils are preserved prehistoric life-forms. Invertebrate fossils have no backbones; i.e. bacteria and algae, shelled animals, insects, and plants. I chose the invertebrate fossils for this program as we rockhounds are not allowed to collect vertebrate fossils on public lands per “Title VI, Subtitle D--Paleontological Resources Preservation” act H.R.146, which can be found at the following Library of Congress Web-Site http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/ut/natural_resources/cultural/paleo/Paleontology_Documents.Par.23565.File.dat/Public%20Law%20111-011%20OPLA-PRP.pdf
H.R.146 excludes rockhounds from collecting fossils from dinosaurs, mammals, sharks, fish; and any other animals with a skeletal structure
Montana’s Oldest Fossils: I will start with the world’s oldest fossils and progress to younger and younger fossils. The world’s oldest distinct fossil were formed from cyanobacteria and algae; life-forms that lived in the earth’s seas over 3.5 Billion years ago (Bya), and which still exist as living life-forms today. The postulated absolute oldest life-forms on earth are only detected by the carbon isotopes they leave behind in the rocks, and are called chemofossils. They go back as far as 3.85 Bya. Carbon exists in nature in more than one form. Normally, carbon-13 (C-13), with atomic weight 13), is much rarer than C-12. However, biological processes concentrate C-12, so when organic debris falls to the ocean floor, the C-12 to C-13 ratio rises still further in the sedimentary rock that forms. The high ratio C-12/C-13 graphite is assumed to have come from early life-forms.
The earliest distinct macro fossils are Stromatolites; which are found in the 1.8-2.3 Bya Gunflint-chert north of Lake Superior, and in the 3.5 Bya Apex-chert in Australia. Stromatolites are originally calcareous, but fossils can be phosphorous or siliceous replacements. In Western Montana, Stromatolites can be found in the 1.47-1.40 Bya Belt-Rock sediments: described and mapped on Web-Site: http://formontana.net/slabs.html; and covered in “Roadside Geology of Montana” by David Alt and Donald Hyndman, 1997. In Montana, favorable rock formations for stromatolite fossils are the Greyson Shale in the Big Belt Mountains of central Montana, the Altyn Limestone near Essex, Montana, and the Siyeh Limestone in Glacier Park. Of course, fossil collecting, of any kind, is not allowed in our National Parks.
A large sample of Stromatolite fossil (Sample-1 Stromatolite) is shown in this program, which I purchased on eBay, and which was said to have came from central Montana. If correct, it is probably the species Newlandia Concentrica (2.0 Bya), which has been documented in the Greyson Shale in the Big-Belt-Mountains of Montana. Charles D. Walcott, head of the Smithsonian from 1907-1927, discovered the Burgess Shale fossils; and described and named this strange and unique Stromatolite in 1914
My Montana Stromatolite specimen was misidentified on eBay as fossilized wood. I discovered after I received it that it fluoresces bright red when exposed to short-wave ultra-violet light. Stromatolite fossils come in many colors and make excellent lapidary material. For additional information on Stromatolites, and other Precambrian fossils, read “The World’s Oldest Fossils” by Bruce L. Stinchcomb, A Schiffer Book, 2007.
Other fossils covered in this book are common Cambrian sponges and trilobites. I have non-Cambrian specimens to show you, not from Montana, (Sample-2, a Sponge) and (Sample-3, a Trilobite).
The Value of Fossils:
1. Rockhounds collect fossils for their intrinsic beauty (Sample-4, a Crinoid), for lapidary material (Sample-5, a Mary-Ellen-Jasper Stromatolite); and for trying to understand the origin and evolution of life on earth (Sample-6, a Mason-Creek Jellyfish fossil).
(to be continued next month)
For Sale. An ore car from the Betty O’Neil Mine near Battle Mountain, Nevada. In good shape. $500.00. Contact Posey at 961-4116
Mildred has a Trim Saw with a 6” blade plus an extra blade for $75.00 call her. 363-5224
Jim Rayner in Hamilton has a 12” Rock Saw for $500 and a Fram Tom Tock Grinder Set-up with 2 diamond wheels, and a 10” trim saw with new blade, new motor on a steel stand for $800. 375-0663
SAVE USED POSTAGE STAMPS FOR CANCER RESEARCH!
GIVE A HOOT - DON"T POLLUTE! KEEP MONTANA GREEN
