March 2014 Austin Gem & Mineral Society The …March 2014 Vol. 53.03 Austin Gem & Mineral Society...

March 2014 Vol. 53.03Austin Gem & Mineral Society

Each one teach one

THE AUSTIN GEM AND MINERAL SOCIETY, INC. (AGMS) is a member in good standing of the South Central Federation of Mineral Societies and the American Federation of Mineral Societies. Its editors are also members of SCRIBE. The club address is 6719 Burnet Lane, Austin, Texas 78757, and phone (512) 458-9546. The AGMS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Visit our website at www.austingemandmineral.org Contact our webmaster for website updates at [email protected].

PURPOSEThe purpose of the AGMS is to promote interest and education in the various Earth Sciences and other related subjects.

MEETINGSThe society meets at 7:00 p.m. the fourth Thursday of every month except October, which is show set up day. The November meeting will be held on the THIRD Thursday. December is the Officers’ Induction Banquet held on a date to be determined. Board meetings are held the first Tuesday of every month. Show committee meetings are held on the third Thursday of each month. All meetings are open to anyone. Society officers are listed on the second page of this publication. Please feel free to contact any of them for information

Dues for 2014Annual membership dues are:

Adult-$30.00 Couple-$40.00 Junior--$4.00

Table of Contents

Board Meeting Minutes...............................Page 2General Meeting Minutes............................Page 3April Presenter.............................................Page 5 Hunts & Events............................................Page 5Harriet & Mac...............................................Page 6Regular Features.........................................Page 6AGMS Program Competition.......................Page 6 Pipestone (Catlinite)....................................Page 7Minerals SIG Meeting ................................Page 9 AGMS Meetings Schedule..........................Page 9

The Stone Chipper

Presidential Message-- (Josie will rejoin us next month)

Harding MineDixon, New Mexico

The Harding pegmatite mine near Dixon, New Mexico, is the source of a variety of minerals, including bityite, eucryptite, fluorapatite, quartz, smoky quartz, gahnite, lepidolite, microcline, amazonite, microlite, albite, muscovite, lithian muscovite, piemontite, and spodumene. It was mined intermittently between 1900-1958 and is currently a protected geological site owned by the University of New Mexico. Limited collecting is allowed with prior permission. For information contact Gilbert Griego, [email protected]

photo by J. Perkins

2Stone Chipper March 2014

Officers

President—Josie [email protected]

1st VP—Les [email protected]

2nd VP—Kathleen [email protected]

Treasurer—Charlotte [email protected]

Board MembersLou Pulliam -- [email protected]

Dee Fly –[email protected]

Sian Schilhab –[email protected]

Cindy Murphy –[email protected]

Craig Brandt [email protected]

Committee ChairsAnnual Show - Susan [email protected]

Education/Classes - Joyce [email protected]

Field Trips - Chip [email protected]

Junior Advisor - Jackie [email protected]

Lead Librarian: Laird Fowler Co-Librarians - Terry Barry, Roger Waguespack(periodicals), [email protected]

Webmaster – Diann [email protected]

Building Chair - Glen Gilbreath

Display Cases - Jackie Fisher

Federation/Conservation - Josie Middleton

Historian - Vacant

Hospitality - Vacant

Membership -Harold Von Rosenberg

Scholarship - Stretch Young

School Programs - Wing Evans

Sergeant-at-Arms - Jackie Fisher

Sunshine - Fran Ellis

Board Meeting MinutesFebruary 22, 2014

Secretary—Shawn [email protected]

Laird Fowler [email protected]

Newsletter Editor – Carolyn [email protected]

Josie opened the meeting at 7:05 PM. A motion to approve the minutes from the January meeting was made, with the exception of one correction. The alternate scholarships recipient brought up by Charlotte was intended to be the Texas Memorial Museum rather than the Bob Bullock Museum. With that correction the motion to accept the minutes was passed.

Our current bank balance as of JAN 31, 2014 is $8,504 (after the scholarships were paid out). The revised club’s budget is not competed yet for 2013. However, it is estimated our current yearly income is $11,329 and we should also be getting a check for $13,500 from our 2013 show.

A complete updated inventory will be needed for insurance purposes by JUN this year. Current coverage on four buildings is for the estimated value of $284,000. The estimated value of our stock/material is approximately

3 Stone Chipper March 2014

$170,000, but needs to be re-evaluated to include newly added stock. We also need to include our equipment’s estimated value in our coverage. We may want do some research before renewing our insurance, to make sure we have the right coverage for the right price.

It was decided that the Summer Auction will be held August 23rd, at the clubhouse between the hours of 10 AM – 6 PM (including setup and breakdown times). Members should participate in the Potluck.

We need to decide on nominees for the nomination committee. No officers are eligible. We need two Board Members and two General Members. We will draw lots, if there are no volunteers. Hospitality host position is vacant, and will stay that way unless someone volunteers.

Sue found a programmable thermostat compatible with our system for about $250. Charlotte motioned to buy it and Craig seconded. The motion was passed. Programmed temperature in the winter should be set at 60 degrees and summer temperature should be set at 85 degrees when the club house is not in use. It is estimated that this should save us at least 20% on our utilities during the year.

We are in need of updating our computer and audio/visual equipment for guest speakers as well as our in-house presentations. Rather than exceed this year’s budget, Susan has volunteered the use of her computer on these occasions, with advance notice. Charlotte suggests that we use Susan’s for the time being. We can post our needs on our website, if Susan is unavailable. Tabled for later…

Laird brought up options for scholarships and shared information about GEO of the

Jackson School of Geosciences designed to encourage students in math and science curriculums and pursue higher education in these fields. Scholarships will be targeted to support the programs and not individual students. Additional information is available online at: www.jsg.utexas.edu/geoforce/sponsors Please, check it out and give us feedback from the club so that a follow up motion may be made. Charlotte needed help with drafting our members list and Susan volunteered. Susan will now be working on the membership directory. The club door has been fixed, Josie took care of it. Charlotte graciously donated her DVD the club has been using to the club. Karen has volunteered to help out with any projection problems.

Josie indicated the agenda items were complete, Laird motioned to adjourn and Craig seconded the motion at 9:10 PM.

Minutes submitted by Shawn McMahon.

General Meeting MinutesFebruary 27, 2014

Josie Middleton presided over the meeting – opening the meeting at 7:05 PM. She announced Kathleen Howard who introduced the guest speaker of the month – Chip Burnette who is also a club member.

Chip, an avid agate hunter himself, presented photographs of agate collections from across the US, but highlighted his collecting of the Kentucky Agate. With the photographs, he also set up a display of some of his collection that attracted a lot of attention.

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The Kentucky agate is known for its brilliant color and beautiful clarity when exhibiting details of plumes and moss held within its formation. Chip shared that most of these stones are found within a four county area and are different from most other agates. Most agates are found in igneous rock areas, whereas these are from limestone and often found in stream beds. About a seven on the hardness scale, these agates polish up nicely for cabochons with very solid with smooth interiors, not like the more fractured volcanic examples we often find in Texas. Chip also spoke about his last trip to West Texas and some of the wonderful agate specimens’ people have been finding on their latest trips to the Walker Ranch. A new section has been opened up and it is proving very productive.

We had four new people become members of the club: Welcome Allan who is interested in minerals; Brianna who wants to check out some of our lapidary classes; and, Tom and Barbara Holmes who are both interested in collecting gemstones (and have a pretty good start).

Along with the new members we had several visitors: Aaron and his son Diego who is a dinosaur enthusiast that likes to collect fossils; James a geologist rock hound that hales from Dallas; Conrad who migrated down from Alaska looking for gems and minerals; and Gary who is seeking holey rocks (left open for interpretation).

Josie presided over giving out the door prizes. She also brought in a boxed display of rock specimens that she offered to Diego to start off his collection. Other winners were: Greg Brant, Brianna Batson, Susan Von Rosenberg, Allan Hues, Betsy Gager, Shawn McMahon, and Barbara House - taking their picks from the lovely offerings generously

donated by other members.

The minutes from the JAN 2014 were approved before the club.

Betsy announced that we have received more awesome donations from Jeremy C. Smith and some of the new displays have been set up already in the club house, so make sure to stop and admire the beauty before us. Examples of the donations are hadrosaur eggs, tourmaline, aquamarine, and cuprite now on display.

Ron spoke up to remind people that the Mineral SIG meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 7 PM. Field trips are being discussed so make sure to contribute your destinations of interest.

Susan Postlewait is the chair of the Show Committee and they are looking for some new members. We need someone who is good (or wants to be) at advertising; a person who can work on the display cases as a repairman/carpenter role; a head cashier who can work with raffle tickets; and greeters/ticket takers at the door. The committee meets the third Thursday of each month for approximately an hour. Our club’s next show is OCT 3rd – 5th this year at the Palmer Auditorium/Events Center.

Josie reminded us we still need a Hospitality Chair person who will also be the coordinator of the Christmas dinner celebration held each year. We are also still in need of two people as officers for the club’s Nominating Committee.

See Geoff if you need a new badge.

Ron is working on arranging a field trip to Mason to look for topaz and fluorite. Charlotte

Stone Chipper March 20145

Hunts & EventsApril 10-27-- Alpine, TX area rock hunting featuring the Walker and Singleton ranches and East Needle Peak. Teri Smith says that more people are needed (a minimum of 20) to stage the Walker hunt. For more information or to sign up, contact her at <[email protected]> or check Teri’s website-- terismithrockhunts.com

April 12-- AGMS Rock Swap & Texas Facetor Guild’s Bluebonnet DaysAGMS clubhouse 9-4 Sat. Reserve a table.

June 7-8-- 9th annual Ben E. Clement Gem, Mineral, Fossil, & Jewelry Show with digs. Fohs Hall, 205 North Walker Street, Marion KY. For more information, call (270) 625-4263 or email at [email protected]

July 9-13--Tulsa Rock and Mineral Society/AFMS Convention & Show. Central Park Hall Building at Tulsa Fair Grounds, 4145 E. 21st St., Tulsa OK. Contact Ben Thomas, (918) 486-3788; [email protected] or Finis Riggs, (918) 587-4400; [email protected]

July 31-Aug. 4-- AFMS Multi-Federation Field Trip, Terry MT. Rock & fossil hunting trips, swaps, get-togethers, music. contact Doug True (406) 670-0506; [email protected]

(continued on page 6)

reported that we have received the deposit of the 2013 Show’s profits of $13,500 into our account. Roger is talking about taking a field trip to Deming N.M. and brought some brochures to share. Josie mentioned she also brought some samples of what they found and bought from their last trip, some very nice strontianite.

Dee motioned to adjourn and Josie seconded the motion. At 8:00 PM

Minutes submitted by Shawn McMahon

Ollen “Chip” Burnette was March General Meeting presenter. With samples and a slide presentation, he discussed agates, focusing on the Kentucky agate.

photo by J.Perkins

APRIL PRESENTER will be Bridget Scanlon, who will speak on Drought and the Water Energy Nexus in Texas.


AGMS List ServeIf you are currently not a member of the AGMSList and would like to be, please email Diann Hill at [email protected]. It’s the best way to keep up with the latest AGMS happenings.

RefreshmentsReminder!

Stone Chipper Ads

Full Page (7” x 8”) ($100 per issue)

Half Page (7” x 4”) ($50 per issue)

Quarter Page (3 1/2” x 4”) ($25 p.i.)

Business Card (3 1/4 x 2) ($12.50 p.i.)

There is no extra charge for full color, but mail out copies will be black and white only.

The Stone Chipper can now accept non-political AGMS Board-approved paid advertising. If you are interested in placing an ad or have questions about the process, please contact Stone Chipper editor Carolyn Perkins at [email protected].

You can choose from a variety of sizes for your print-ready ad:

(continued from page 5)

Aug. 9-10-- Baton Rouge Gem & Mineral Society Show & SCFMS Regional Convention, 10-5 Sat. & Sun, Marriott Hotel, Hilton Ave., Baton Rouge, LA.

Aug. 23-- AGMS Annual Auction & Picnic, Sat. 10-4. Potluck picnic. Contact Les Postlethwait, [email protected]

Oct. 3-5-- AGMS Annual Gem Capers Show. Move in on Thursday, Oct. 2.

We are still without a Hospitality Chairperson, so no one will call to tell you that, if you did not bring edibles to the last meeting, you might want to consider bringing them this month. Neither will they say that even if you did bring them in March your edibles are welcome at any meeting. I’m just saying....

AGMS Program CompetitionThe 2014 AFMS Program Competition is being held to recognize authors of Earth Science presentations and to make their winning entries available to affiliated clubs. Digital presentations or videos are eligible. Categories for entries are: Education, Field Collecting, How to Do it, and Just for Juniors. Optimum length for adult programs is 30-40 minutes. Suggested maximum for juniors is 20 minutes.

Prizes: $200 for the highest scoring program (95+ points) and $100 for 94-90 points in classes 1-4. Winners wil be announced at the AFMS Awards Banquet at Tulsa, OK on July 12, 2014.

Address questions and entries to Marge Collins, AFMS Program competition Coordinator--ph: (269) 695-4313; [email protected]

Harriet & Mac

The current good news is that Mac Ellis has returned home from rehab. His doctors are very pleased with how quickly he is recuperating from the stroke.

Harriet Streiber, also at home, continues to progress with her post-surgical recovery.

We miss them both and hope to see them back at the clubhouse soon.


Pipestone (Catlinite)

THANK YOU!

Each month Jim and JoAnn Wiersema & Cora Caffey of Horizon Environmental Services print, fold and seal the Stone Chipper for mailing to those club members who do not have computer access and for non-members interested in finding out more about the club. This is a real cost savings for AGMS and we appreciate their generosity.

INTRODUCTION: Catlinite [Pipestone] is a rock that was a favorite material of Native Americans for making pipe bowls, especially those tribes who lived on the Plains, Other decorated items for ceremonial and religious purposes, and articles for personal adornment, were also

made from the stone. By ca 1700, the Dakota Sioux controlled the Minnesota pipestone and distributed the stone only through trade; it found its way as far east as Georgia and west to the Pacific coast. Catlinite from the Minnesota quarries is sometimes referred to as sacred pipestone.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND: The name Catlinite was derived from the artist George Catlin (b1796 -.d 1872). Catlin traveled and painted extensively in the American West and visited the Minnesota quarries in 1835. Catlin is generally credited with first bringing the stone to the attention of mineralogists ca 1839.

THE ROCK: Catlinite is a metamorphic claystone, a type of argillite. It is a fine-grained rock, commonly colored by hematite. The often mottled or speckled stone is grayish to brownish-red to dark red in color. It occurs embedded as a 12 - 18 inch layer in a hard matrix of Sioux quartzite. The quartzite was formed by the metamorphism of sandstone. In some areas, 12 feet of quartzite must be removed to reach the layer of Catlinite.

The quarries are located in southwestern Minnesota in Pipestone County, near the city of Pipestone. The location was reported as early as 1702. The rock is also found in Minnehaha County, South Dakota (southwest of Pipestone). The South Dakota stone is cut from the same geologic strata as that quarried at Pipestone, Minnesota. The word pipestone is frequently misused to describe a wide range of materials used in crafting pipes. True Catlinite can be distinguished from

Red pipestone from Delta, Utah. photo by Way Sahoni

Chief White Coud painting by American genre painter George Catlin, who popularized pipestone when he visited the Minnesota quarries in 1835; but Philander Prescott first called attention to the stone by writing about it in 1832.

public domain photo


other pipe-making materials by using a streak plate (a small tile, of unglazed porcelain) and the Munsell Soil Color Chart. Catlinite has a streak which falls, only within hue 5R on the color chart.

THE PIPE IN ITS SPIRITUAL CONTEXT: Ceremonial smoking marked important activities of the Plains people; rallying forces for warfare against rival groups, prior to the trading of goods and hostages, ritual dancing, and in medicine ceremonies. The pipe bowl, stem and tobacco were stored in animal skin pouches or in wrapped bundles along with other sacred paraphernalia. After smoking the tobacco ashes were disposed of in special places. Pipes had an identity, were a valued possession, and were frequently buried with their owner.

Pipe designs varied over time and by the time of Catlin’s visit in 1835, the simple tube of earlier times had developed into elbow and disk forms, as well as elaborate animal and human effigies. In the 19th century, the pipes found their way through trade into white society. Bowls were sometimes carved effigies honoring white politicians and explorers;

sometimes the images were far from flattering. The Pawnee and Sioux were master effigy carvers. The T-shaped bowl we recognize today became widely associated with peace pipes because the white negotiators usually encountered them at treaty ceremonies.

Ceremonial pipes were used by the Lakota Sioux as a means of conveying prayers or wishes to the creation forces or beings. The tobacco mixture that was burned in a pipe and the resultant smoke was thought to carry those prayers. The pipe was smoked in personal prayer, as well as at collective rituals. It served as a means of conveying the thoughts of the smoker. Assembling the pipe (i.e. connecting the bowl with the stem) and the smoking mixture symbolically formed a bridge believed necessary for successful communication with non-humans that influenced fates and outcomes.

CRAFTING AND SHAPING: Catlinite is soft enough to be carved with stone or metal knives and drills. Native Americans traditionally used bow drills; the tip of the drill was fashioned with a quartz point which (when combined with water) could bore out even the hardest pipestone. They then employed moistened, thin rawhide strips rolled in pulverized quartz, that were stretched with a bow handle. The bow saw was used

Catlinite pipe, probably Ioway, late 17th century, from the protohistoric Wamampito Site, Bremer County, IA. photo by Bill Whittaker at en. wikipedia

Calumet (pipe) used by Black Hawk, on display at the Black Hawk Historic Site in Rock Island, Illinois.

Photo by Wikipedia user: Bill Whittaker


to rough-shape the blanks for the pipe bowl. Bowls could then be shaped with gradations of sandstone. After shaping, the bowls were polished using water and progressively finer abrasive grits, then worked with animal hide, and finally hand rubbed with buffalo tallow or facial oils to complete the polishing.

Today, the rough rock can be cut and shaped using common, carpenter hand tools. A regular hacksaw blade can rough-shape the blank. The blank can scraped w with a file, rasp, or knife blade, then smoothed with various gradations of sandpaper. If desired, the piece can be incised using any thin, sharpened tool. The piece can then be gently heated and rubbed with beeswax (fat and facial oils still work). The item can then be immersed in cold water to harden the wax that was worked into pores of the rock. Finally, the item can be polished with a soft cotton cloth.

REFERENCES DeMallie, Raymond J.(ed.) 2001. Handbook of North American Indians. Plains, Vol. 13 Parts 1 & 2. Smithsonian Institution: Washington, DC,

Holmes, William H. 1907. Catlinite. Handbook of Ameri-can Indians North of Mexico.

Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin 30. p. 217- 219

Early 20th Century Native American owl-shaped pipestone pipe.

photo by Shooting Brooklyn from Flickr

in Pt./vol. 1. Smithsonian Institution, U.S. Gov’t Printing Office: Washington, DC.

King, J. C. H. 1977. Smoking Pipes of the North American Indian. British Museum: London, England. 63p.

Sigstad, John S. 1970. A Field Test for Catlinite. American Antiquity 35:3, 377-382.

Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catlinite, Also see nicotiana, peace pipe, various others.

Woolworth, Alan R.(ed.) 1983. The Red Pipestone Quarry of Minnesota:

Archaeological and Historical Reports. Minnesota Archaeologist 42(1-2). Minneapolis, MN

From Gem Cutters News, June-July 2011 via The Rockhound, June 2011

The Minerals Special Interest Group will meet on March 11 at 7 p.m. at the club house. No formal presentation is scheduled, so show & tell will head the agenda, with a few administrative items to discuss.

AGMS Meetings Schedule

Minerals SIG GroupTuesday, March 11

Metalsmith SIG-- 2nd & 4th Monday--6:30 pm

Board Meeting-- 2nd Tuesday--7pm

Minerals SIG -- 2nd Tuesday--7pm

Gem Capers Show-- 3rd Thursday

General Meeting-- 4th Thursday--7 pm

The Stone Chipper is the official publication of the Austin Gem and Mineral Society. It is published monthly in Austin, Texas. Expanded minutes of Board Meetings are available upon request. Note: Clip art images are under Copyright 2014 by the AGMS and its licensors. All rights reserved. Unless otherwise noted, text items in The Stone Chipper may be reproduced in other nonprofit publications as long as proper credit is given to the author and The StoneChipper. All authors who make submissions to this newsletter are presumed to agree with this policy.

The Stone ChipperCarolyn Perkins, Editor6719 Burnet LaneAustin, Texas [email protected]

Address Correction Requested

March 2014 Newsletter

Austin Gem and Mineral SocietyAustin, Texas

Please visit us at www.Austingemandmineral.org

March 2014 Austin Gem & Mineral Society The …March 2014 Vol. 53.03 Austin Gem & Mineral Society...

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