the magazine y - Desert Magazine of the Southwest

even estimate what the value will run per ton solely on the
basis of the color and brilliance of the schc elite crystals.
Old-time tungsten miners handling the ere for years were
never certain of their scheelite deposits w thout recourse to
lengthy and costly assays. The time and money saved by the
use of ultra-violet rays over those old methods of analysis
are incalculable. In actual mining operations the lamp instantly
differentiates rich ore from the unproduciive.
The Shadow mountain mine is the first ever to have been
discovered and surveyed for actual mining by the sole use of
ultra-violet rays.
The Shadow mountain discovery may prove to be the
largest tungsten deposit ever found in this country. The value
to the U. S. of such a find is difficult to calculate. Because of
its high melting point and great hardness, tungsten is invaluable
in the manufacture of high-speed tool steels, electric
light filaments, radio tubes, contact points fc r motor ignitions,
a.irplane and automobile valves, and even phonograph needles.
The superiority of tungsten steel ovei old carbon steel
results in a conservatively estimated annual savings in the
U. S. alone of close to $4,000,000,000.
Of greater immediate importance, however, is the use of
tungsten for the manufacture of war materials. Without tungsten
these vital products could never be produced in great
quantities at high speed. In 1937 the wor d armament race
SIDEWINDER SAM —By M. E. Brady
'Huh! Hollywood stuff!"
resulted in an all-time world high for tungsten production
when 42,250 tons were produced as against the former high
in 1918 of 35,200 tons. What the consumption is during the
present world crisis is impossible to calculate, but it must be
tremendous. During the first World War the price of tungsten
rose from $7.50 per unit of 20 pounds of concentrate to
over $35.00. A few producers sold tungsten as high as $100.
a unit.
The United States is one of the world's largest consumers
of tungsten. It imports between 60% and 90% of its requirements—most
of which comes from China and India, world's
largest producers.
If that foreign supply of tungsten were cut off, it is questionable
whether this country could produce enough of its
own to meet a war-time emergency. Hence the national importance
of Oliver Adams' Shadow mountain discovery. At
present the reserve supply of mined concentrates in the U. S.
is large. Because of this the price of tungsten has not risen
greatly with the coming of the European war. But when that
supply is gone, and if conditions abroad are such that the
normal supply from China and India is cut off, what then?
Perhaps like Oliver Adams, other modern night-time prospectors
with the infallible ultra-violet lamps may uncover
upon our deserts more unsuspected tungsten deposits which
will make the U. S. independent of a foreign supply.
ta
Each month the Desert Magazine
offers two cash prizes for the best
camera pictures submitted by amateur
photographers. The first award is
$5.00 and the second $3.00.
Pictures are limited to desert subjects,
but there is no restriction as to
the residence of the photographer. Entries
may include Indian pictures, rock
formations, flowers and wild animals,
canyons, trees, waterholes - - in fact
everything that belongs to the desert
country.
Following are the rules governing
the photographic contest:
1—Pictures submitted in the July contest
must be received at the Desert Magazine
office by July 20.
2—Not more than four prints may be
submitted by one person in one month.
3—Winners will be required to furnish
either good glossy enlargements or the
original negatives if requested.
4—Prints must be in black and white,
3V4 X 5V2 oi larger, and must be on glossy
paper.
Pictures will be returned only when
stamped envelopes or photo-mailers are
enclosed.
For non-prize-winning pictures accepted
for publication $1.00 will be paid for each
print.
Winners of the July contest will be
announced and the pictures published
in the September number of the magazine.
Address all entries to:
Contest Editor, Desert Magazine,
El Centro, California.
14 The DESERT MAGAZINE