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NOTES ON MANGANESE IN CANADA 
 By H. p. Brttmell, Ottawa, Can. 
 
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From The American Oeolof/itst, Vol. X, Augiat, 1892.] 
 
NOTES ON MANGANESE IN CANADA. 
 
 II. r. BiuMEi.L. Ottawa. 
 Assistant, Division of Mineral Statistics and Mines Geological Survey 
 
 of Canada. 
 
 (Communicated by permission of tlie Director. "i 
 
 In preparing the following brief sketch of the various imi)or- 
 tant <leposits of manganese in Canada, 1 have embodied the 
 greater part of liie article on that substance which T prepared for 
 the annual report of the division of Mineral Statistics and iMines 
 f(<r ]S0(».* 
 
 That the industry has not attained greater commercial i)romi- 
 nenee is due rather to its distance from market than to any in- 
 sufiiciency of supply; this applies, however. my')re es})ecially to 
 
 ♦Annual Report, Geol. Surv., part S, Vol. v, 188!) 90. 
 
j\l(iii(i<nH'xet)i i'aitadn. Brxnnll. Hi 
 
 the low jfradc or blast furnace ores than to the liijilily erystiiUliie 
 pyroliiHite for which the market is restricted. Of the tfco^rapiii- 
 cal position of the ore deposits little need he said beyond the fact 
 that the worked and. as far as is yet known, the workahle deposits 
 are all situated within New IJrunswick and Nova Scotia. Throujih ■ 
 out these provinces are found many comparatively extensive de- 
 posits of the crystalline and semi-crystalline ores, viz: pyrolus- 
 ite, mano;anite and i)silonu'lane. as well as lar<ie areas of wad or 
 bofi; — manganese. The crystalline ores are, in the majority of 
 cases, found in rocks of Lower Carboniferous age. while the bog 
 ore deposits, being of recent formation, are found overlying rocks 
 of any formation from the pre-Caml)rian upwards. 
 
 Ncv Britiiswich. — In New FJrunswick the most important de- 
 posit of the crystalline ores is that at Markhamville, Sussex, 
 Kings Co., from the workings of which ujtwards of 2(1,000 tons 
 have been shipped. 1'he ore deposits are irregular beds, pockets 
 and veins in a small area of Carboniferous limestone, on the 
 northwest side of which are located the workings. Many of these 
 ore bodies have attahied large dimensions, one of them affording 
 in the neighborhood of 4,000 tons of manganite with a consider- 
 al)le proportion of pyrolusite. The discovery of manganese at 
 this point was made in 1802, when it was worked by Mr. Wm. 
 Davidson, of 8t. John, until IS*).'), after whicii the property 
 l)assed into the hands of the Queen Manganese Co., by whom it 
 was opcMted under the management of Major A. Markham until 
 1880, when it again changed hands and was operated, still under 
 Major Markhain, by the Pope Manganese Co. Owing to the loca- 
 tion of the deposits, in :i valley cut through the softer limestones, 
 no regular system of mining has been attempted, the operations 
 being, until quite recently, altogether in the form of drifts and 
 ojjcn cuts with which the hill on the north and west side of the 
 property is literally honey-combed. During 1890, however, ex- 
 plorations were being made by means of the diamond drill, with 
 the result that two deep-seated deposits had b(>en found and were 
 being sunk upon. 
 
 Of the ore shipped from this mine two distinct classes are rec- 
 ognized, viz: "Blast furnace ore. ■ consisting almost entirelj' of 
 manganite, and high grade or '-grey ore. ' consisting of pyrolu- 
 site. The following analyses are of ' 'high class manganese ore 
 from Markhamville. New Brunswick' and are taken from •■The 
 
82 The American OeologiMt. Angii»t, i8w 
 
 Miiu'ral HcHourcos of tlio Unilod States, calendar your 1888. "' 
 Washington. IH'tO; 
 
 
 No. 1. 
 
 No. 2. 
 
 No. 3. 
 
 Manganese liinoxide 
 
 i)H.7U 
 
 
 
 peroxide 
 
 
 97.3r) 
 
 1)6 ca 
 
 Silica 
 
 O.SS 
 
 
 
 Iron 
 
 0.75 
 
 
 
 Iron peroxide 
 
 
 0.85 
 
 0.78 
 
 Barium 
 
 trace 
 
 
 
 Haryta and silica 
 
 
 0.5)5 
 
 0.85 
 
 Water 
 
 
 trace 
 
 trace 
 
 Loas 
 
 
 005 
 
 1.75 
 
 Another important deposit of erj'stalline ore is tiiat of Jordair 
 nionntainal)out live miles nortli of Sussex, Kings Co., and on tlie 
 western side of the mountain. Tiie ore liodies occur in a nian- 
 ganiferous limestone tlirougliout which are scattered, in a manner 
 similar to that at Markhamville, more or less extensive deposits 
 of pyrolusite and manganite. Since its discovery in 1882, l)y 
 tlie present owner, Mr. F. W. Stoci<ton, of Sussex, but little has 
 iteen done, further than a small amount of development work, 
 consisting of stripping and an open cut of al)out eighty feet in 
 length, in the l)ottom of which might be seen an interbedded len- 
 ticular mass of ore, principally manganite. From this cutting 
 al)0ut 400 tons of eighty to eighty-five per cent, ore had l)een 
 extracted. 
 
 Operations have been carried on for many years and by different 
 companies at Quaco Head, a bold rocky promontory about one mile 
 southwest of the village of St. Martins, Kings Co., unfortu- 
 nately, however, with but slight success, owing to the low per- 
 centage of ore contained in the rock mass. The deposit con- 
 sists of a heavy bed of red calcareous shale highly charged With 
 manganite and psilomelane, pyrolusite l)eing of much rarer occur- 
 rence than in the limestone deposits of the aforementioned local- 
 ities. The .property has been worked in a very desultor\' man- 
 ner for many years,, energetic operations not having been under- 
 taken until its ac{[uisition by the present company, who began 
 work by driving a tunnel into the shales which show a bluff face 
 of about 150 feet high. From this tunnel, which was driven about 
 sixty feet, two cross-cuts were made in either direction for about 
 twenty feet. In these workings several small pockets and con- 
 siderable quantities of mill-rock were struck and the ore ex- 
 tracted, though no shipments were made. In connection with the 
 mine a well equipped mill was erected and a wharf built and 
 
M<in(j<ni,H, n, (iiiioilo. — liriiiiiill. ,S3 
 
 all I'iU'ilitics iiiiidt' for ll,c caMV liiiinUiiitj of the ore Owiiitj lo 
 tlic poHilioii of the iniiic, ore could he run direct from the work - 
 iuffH to the wharf and loading acconipliHlicd at one handling l>y 
 means of self-dumpinir cars, 
 
 Assayn <d' the concentrated ore made hy A. M, Cowly, Cam- 
 hridge. Mass.. gave the following result: 
 
 1 
 
 
 Compact 
 
 I'oroiis 
 
 
 variety. 
 
 varietv. 
 
 Manganese (lio,\ide 
 
 Ti.r)4 
 
 ()5.i)(t 
 
 lns()liii)le HilicateH 
 
 8.87 
 
 (5.0(5 
 
 Ferric o.xide 
 
 2.19 
 
 1 .75 
 
 I'll sphoriiH 
 
 0.02 
 
 O04 
 
 Calciiini 
 
 trace 
 
 trace 
 
 Metallic inanifaneHe 
 
 58.20 
 
 57.15 
 
 \ 
 
 A consideraitle proportion of lime is generally present in the 
 concentrates, which will not. however, interfere with their fitness 
 for use in the manufacture of steel for which purpose all the ore 
 from this property will he most suitable. 
 
 A peculiar occurrence of manganese is that which is to l)esecn 
 
 on the north and northeast side of (lowland mountain. Elgin, 
 
 Kings Co. . wiiere the ore. consisting principally of psilomelane, 
 
 is found filling the interstices of a ver}- much lu'okon and partly 
 
 decomposed granite of pre-Cambrian age. A small amount of 
 
 ilcvelopment work was done on these deposits without, however, 
 
 locating any other than small busiclies of a very impure pyrolu- 
 
 site and psilomelane. The following analysis made in 1885 by 
 
 Mr. F. D. Adams, late assistant chemist to the Geological Survey, 
 
 is that of a specimen of psilomelane froTu this property: 
 
 Manganese dio.xide, available 50.21 per cent. 
 
 Ferric oxide 8.0(j " 
 
 Insoluble residue 38.78 " 
 
 The specimen also contained a very appreciable percentage of 
 baryta. 
 
 This property is peculiar in affording tlie only instance in New 
 Brunswick where the crystalline ores of manganese are known 
 to occur in appreciable quantity outside of the Carboniferous 
 areas. 
 
 Other localities where manganese, in its crystalline forms, have 
 been noted are, Upham, Waterford, near Petitcodiac, Springfield, 
 Tete-a-Gauche Falls, and man}' points throughout Albert county. 
 Of one of these, Shepod}' nu)untain, Dr. R. W. Ells, in his report 
 to the Geological Survey for 1884, writes: "The rocks of the 
 mountain (Shepodj' mountain) rest upon a small outlier t-f the 
 
84 Tilt' Aiiii'i'ifiiii ( II ohn/ixf, Aiit'Mi"t, iMitsj 
 
 tnlco-cliloritic HcliiHts. which sIkhv on the road to the lutrth. U-ad- 
 \n\f to ('urrvvillc. and arc llaiikcci on tlic cast hv the <ircv .sand- 
 stoiics of the niillHtonc-ffrit. On the noitlnvcst sich' a larjic dc 
 posit of manganese was \v(>rl<cd for Morae years, a tunnel lieini;; 
 driven into the mountain alonj; tlic contact vvitli tlic underlyinti 
 schists for nearly l.O(M) feet, the ore. which coiiHistcd of pyrolu 
 site and psilonielane. occurrinii at the l)asc of the coni^lonicrate 
 in irregular pockets. Operations luivc been suspended lor some 
 years, and the workings have all fallen in." 
 
 Of the deposits of wad in New lirunswick the most important 
 are those at Dawson Settlement, Albert Co., where many acres of 
 ore are found, the beds varying in extent and depth, and attain- 
 ing in some i)laces a thickness of over forty feet, to which pciint 
 tlicy have been proved. The dei)osits are covered throughout 
 with peat and peaty matter, having a thickness of about twelve 
 to twenty inches, the ore beneath this being found to l)e practically 
 free from impurities. The mode of working is very simple, con- 
 sisting of cross trenching, by which means the (!ei)osits are 
 drained, after this the ore is excavated and dried in pans, the re- 
 sult being a dry and almost impalpal)le powder. 
 
 A partial analysis of the ore by Mr. W. F. Hest. of St. -John, 
 
 gave : 
 
 Manganese blnoxide 47.0 
 
 Iron oxide 18.0 
 
 Vegetal)!? matter 34.0 
 
 L088 1.0 
 
 Copper trace 
 
 Cobalt trace 
 
 100.0 
 Several analyses by Mr. John Hurwash gave the following per- 
 centages of manganese binoxide: 73.0, 35.5, 58.8. 57.0, 70.7. 
 63.4, and an average specimen collected at various points and 
 sampled gave 47.4. 
 
 Nova Scot in. — As in New Brunswick extensive deposits of 
 manganese are known to exist in Nova Scotia, where the ores and 
 mode of occurrence are similar though ditfering in u great meas- 
 ure in the matter of production, that of this province being much 
 smaller than that of New Brunsw ick. In Nova Scotia, however, 
 there is a very large proportion of pyrolusite or high grade 
 ore. 
 
 On the south shore of Miuas Basiu and midway between Noel 
 
MoiHfoneHe in Canada. — Bt'anielJ. Hii 
 
 and Walton, i» sitnaUuJ tlic hrst known and mont important njan- 
 fjancHc mine in Xova Scotia, tiic Tciiy Vi\\)v mine, which, since 
 itH discovery in 1S()2, has iH'cnojM'ratcd more or less conlinnonsiy. 
 'I'iic ores, consiHtino; mainly of pyrolnsite and manganite, are 
 foiind in ihc Cjirttoniferous limestone which may l)e traced for 
 many miles on the sonth shore of Minas IJasin. the limestone im- 
 medintely in connection with the ore deposits being highly man- 
 ganiferous and inlerstratilic(l with small l)e«ls and masses of 
 manganiferons calc-sliale. the whole being usnally of a deep red 
 color. The mode of occurrence is pockety, the ore l)eing found 
 in irregular masses and stringers which follow the bedding planes 
 and fractures; some of these pockets are of consideral)le extent, 
 one atfording, it is said, upwards of 1,000 tons of high grade ore, 
 principally pyrolusite. A very considerable proportion of all the 
 ore extracted from this mine has been pyrolusite worth from $100 
 to $125 per ton at the works, and containing from 85 to 05 per 
 cent, of available l)inoxide. 
 
 The following assays taken from an article entitled " Notes on 
 the Manganese ores of Nova Scotia," by E. Gilpin. .Jr., show 
 the character of the ores obtained from Teny Cape and vicinity: 
 
 Teny Cape (a) Cheverie {h) Douglas 
 
 Manganese oxides 
 
 85.54 
 
 90.15 
 
 84.62 
 
 Iron peroxide 
 
 1.18 
 
 3.55 
 
 0.60 
 
 Baryta 
 
 0.89 
 
 1.12 
 
 0.72 
 
 Insoluble matter 
 
 8.27 
 
 2.80 
 
 1.78 
 
 Phosphoric acid 
 
 o.;J4 
 
 1.03 
 
 
 Water 
 
 8.54 
 
 2.05 
 
 5.29 
 
 Oxygen 
 
 
 
 7.04 
 
 99.70 99.70 100.00 
 
 (rt) Analyst, Dr. Howe. 
 
 (b) " E. Gilpin, Jr. 
 
 (c) " H. Poole. 
 
 Deposits similar to that at Teny Cape have been worked to a 
 smaller extent at Cheverie, Walton. Noel and Shubenacadie, on 
 the south shore of IMinas Basin, while on the north shore no im- 
 portant deposits of manganese have been noted, though some of 
 the limonite and other iron ores of the neighborhood of London- 
 derry arc highly manganifi-ims; this is also the case with many 
 of the iron ores of Ijoth Colchester and Pictou counties. 
 
 The following assays, taken also from Mr. Gilpin's article men- 
 tioned above, show the character of some of these ores, the par- 
 
10.848 
 
 48.223 
 
 62.950 
 
 
 
 14.410 
 
 1.(530 
 
 
 7.280 
 
 0.015 
 
 2.880 
 
 Trace 
 
 0.670 
 
 
 
 0.480 
 
 
 0.020 
 
 2.7:U 
 
 25.130 
 
 1 
 
 12.530 
 
 86 The American Geologist. August, ism 
 
 ticiilar cases cited hero being of two limonite ores from Spring- 
 
 ville, Pictou county. 
 
 Iron sesciuioxide 
 Manganese oxide 
 
 " peroxide 
 
 Magnesium 
 Lime 
 Alumina 
 Baryta 
 Sulphur 
 Phosi)lioru8 
 Insoluble residue 
 Water of composition 
 Moisture 
 
 90.439 100.808 
 
 On Cape Breton Lshinil as well as on the main land of the 
 province are found deposits of manganese, some of which attain 
 consideralile dimensions. Among tlu> more important of tlu'se 
 may l)e mentioned tliose situated near Loch Lomond, and of 
 which Mr. Hugh Fletcher reports as follows: Geological Survej' 
 report. 1882-84: 
 
 ''Large deposits of pyrolusite. which promise to l)e of great 
 importance, Imve recently been discovered and developed by the 
 Hon. E. T. Moseley, of Sydney, on tlie south side and near the 
 head of Loch Lomond, in Cape IJreton county. The ore is asso- 
 ciated with lower Carboniferous rocks and has Ijeen worked in 
 two places al)Out three-(iuarters of a mile apart. At the most 
 easterly of these, in a brook on tlu' farm of Norman Mcjrrison, a 
 tunnel has been driven al)out thirty feet on a vein about seven 
 inches thick, dipping N. 87° W. < 25° in line red sandstone 
 overlying reddish and greenish grit, with grains of quartz aI)out 
 the size of wheat and red marly sandstinie. The ore is irregu- 
 larly mixed with red aiul grey bituminous limestone, red and 
 greenish shale conglomerate and other rocks Itlotched with calc- 
 spar. It is in lenticular layers and also intimately mixed with 
 the limestone. l)eiug probai)ly of the same nature and origin as 
 the hematite and forming at times a cement for the pebbles of the 
 conglomerate * * * The mines were first worked in 1880. 
 In 1881 about 7(1 tons, and in the following year .")•.( tons of ex- 
 cellent ore were shipped to the I'nited States, * * * \n 
 analysis of a sample from the Morrison mine atl'orded Mr. Adams 
 !M.84 percent, of manganese dioxide, only .12 percent, of fer- 
 ric oxide and 2. Ul i)er cent, of insoluble residue." 
 
Manganeae in Canada. — BrumelL 
 
 87 
 
 I. 
 
 II. 
 
 III. 
 
 25.42 
 
 11.04 
 
 44.33 
 
 
 12.49 
 
 35.50 
 
 
 57.76 
 
 10.00 
 
 Many other deposits, l)oth of crystalline ores and wad, are 
 known to exist throughout the island. One of these on Boular- 
 derie island is said to be quite extensive, and the character of the 
 ore may he judged from the following assays: 
 
 Manganese peroxide 
 Iron sesquioxide 
 Insoluble matter 
 Water 33.52 
 
 I and II by G. C. Hoffmann, Chemist Geological Survey. Ill by E. 
 Gilpin, .Jr., Trans. Royal Society of Canada, Vol. ii, sec. iv. 
 
 Ontario nn.d Quehec. — Outside of Nova Scotia and New Bruns- 
 wick but little manganese is known to occur, and where noted is 
 usually of low grade. In Quebec several small deposits of wad 
 have been noted, the largest, perhaps, being that in Stanshead 
 township, where on lot nine, range ten, the ore covers an area of 
 about twenty acres, and has a thickness of about twelve inches. 
 That this deposit has but slight commercial value is evidenced by 
 the fact that the washed ore contains only 37% of peroxide. 
 Another deposit, similar to the above, occurs on lot twenty, range 
 twelve of Bolton, the ore there assaying 26%. Many similar 
 deposits might be mentioned, though probably none as important 
 as those noticed above. 
 
 Manganese has also been noted as occurring on the Magdalen 
 islands, a small group in the gulf of St. Lawrence. Of these 
 deposivs Mr. Jas. Richardson in the report of the Geological Sur- 
 vey 1H79-80, writes: "Immediately under Demoiselle hill, on 
 Amherst island, numerous blocks charged with peroxide of man- 
 ganese, or pyrolusite, occur among the debris of the fallen clitfs. 
 They are in pieces varying from one pound to ten or fifteen 
 pounds in weight. There can be little doubt that they are de- 
 rived from a deposit more or less regular in the hill side, but 
 which is now completely concc" led by the fallen debris. At a 
 place bearing nearly due west from Cap aux Meules, at a distance 
 of about a mile, and close to tlir English Mission ciiurch. similar 
 pieces to those above described are very frecpiently picked up," 
 Assays of this ore, in the same volume, gave: 
 
 Manganese dioxide 
 Water, liygrosoopic 
 
 45.01 per cent. 
 0.10 
 
 In Ontario manganese has been reported from Itatchewaherung 
 bay, lake Superior. The ore is mangiinite and \s said to assay as 
 
88 The American Geologist. August, 1802 
 
 high as 60% of peroxide; of the extent and exact situation of 
 the deposit it is not possible to write. * 
 
 Au interesting discovery of a manganiferons spothic iron ore 
 is reported l)y Dr. R. Bell in the report of the Geological Sur- 
 vej' 1877-78, wherein he states that a band of about twent}' feet 
 of the ore, carrying 25% metallic iron and 24% carbonate of 
 manganese, occurs in the Nastapoka islands, a group off the east 
 coast of Hudson bay. The ore is easily accessible and will no 
 doubt eventually prove of value, the high percentage of man- 
 ganese contained making it eminently suitaljle for the manufacture 
 of speigeleiseu. 
 
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