" " 60 " 70, " " "
3rd " " " 25 " 50, " " "

Some inferior quality, at a very low price, is used by the Asbestos
Mining and Manufacturing Company of Quebec.

The workmen are principally French Canadians belonging to the
neighbouring villages, and the wages paid them are--

Miners (without board), $0.90 (3/9) to $1.25 (5/2), per day.
Pickers and cobbers, $0.40 (1/8) " $0.70 (2/11), "

The cost of extraction is taken from $20 to $25 per ton; this includes
local administrations and all other expenses connected with the mine,
and with the adoption of machinery and the use of air-compressed drills
the cost of actual mining will be reduced to at least 30 per cent.; so
taking an average price of about $70 per ton, a net profit of from 8
pound to 9 pound, or 45 pound, is obtainable per ton of raw material.

In 1886 the total amount of Asbestos, taken from all the mines, may be
estimated at 1,500 tons, and of the amount returned last year (1888),
all but 400 tons were from the Quebec province mines, and of these
Thetford turned out 2,560 tons, and Black Lake 950, or together
three-fourths of the whole out-put. The 400 tons were from Bridgewater,
in the province of Ontario, a somewhat different class of mineral,
which is generally used in the manufacture of fire-proof roofing.

As regards the indications of Asbestos, it is a general recognised fact,
and one that may be depended on, that not alone in Canada, but indeed
all other places where Asbestos-bearing serpentine is found, the
existence of Asbestos, or "Amianthus," is noticed when the serpentine is
exposed, and presents a rusted, sometimes greyish and broken appearance,
due to decomposition or weathering, or covered with a thin layer of
soil. Small veins of Asbestos are to be seen forming a network on the
surface of the rock. If closely examined there may be noticed the
indications of a fault which, in the eastern townships of Quebec, has
generally a direction of N. 40 degrees E., this fault appearing in all
openings where a good show of mineral is to be seen, presenting a wall
either in a vertical position or at an angle, which is preferred to be
not greater than 30 degrees. From this wall, at a varying distance of
from 5 to 20 feet, will be found another, sometimes parallel to, or at
an opposite angle; in this latter case, if these walls be worked down,
they will be found to eith